Planetarium open house

Augustana College's John Deere Planetarium will be open to the public from 8:30-10 p.m. for an evening of stargazing and planet viewing.

Indoor and outdoor programs will be offered in the planetarium, the Carl Gamble Observatory and the building's grounds. The observing areas are unheated, so visitors should dress appropriate to the weather. In the event of cloudy sky conditions, the indoor planetarium programs will still be offered.

This year's open house will feature the planets Venus and Mars, as well as views of the mountains and craters of the Earth's moon. 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, casts of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull and a complete 22-foot long skeleton of Cryolophosaurus, a large crested carnivorous dinosaur discovered in Antarctica.