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How To See The Stars From Your Living Room
St. Petersburg College Astronomer Dr. Craig Joseph will be providing virtual shows to the public via Zoom starting Jan. 29.
PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — St. Petersburg College’s Planetarium has been closed to the public for months, but SPC Astronomer Dr. Craig Joseph will begin providing virtual shows to the public via Zoom.
Joseph will be live streaming from his home, using a desktop planetarium program called Stellarium to give participants a guided tour of the current evening sky.
“I will show people the stars, planets and constellations that are visible after the Sun goes down, including telescope attractions,” Joseph said. “I will then focus in on one particular aspect of the current sky with photos and videos. The focus of this first series of virtual planetarium shows is the planet Mars.”
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Joseph said the pandemic left the college no choice but to close the planetarium for safety reasons.
“It is pretty tight quarters in our planetarium,” he said, “so we can only fit about 10 visitors in there and still observe social distancing. Hopefully, the remote shows will serve to remind participants that we still have a planetarium waiting for them after the pandemic is under control.”
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All shows are free, open to the public and start at 7 p.m. Check the college’s Planetarium page or the event calendar for more details.
The Red Planet
January 29; February 5, 12
The planet Mars has been a fixture in the evening sky since its debut last fall. Join us for a virtual tour of the current evening sky that includes news from the red planet!
The Great Hunter
February 19, 26; March 5, 12
The Great Hunter Orion is at its prime in the early evening sky. Learn about the amazing stars that make up this popular constellation, the great nebula that adorns his sword, and other attractions in the cool winter sky above Tampa Bay.
Rites of Spring
March 19, 26; April 2, 9
Why is the beginning of spring such a special time of the year? Learn the astronomical significance of the equinoxes and visit some of the stars and constellations that herald the beginning of spring.
Galaxies Galore
April 16, 23, 30; May 7
The April sky features more galaxies than any other time of the year. The true nature of these vast “island universes” was discovered a century ago by Edwin Hubble. Learn how Hubble’s discovery increased the size of the universe a thousand-fold practically overnight!
This press release was produced by the St Petersburg College News. The views expressed are the author's own.
