Abrams Planetarium's
Home School Days for
the 2011-2012 School Year
Special Days for Home Schoolers
If you are a home schooler and would like to visit the Abrams Planetarium, here are some dates and times we've scheduled for you to visit. Of course you can still call and reserve any other show times, but these special homeschool dates are open to anyone. No reservation needed and no minimum group size charge.
We've set aside the 3rd Thursday of the month (4th Thursday for October) for the 2011/2012 school year. Tickets will be sold at the ticket window starting at 1:00 p.m. Showtimes are at 1:30 p.m. There will be no late seating. Tickets are $2.00 per person.
Dates:
October 27, 2011* -- The Little Star That Could
November 17, 2011 -- Galaxies
December 15, 2011 -- Season of Light
January 19, 2012 -- The Search for Life in the Universe
February 16, 2012 -- Rusty Rocket's Last Blast
March 15, 2012 -- The Sun's Family
April 19, 2012 -- The Cowboy Astronmer
May 17, 2012 -- Relics of the Big Bang
* 4th Thursday in October.
October 27, 2011, 1:30 pm.
The Little Star That Could
(recommended for younger students)In this show, Little Star sets out on a journey in hopes of becoming a special star, only to discover he's quite ordinary. As it turns out, being ordinary is quite special after all. A live star talk ending with a question and answer session follows the recorded portion of the show.
November 17, 2011, 1:30 p.m.
Galaxies
(Recommended for older students)This show takes a close look at the Milky Way galaxy and then sets sail for the galaxies beyond. Based on the 1988 best selling book"Galaxies" by Timothy Ferris
December 15, 2011, 1:30 pm.
Season of Light
(recommended for all ages)Many of the familiar customs that we observe this time of year have an astronomical connection. Our holiday offering explores the traditions that we associate with this special season. A live star talk ending with a question and answer session follows the recorded portion of the show.
January 19, 2012, 1:30 p.m.
The Search for Life in the Universe
(Recommended for older students)Does extraterrestrial life exist? Are UFO's flying around in the night sky? Explore the possible answers in this show about alien life. Join us as Leonard Nimoy narrates a logical examination of the evidence for life elsewhere in the universe.
February 16, 2012, 1:30 p.m.
Rusty Rocket's Last Blast
(Recommended for all ages)Join Rusty Rocket, an old rocket getting ready to retire, as he teaches the new rookie rockets how to tour the planets in style.
March 15, 2012, 1:30 p.m.
The Sun's Family
(Recommended for all ages)A live presentation about the planets in the solar system. Get answers to all your questions about the planets and outer space.
April 19, 2012, 1:30 p.m.
The Cowboy Astronmer
(Recommended for all ages)Listen to stories of the stars told by a cowboy out on the range. Narrated by cowboy poet Baxter Black.
May 17, 2012, 1:30 p.m.
Relics of the Big Bang
(Recommended for older students)Emphasizing research currently underway at CERN, Relics of the Big Bang illustrates the monumental scale of a project that extends from Geneva, Switzerland to East Lansing, Michigan. Along the way, the audience is invited to take a closer look at the Large Hadron Collider, the ATLAS detector, and to learn more about dark matter, the Higgs particle, and other fascinating physical mysteries. This show was created by students and staff here at Michigan State University.
Parking
Parking can be difficult on the MSU campus on weekdays. There are metered spaces in the parking ramp behind the planetarium, but they tend to fill up early. There is no parking in the lot in front of the planetarium. That lot is for faculty and staff only. We have 6 spaces by the curb in front of the planetarium. We will give passes for those spaces on a first come basis. Click here for more parking information: DPPS parking information.
Adult Supervision
This is not a drop-off program. All students must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times. Parents and chaperones also must buy a ticket for $2.00. Children under two years of age will be admitted at no cost, but we strongly suggest children under two years of age stay home. If a child becomes noisy and disruptive, we may ask that you leave the planetarium theater.
Recommended Ages
The recommended grades given for the above shows are our recommendations based on the show's content. However, students of all ages will be permitted to any of the shows.
Back to Abrams Planetarium School visit page.
Click here for information about the MSU observatory public observing dates. The MSU observatory houses a 24" telescope used for astronomical research. One weekend a month, the telescope is set up for use by the public. Smaller telescopes are set up in the parking lot in front of the observatory. The telescopes will be looking at the Moon, planets and other celestial sights. The dates are typically the weekend closest to the First Quarter Moon
Click here for information about the MSU Astronomy Department lecture series. Once a month, an Astronomy Department faculty member gives a public talk about their current research. The lectures are geared towards general audiences. The lectures are free. Talks start at 7:30 p.m. and usually last about an hour.
Page created by John French, Abrams Planetarium
Schedule subject to change.