Fall at Vanderbilt Planetarium: Night Lights, National Astronomy Day, Haunted Skies, Laser Halloween

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium welcomes autumn with intriguing programs that include the new "Night Lights," the heavy-metal holiday celebration "Laser Halloween," and "Haunted Skies," an original Vanderbilt production. (See below for the full schedule of fall programs and hours.)

The Vanderbilt will take part again in National Astronomy Day on Saturday, October 16, from 11:00 a.m. to midnight. The program will include model-rocket demonstrations, safe viewing of the sun through solar telescopes, children's games and craft projects, storytelling related to astronomy and space, and night-sky observing with telescopes. Participating in the event will be the Long Island Astronomical Society and the Long Island Rocketry Club.

"Night Lights," the newest planetarium show, opens to the public on Saturday, September 11. It explores the stars and constellations and looks at the challenges that light pollution presents to twenty-first century stargazers. The program will be shown every Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Created in-house by the staff of the Vanderbilt Planetarium, "Haunted Skies" (for ages 10 and older) examines the origins of Halloween, an often misunderstood holiday, and reveals why this ancient autumn tradition is still celebrated today. Spine tingling and certainly not for the faint of heart, "Haunted Skies" (opening September 25) captures the spirit of the holiday in an enjoyable, intelligent and often "frightening" way.

"Laser Halloween," for ages 12 and older, features songs by a dozen metal bands that include Alice in Chains, Korn, Kiss, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica and Marilyn Manson. Other dazzling laser shows offer music by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, U2 and Pink Floyd.

Breathtaking Planetarium shows include a trip to remote stars and an exploration of the mysteries and human connection to the earth's nearest celestial neighbor, the moon.

David Bush, an astronomy educator and the planetarium's technical and production coordinator, gives a live lecture, "Long Island Skies," every Friday at 8:00 p.m. in September, October and November. Afterward, visitors can participate in a perennially popular program – open-air observation of the night skies through the Vanderbilt's powerful telescope. (See schedule below.)

FALL 2010 PLANETARIUM SCHEDULE (Starting Sept 7)

Friday Evenings:

8:00 p.m.  Long Island Skies (live lecture)

9:00 p.m.  Laser Beatles 

10:00p.m.  Led Zeppelin: Lased and Confused

Observing Friday nights, 9-11 p.m. (weather permitting)

Saturdays:

11:00 a.m.  A Trip to the Planets

12 Noon    One Small Step 

1:00 p.m.  Journey through the Solar System

2:00 p.m.  Night Lights

3:00 p.m.  Symphony of the Stars laser show

 4:00 p.m.  Journey through the Solar System

(Haunted Skies – Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30)                        

Saturday Evenings:

7:00 p.m.  Laser Beatles

8:00 p.m.  Journey through the Solar System

(Haunted Skies – Sept 25, Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30)

9:00 p.m.  Laser U2

(Laser Halloween – Sept 25, Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30)

10:00 p.m. Laser Pink Floyd–Dark Side of the Moon

Sundays:

12 Noon  A Trip to the Planets

1:00 p.m.  Journey through the Solar System   

2:00 p.m.  Night Lights

3:00 p.m.  Laser Beatles

(Haunted Skies – Sept 26, Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, 31)

4:00 p.m.  Journey through the Solar System

Holiday Schedule

Sept 9-10, Oct 11, Nov 2 and 11

11:00 a.m. A Trip to the Planets

12 Noon    One Small Step

1:00 p.m.   Journey through the Solar System

2:00 p.m.   Night Lights

3:00 p.m.  Symphony of the Stars laser show

4:00 p.m.  Journey through the Solar System                            

(Haunted Skies – Oct 11 only)

Girl Scout Day Event, September 25

11:00 a.m. A Trip to the Planets

12 Noon    Night Lights

1:00 p.m.  Journey through the Solar System

2:00 p.m.  Trip to the Planets

3:00 p.m.  Symphony of the Stars laser show

4:00 p.m.  Journey through the Solar System

Our Night Out: Storytime under the Stars (6:00 p.m., third Sunday of the month)

Oct 17 – Halloween stories, Nov 21, Dec 19