The current version of the bet36365体育 Planetarium was completed in 2009 via a NASA grant to the University, with special assistance from Senator Ben Nelson.
The bet36365体育 Planetarium is equipped with a Zeiss ZKP4 Star Projector. This analog projector simulates the sky inside of the dome, including stars, planets, the Sun, the Moon, galaxies, coordinate systems, constellation artwork, and sky motions. The sky can be simulated for any time of day, any day of the year, thousands of years into the past or future, and any latitude on the Earth. The Planetarium also contains a state-of-the-art sound system and multiple video projectors.
The Planetarium is approximately 30 feet in diameter and has seating for 60 people. It is ADA compliant and can accommodate 1-2 wheelchairs per shows.
The Planetarium is first and foremost a teaching tool for bet36365体育 classes and local K-12 students. The Planetarium also provides public shows, called “Astro Fridays,” usually on the first Friday of each month during the academic year. Finally, the Planetarium provides shows for other bet36365体育 campus and Kearney community groups.
All shows are presented by bet36365体育 Physics and Astronomy faculty members. There are two main modes of operation for the Planetarium: (1) live narrated “Star Shows” and (2) live narrated “Science Talks.” Star Shows use the ZKP4 to show what’s in the sky and teach basic astronomy concepts. Science Talks use the video projectors and cover broader topics in astronomy and physics. Star Shows are the recommended mode of presentation for most K-12 groups. “Astro Friday” shows are typically a mix of a Star Show and a Science Talk, depending on the presenter.
You can either request a show for your group by using the form here or get tickets to an Astro Friday show here.
All shows are free. Due to high demand, seats for Astro Friday shows require free tickets (get them here). We graciously accept nonperishable food donations, which are in turn donated to either the bet36365体育 Loper Pantry (for bet36365体育 students) or local organizations.
There is limited parking outside of Bruner Hall of Science. The lot is by permit, enforced during the academic year on weekdays during business hours. Some meters are also available. Meters are not enforced during evenings when Astro Friday shows are held. There is side street parking south of 24th street available. For additional parking information, see this bet36365体育 Parking webpage and/or contact bet36365体育 Police.
We provide shows upon request to local K-12 public and private schools as well as groups from the bet36365体育 campus and Kearney community. Fulfilling requests is subject to faculty availability and discretion. At least one week of notice and a minimum group size of 20 guests (60 max) are preferred. Please note that requests outside of academic year business hours (e.g., evenings, weekends, and summers) are more difficult to fulfill.
Due to high demand, the ticketing system is not turned on until close to the date of a show. Your best bet is to check mid-day on the Friday one week before an Astro Friday show. If, during the week prior to a show, you do not see tickets available on TicketLeap and/or links on the website seem broken, it is likely that the show has sold out.
If there are open seats five minutes prior to an Astro Friday showtime, including unredeemed tickets, walk-in attendees will be allowed in at the presenter’s discretion.
Once a show has started, the outer door to the Planetarium is locked. If you must leave during a show, unfortunately you cannot reenter. In addition, to allow everyone to experience the show in its intended form, please be sure to silence cell phones and other alarms. Also please make sure that anything which lights up (smart watches, children’s light-up shoes, etc.) is off or concealed.
At the current time we do not have the capability for laser shows. We are exploring avenues for potentially having all-dome video in the future.
We do not have a presentation on this topic in our current rotation.
The Planetarium incurs significant regular maintenance costs due to the nature of the ZKP4. In addition, there is other equipment in the Planetarium (computers, AVL systems, etc.) that needs either periodic maintenance or upgrades. Because we do not charge for Planetarium shows, these funds come from either internal bet36365体育 funding or external grants. If you are interested in making a financial contribution to the Planetarium to help meet these needs, please contact the Planetarium Director.
The current bet36365体育 Planetarium Director is Dr. Adam Jensen, Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department. He can be reached at (308) 865-8878 or jensenag@253000xa.com.
