As if a full moon were not enough to bring out the lunatic in many of us, Wednesday, October 27 marks the final lunar eclipse of 2004, and the ISU Planetarium is hosting a viewing of this spectacular event. Officials from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center contend, “This could be an excellent opportunity for budding astronomers and students to test their observing skills . . .[Lunar eclipses] help cultivate interest in science and astronomy in children and provide a unique learning opportunity for families, students, and teachers.”

For the celestial event, the planetarium will offer a free program for the ISU and Bloomington-Normal community beginning at 7:00 p.m. The planetarium will host a half-hour discussion on lunar eclipses and what to expect. Around 7:30 p.m.—the time when the distinguished shadings of the lunar eclipse should begin to be visible to the naked eye—the show will be moved outside (weather permitting),

“It’s very appropriate to have a blood red moon the evening before our Halloween show,” Willmitch admitted, alluding to the planetarium’s “Ghostly Tales”—an hour of spooky music and ghost stories showing at the planetarium on October 29 and 30. For that weekend only, “Ghostly Tales” will replace the showing of “Ring World”—a presentation featuring the NASA Cassini space probe and the planet Saturn. In December, the planetarium will produce “’Tis the Season”—an historical look at cultural practices during the winter solstice.

In addition to these featured presentations, the planetarium offers year-round educational programs. After a brief discussion highlighting the stars and constellations found in the current evening sky, these multimedia presentations include slides, videos, special effects, music, and narration devoted to a single topic. Topics range from space exploration through “Larry Cat in Space” (for students from preschooler to second grade), to the solar system in “3-2-1. . . Blast Off!” (for fourth through sixth graders), to the Milky Way in “Timothy Ferris's Galaxies” (for seventh grade and older). The planetarium’s Sky Lectures offer live shows covering various topics.

The ISU Planetarium also maintains The Monthly Skyline in conjunction with the Twin City Amateur Astronomers. This 24-hour hotline announces the celestial events for the month.

Willmitch says the planetarium is a great resource for the community: "We can promise you the sun, the moon, the stars, and the sky—and we can deliver."