THE FRIENDS OF THE PLANETARIUM OCTOBER PROGRAMMING
October 18-20, 2013
The Friends of the Planetarium organizes and hosts public programs for one weekend each month. We've chosen themes for each month, and all the activities or presentations for a given weekend will be related in some way to the chosen theme. The Friends of the Planetarium will use donations from the community to purchase digital full-dome programming to complement the library being developed by Arlington Public Schools. For a complete schedule, please visit http://friendsoftheplanetarium.org.
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The theme for October is Mission to Mars!
Find out what's happening in Arlingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Friday, October 18, 2013
1) Screening of the digital program Cosmic Colors
Cosmic Colors will take you on an amazing journey across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Learn more about color—like why plants are green, the sky is blue, and Mars is red. Get ready for an amazing adventure under a rainbow of cosmic light! Target audience is ages 8 and above.
Running Time: 31 minutes
Doors Open: 6:15p.m. Show Begins: 6:30p.m.
BONUS: COSTUME PARTY!!!
Kids are encouraged to give their Halloween costumes a trial run and wear them to the show. Every child in costume will receive a prize! Costumes related in some way to space exploration are especially encouraged. (Adults are also welcome to wear costumes.)
2) Screening of the digital program MarsQuest
Narrated by Patrick Stewart, MarsQuest provides a captivating scientific and historical exploration of the planet Mars. Produced in three acts, the program begins with a multicultural history of our understanding of the planet. Next, MarsQuest details the planet as we currently experience it, and the final act examines preparations for humans to live on Mars. MarsQuest will delight viewers of all ages, especially 5th grade and beyond. Loch Ness Productions.
Running Time: 41 minutes
Doors Open: 7:15p.m. Show Begins: 7:30p.m.
Saturday October 19, 2013
“Movie Night at the Planetarium”, featuring MARS ATTACKS, a 1996 motion picture about spacecraft launched from the planet Mars en route to planet Earth. Eventually, the Martians visit Washington DC, where misunderstandings flourish, and havoc ensues. Can anything defeat the Martians? Will planet Earth rebuild from the attack? The film stars Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan, and many more familiar faces.
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi fantasy violence and brief sexuality (Details courtesy of IMDB.com)
Running time: 106 minutes
Doors Open: 6:15p.m. Show Begins: 6:30p.m.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
1) Screening of the digital program One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
During this adventure, Big Bird, Elmo, and their new friend Hu Hu Zhu will share some of the wonderful ways that the United States and China are similar and different. Hu Hu Zhu will even help children learn a new language! Big Bird and Elmo will ask children questions and sing some songs. One World, One Sky is geared toward children ages 4-8.
Running Time: 25 minutes
Doors Open: 1:15p.m. Show Begins: 1:30p.m.
BONUS: COSTUME PARTY!!!
Kids are encouraged to give their Halloween costumes a trial run and wear them to the show. Every child in costume will receive a prize! Costumes related in some way to space exploration are especially encouraged. (Adults are also welcome to wear costumes.)
2) Sunday Science Lecture: Jared Espley, Ph.D.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Laboratory for Planetary Magnetospheres
“Climate Change on Mars: The Case of the Missing Martian Atmosphere”
Mars was not always the dry, cold place we see today. Ancient gullies and canyons were carved by flowing water, minerals that can only be made in standing water formed, and the remnants of ancient volcanoes litter the surface. Clearly, the atmosphere had to have been thicker and possibly warmer at some point in the red planet's past. What happened? Could the lack of a planetary magnetic field be the culprit? The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, launching in November 2013 and arriving at Mars in September 2014, will help us unravel the mystery of Mars' changing climate.
Running Time: 60 minutes
Doors Open: 2:45p.m. Lecture Begins: 3:00p.m.
Admission for all programs is $3 for Children (up to age 12), $5 for Friends, Members, and Seniors (60+), and $7 for teens and adults.
Ticketing will be managed online at www.friendsoftheplanetarium.org and powered by eventbrite.com. Online ticketing will end two hours prior to each show, and any unreserved seats will be made available on a first come, first served basis 15 minutes prior to the doors opening. Further details and ticket reservations/sales are available at www.friendsoftheplanetarium.org.
ABOUT FRIENDS OF THE PLANETARIUM
Founded in 2010 to save the Planetarium from being closed, Friends of Arlington's David M. Brown Planetarium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that continues to raise funds to make the Planetarium even better, and to support Arlington Public Schools in providing enhanced science education in Arlington County. The Friends of Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium has an all-volunteer Board of Directors and Advisory Council. For more information about Friends of Arlington's David M. Brown Planetarium, please visit www.friendsoftheplanetarium.org.
