Radford University
Planetarium
2009

Radford University

Department of Chemistry and Physics

About the planetarium (has map)

About Our Shows

Planetarium History

More about the Planetarium

Selu Observatory

 


Links:

Heavens-Above.com
and the
Radford link

Space.com

KidsAstronomy.com

StarDate Online

The Hubble Site

The Nine 8(!) Planets

 

 

We are closed for the summer and will reopen in early September.

Our catalog of shows includes:

  • Our newly-acquired show "The Planets" which takes audiences on a tour of our solar system, explaining how our solar system and its planets formed, why things rotate around the sun in the ways they do, and eventually looks at the planets that have been discovered around other stars. This show was produced by the Southeastern Planetarium Association and is narrated by Kate Mulgrew (aka Captain Katherine Janeway of "Star Trek: Voyager") .
  • We have the three shows in the "Explorers" series. These were produced by the Bishop Museum Planetarium in Hawaii and addressing many of the national and Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) for K-12 students.
  • From the Adler Museum Planetarium in Chicago "Spirits from the sky" and "Skywatchers of Africa" discuss many of the traditions associated with the sky that were so important to Native American and Native African peoples.
  • Our children's show is "In My Backyard" is produced by the Calgary Science Center. This show takes younger audiences (from 3 years old to second graders) on a tour of many of the objects that can be seen in the night sky without a telescope.

We also have the shows that have proven so popular in recent years:

  • From the Adler Museum Planetarium in Chicago, "Images of the Infinite: The Hubble Space Telescope Show" takes audiences on a tour through the universe starting from our solar system and proceeding to near the very edge of our visible universe.
  • And our always-popular Christmas show " 'Tis the Season" chronicles many of the legends and traditions of the Christmas holiday season, including the story of a certain star.

For a complete listing of our shows, please see our shows page.

Scheduling your group for a show

If you have any questions about the planetarium, please contact Dr. Rhett Herman at (540) 831-5441 (office phone), (540) 831-6443 (Department of Chemistry and Physics), rherman@radford.edu, or through Dr. Herman's webpage.

Groups (school groups, scout groups, community groups, etc.) may schedule individual shows at times other than during our regular evening shows by contacting Dr. Herman.


Help Support the Planetarium

The Department of Chemistry and Physics is pleased to offer our planetarium shows for free to anyone who visits us. You can now help support this continuing endeavor through your gift to the Radford University Planetarium through the Radford University Foundation. You can make a gift directly to the RU Planetarium by clicking on this link. Where you are asked, "Please allocate my gift to:" please select "Other" from the pulldown menu and type "RU Planetarium" into the adjacent space. All funds donated will go for direct support of our planetarium show offerings. Thank you for coming to the shows, and for your continued support.

 

 

We are part of the Radford University Science Alliance along with the Geology Department's Museum of the Earth Sciences, the Biology Department's Greenhouse, and the Department of Chemistry and Physics. This group brings K-12 school groups to the RU campus for a day of science activities in our facilities.

To learn more about this and to schedule your group for a tour please contact Dr. Rhett Herman .