Presentations can be arranged for groups such as; scouts, classes, dorms, clubs,
office staff, birthday parties, etc.
(minimum of 20 people or payment of $60 please). We occasionally
offer public "walk-in" shows, check the calendar for dates and times.
The facility has very comfortable seating for 45 people plus room for about 10 more on the floor.
To schedule a presentation for a group, choose an open date and time on the calendar below,
and then use this handy
presentation request form
or contact one of our
current guides.
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How Much Does it Cost?
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Students
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$3.00
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For private groups, an invoice will be issued and you can mail payment to the WWU Cashier.
Make checks payable to Western Washington University.
For programs scheduled as part of a WWU course curriculum there is no fee.
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Non-Students
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$5.00
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Most planetarium presentations are strictly for people 8 years and older.
However we do have programs designed specifically for the
groups of younger children, such as preschool and daycare field trips.
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For more information about the schedule,
please email.
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Presentations in Cyan
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Astronomy in Gray
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History in Red
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Information Links in Gold
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Western Washington University Planetarium
Western Washington University Planetarium
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Zodiacal light is a pyramid of very dim light seen in the west after evening twilight
and in the east after morning twilight. It is light scattered from the Sun by countless
micro-meteoroidal particles along the plane of the solar system.
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1
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2
Space Shuttle
Columbia lost, 2003
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3
Montessori
1:30PM
First images from lunar surface. 1966
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4
High St Homeschool
11:00AM
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5
Maarten Schmidt discovers redshift of quasars. 1963
Apollo 14 lands on the Moon 1971
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6
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7
First untethered spacewalk 1984
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8
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9
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10
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11
WMAP measurements support Big Bang origin of the Universe 2003
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12
NEAR-Shoemaker first craft to land on asteroid 2001
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13
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14
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15
Galileo Galilei born 1564 (bio)
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16
Isom Elem
10:15, 11:30AM & 1:00PM
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17
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18
Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto
Chinese
New Year
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19
Nicholous Copernicus
born 1473
(bio)
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20
John Glenn
orbits Earth in "Friendship 7" 1962
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21
Lynden Academy
10:30AM
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22
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23
Lynden Academy
10:30AM
Supernova 1987A Observed (stellar evolution)
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24
Cambridge astronomers discover pulsars 1968
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25
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26
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27
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28
WCC A100
6:30PM
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29
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There is a leap year every year whose number is perfectly divisible by four,
except for years which are both divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400.
This means that three times out of every four hundred years there are eight years between leap years.
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Western Washington University Planetarium
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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March is the month of the "Messier Marathon" which is when amateur astronomers attempt to see as many
of the M Objects in one night as they can.
(Messiers)
Leo is now high in the sky in the evening and dominates the spring sky.
From northern latitudes look for the Big Dipper straight up on the zenith.
(constellations)
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1
WWU A103
10:00AM
Sky Hester
6:00PM
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2
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3
Goicu-Margineanu
12:00PM
Mars
at Opposition
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4
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5
WCC A100
6:30PM
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6
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7
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8
WWU A103
10:00 & 11:00AM
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9
Active volcanoes discovered on Io 1979
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10
Rings of Uranus discovered 1977
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11
Daylight Savings
Time begins for most of America
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12
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13
William Herschel discovers Uranus 1781
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14
Albert Einstein
born in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany 1879
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15
WCC A100
6:30PM
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16
Brockmeyer
Homeschool
10:30AM
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17
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18
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19
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20
Vernal Equinox
05:14 UTC
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21
WCC A100
6:30PM
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22
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23
Purcell Elem
11:00AM & 12:00PM
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24
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25
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26
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27
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28
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29
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30
Evergreen Elem
11:00AM & 12:00PM
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31
Schulz
2:30PM
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Western Washington University Planetarium
Western Washington University Planetarium
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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The Eta Aquarids meteor shower will peak on May 5 but it actually stretches from April 21 to May 12.
It typically produces about 10 meteors per hour at the peak.
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1
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2
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3
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4
WWU A113
11:00AM
Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower
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5
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6
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7
WCC A100
6:00PM
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8
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9
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10
Apollo 10 launched 1969
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11
WWU A113
11:00AM
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12
Carlton
1:00PM
Sherwin
3:00PM
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13
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14
Skylab launched 1973
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15
WCC A100
6:00PM
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16
WWU A113
11:00AM
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17
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18
WWU CST
Advisory Board
11:00AM
Back2Bham
7PM, 8:30PM
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19
WWU
Back2Bham
11AM, 12:30PM, 3:30PM, 5PM
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20
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21
Penzias & Wilson discover cosmic background radiation 1965
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22
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23
WCC A100
6:00PM
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24
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25
WWU A113
11:00AM
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26
Skylab launched 1973
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27
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28
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29
Big Lake
10:45AM
Relativity tested during eclipse 1919
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30
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31
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Annular Solar Eclipse - May 20th. The path will begin in southern China and move east through Japan, the northern Pacific Ocean,
and into the western United States.
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Western Washington University Planetarium
Western Washington University Planetarium
Western Washington University Planetarium
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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The Perseid Meteor Shower is a yearly favorite. It peaks on the 12th with a rate of 50 to 60 per hour.
These meteors are actually debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle
which takes approximately 130 years to orbit the Sun
(comets).
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
Rebound
1:00PM
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9
Stodola
3:00PM
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10
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11
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12
Perseid Meteor Shower
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13
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14
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15
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16
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17
Asaph Hall discovers two moons of Mars 1877
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18
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19
Orville Wright born, 1871
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20
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21
Lynden Boys
1:00PM
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22
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23
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24
Neptune
at Opposition
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25
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26
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27
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28
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29
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30
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31
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Western Washington University Planetarium
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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The bright star Capella sparkles with colorful intensity when seen through dense air near the horizon.
True for any bright star, but this month Capella rises at a sweeping angle which keeps it near the horizon longer,
and rises in the early evening when many people are out and notice it.
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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13
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14
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15
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16
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17
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18
Viking Launch 7:00PM
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19
The Firs 3:00PM
1st scientific article on search for ET, Cocconi & Morrison 1959
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20
Bham High 11:00AM
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21
Bham High 8:00AM
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22
Autumnal
Equinox
14:49 UTC.
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23
Neptune discovered 1846
(Neptune)
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24
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25
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26
The Firs
3:00PM
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27
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28
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29
Uranus
at Opposition
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30
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Another interesting autumn star is Mira which is a variable star
in the constellations of Cetus. At its very brightest it is as bright as the North Star. At its dimmest it is invisible
to the naked eye. The whole cycle takes about 330 days.
(constellations)
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Western Washington University Planetarium
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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In the south, the bright lonely star Fomalhaut shines in solitary splendor.
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1
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2
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3
Stuart & Shaw Islands
2:15PM
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4
Sputnik, first human craft in space, launched from Russia 1957
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5
Edwin Hubble discovers M31 is outside of the Milky Way 1923
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6
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7
First ever images of far side of the Moon, Luna 3 1959
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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13
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14
Chuck Yeager breaks sound barrier, 1947
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15
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16
Camano Seniors
11:00AM
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17
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18
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19
Ripke-Olsen
2:00PM
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20
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21
Orionid Meteor Shower
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22
First images from surface of Venus, Venera 9
1975
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23
Compass
2Campus
11AM & 1PM
Fendale Seniors
3:00PM
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24
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25
Bellingham Christian
10:00AM
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26
Back2Bham
7:00, 8:30PM
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27
Back2Bham
1:30, 3:00, 4:30PM
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28
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29
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30
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31
Vatican admits errors in trial of Galileo, 1992
(bio)
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The Orionid Meteor Shower usually peaks on the 21st but it can be very irregular.
Hourly rate is typically 20. Best viewing is between midnight and dawn.
The shower is created by debris shed from Halley's Comet.
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Western Washington University Planetarium
Western Washington University Planetarium
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