Caroline Summers/Samford University
Christenberry Planetarium
This image from a planetarium show was captured by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, launched in 2009. WISE has scanned the entire sky in infrared light, picking up the glow of hundreds of millions of objects. Photo courtesy of Christenberry Planetarium.
If you like a little space — or a lot — Samford University’s Christenberry Planetarium might be the place for you.
The facility is in the midst of an ongoing expansion of programming, technical upgrades and community engagement. This includes free shows that give the public an up-close and personal view of the universe, said planetarium director David Weigel.
“Our shows are particularly exciting because, unlike the majority of planetaria, all of them are live and interactive,” Weigel said. “So instead of watching a movie that has been premade, I lead you on a guided tour of the universe with every opportunity to ask questions and steer the focus of the show to the center of your interests.”
Built in 2001, the planetarium features a 40-foot dome over a 94-seat viewing area. Upgrades from 2014 provide a dramatic improvement in image quality over the previous system, he said.
“We look at the stars in the night sky as well as tour through our solar system to the sun, various planets, moons and smaller bodies, and even satellites,” Weigel said. “We also have an observatory located across the street on the roof of Brooks Hall, which allows us to locate objects we’ve discussed in the planetarium and locate them ourselves in the night sky.”
The visualizations are actual data sets taken from real scientists around the world, mainly NASA affiliates.
Upcoming presentations include:
Alabama Summer Skies (night sky shows discussing stars, planets, constellations and the related Greek mythology) at 8 p.m. on June 16, July 16, July 30 and August 4.
Alabama Summer Skies: Astronomy 101 (complete with a solar system exploration of all planets) at 10 a.m. on June 23, July 9, July 23 and August 6.
Special fall presentations on on the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Dawn mission to Ceres to be announced.
In addition, the planetarium will host repeat presentations of some shows from earlier this year, including:
Alabama Summer Skies: A discussion on the Rosetta mission, which orbited a comet and dropped a lander onto its surface in November, a first in space exploration.
Alabama Summer Skies: Astronomy 101 — a solar system fly-through detailing the basics of space that everyone should know for daily life.
Alabama Summer Skies: Mars — a discussion on NASA’s Curiosity and Opportunity rovers, other active Mars missions, and a look at prominent geological features on Mars.
Weigel said he hopes people of all ages will take part in the upcoming planetarium presentations.
“We want to educate the Samford community but also the Birmingham community in all things science, though primarily space related,” he said. “And when people are curious about something in space, we want them to look to Samford and the Christenberry Planetarium first for an easy-to-understand, yet thorough, explanation.”
To check show dates and times, visit Christenberry Planetarium at Samford University on Facebook, email planetarium@samford.edu or call 726-4139.
Shows are free and on a first come, first served basis. Field trips are also available.
