Planetarium lunar eclipse night

The John Deere Planetarium at Augustana College will offer a free public program in conjunction with the total eclipse of the moon.

The planetarium will be open from 9:30-11:30 p.m., with indoor and outdoor programs in the planetarium, the Carl Gamble Observatory, and the building's grounds. Masks are required inside all Augustana buildings.

In addition to the 14-inch reflector in the Carl Gamble Observatory and telescopes on the grounds, a planetarium show on the wonders of the night sky will be offered.

The Fryxell Geology Museum, which features one of the best collections of minerals and fossils in the Midwest, also will be open to the public. Highlights in the museum include a wall of glowing, fluorescent rocks, casts of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, and a complete 22-foot long skeleton of Cryolophosaurus, a large crested carnivorous dinosaur discovered in Antarctica by Augustana paleontologist Dr. William Hammer.

In the event of cloudy skies, the planetarium presentation will still be offered.