Mueller Planetarium's 'Touching the Universe' starts Nov. 8

Mueller Planetarium at the University of Nebraska State Museum will begin showing "Touching the Universe," a new fulldome show featuring beautiful photography from three amateur astrophotographers based in the Midwest. It will be presented Saturdays and Sundays Nov. 8-22 at 2 p.m. at the planetarium in Morrill Hall south of 14th and Vine Streets on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus.

"Touching the Universe" showcases the work of amateur photographers Richard Johnson of Bemidji, Minn., Taylor Chonis of Austin, Texas, and Martin Ratcliffe of Wichita, Kan. Audiences will be immersed in huge projections of their images of planets, galaxies and nebulae on the fulldome. The show will be preceded by a short introduction to the current night sky and followed by a brief fulldome program about NASA's IBEX mission to explore the boundaries of the solar system. The entire presentation will last approximately 40 minutes.

"Touching the Universe" was written and directed by Jack Dunn, Mueller Planetarium supervisor. This is the first full-length program Dunn has produced in fulldome format.

"It was a real challenge to learn the new software and to compose for a different medium than the old slide-based or video productions," Dunn said. "In the end, it was great to work on something that allows audiences to see and experience these images from a new perspective."

This program was produced under a grant from the Nebraska NASA Spacegrant Consortium in connection with a display of astrophotography that is traveling the state of Nebraska as part of the International Year of Astronomy. Select photographs from the program will be on display inside the planetarium as audiences enter and exit the theater.

The planetarium schedule Nov. 8-22 will be:

* Saturdays and Sundays: 2 p.m., "Touching the Universe;" 3 p.m., "Dawn of the Space Age."

* Thursdays: 7 p.m., "Dark Side of the Moon: The Fulldome Experience."

The NU State Museum and Mueller Planetarium will be closed Nov. 26 for Thanksgiving.

Planetarium show times and schedules are subject to change. Visit www.spacelaser.com for the latest information. Tickets to planetarium shows include admission to the museum. Prices are $8 for adults, $5.50 for children age 5-18, and $2.50 for children 4 and younger. For members of the Friends of NU State Museum with membership cards, tickets are $2.50 for adults and $2 for children. Tickets for UNL faculty, staff and students and immediate family are $3 (with valid UNL ID). Tickets are sold at the museum front desk the day of the show. For more information on planetarium shows, astronomy and space science, visit www.spacelaser.com. For more information on the museum, visit www.museum.unl.edu.