Planetarium spring open house

Augustana College's John Deere Planetarium will be open to the public for an evening of stargazing and planet viewing. The planetarium will be open from 9:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m., with indoor and outdoor programs in the planetarium, the Carl Gamble Observatory, and the building's grounds. In the event of cloudy sky conditions, telescope views may not be possible but the indoor planetarium programs will still be offered. There is no charge for admission.

This year’s open house will feature the red planet Mars and views of the mountains and craters of the Earth’s Moon from our telescopes. Also on display will be a quarter-ton piece of the Canyon Diablo meteorite and a planetarium show with images and information on the wonders of the night sky.

The Fryxell Geology Museum, which features one of the best collections of minerals and fossils in the Midwest, will also be open to the public. Highlights in the museum include a wall of glowing, fluorescent rocks, and casts of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, and a complete 22-foot long skeleton of Cryolophosaurus, a large crested carnivorous dinosaur discovered in Antarctica. The observing areas are unheated so dress appropriate to the weather.