August 25, 2017
Story by Micah Oelze
The Barton Planetarium will host “The Cowboy Astronomer” at 7 p.m. Aug. 28 in the Barton Community College Planetarium located in the Science Building.
“The Cowboy Astronomer” is a 37-minute full-dome video composed of a collection of star tales and Native American legends, combined with constellation identification, star-hopping and astronomy facts told from the unique viewpoint of a cowboy astronomer.
Following the video, Planetarium Director Dr. Tim Folkerts will use the planetarium to showcase wonders of our current night skies, such as Jupiter, Saturn, and the moon, which are visible in the southwest sky this week. In addition, Folkerts will explain how to find the Big Dipper, the North Star, other assorted stars and constellations.
Upcoming planetarium shows
The following shows, apart from the Christmas show, will run from 7-8 p.m.:
Sept. 11 – “The Smart Phone Astronomer”
Oct. 9 – “Saturn - The Ring World” and “Great Planet Adventures”
Oct. 23 – “Journey to A Billion Suns”
Nov. 6 – “Dinosaur Prophecy” and “Body Code”
Nov. 27 – “Search for Life in the Universe” and “X-Planets”
Dec. 10 – Christmas Show: “Star of Bethlehem” at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
For more information, please contact Planetarium Director Dr. Tim Folkerts at folkertst@bartonccc.edu or (620) 792-9320.