Presented in the planetarium at Cedar Crest High School, daytime planetarium programs are offered FREE of charge to all CLSD resident senior citizens. Three programs will be offered to senior citizens in Spring 2026! These are free events, but please call at least one day in advance to make reservations and to ensure program availability. To make reservations, please call Rich Fried at 223-241-9586. In the event Rich is unavailable to answer your call due to teaching duties, please leave a message and phone number at which you may be reached!
Thursday, March 12, 9:45 to 10:45 AM, "Astronaut" Topic Spotlight: 'Solar System Formation"
Astronaut explores the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through the microscopic regions of the human body. Discover what it takes to be an astronaut and the perils that such a job places on our bodies. Find out what these perils are as we meet “Chad,” our unwilling test astronaut, and we throw every danger space has to offer at him! Afterwards, the show will conclude with a lecture about solar system formation. Participants will make some basic observations about the structure of the solar system we call home and pair it with images of solar systems in the process of forming in the nearby Orion Nebula. The show concludes with time for questions and discussion.
Thursday, April 9, 9:45 to 10:45 AM, "Black Holes" Topic Spotlight: "A Visual Tour of the Solar System"
Be dazzled with striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to the supermassive black hole lurking at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy. Afterwards, the show will conclude with a show and tell of the Sun, planets, dwarf planets, and comets/asteroids of the solar system. High resolution images of each object and basic discussion about them will take place as we explore the other parts of the solar system we call home. The show concludes with time for questions and discussion.
Thursday, May 14, 9:45 to 10:45 AM, "The Secret Lives of Stars" Topic Spotlight: "Stellar Size Comparisons"
Not all stars are created equal. Some are massive. Others are tiny; almost insignificant. The specific characteristics of a star will determine what type of life it will lead, how long it might live and even the type of death it will die. In this planetarium show, journey with Patrick Stewart as he “treks” through the Milky Way Galaxy exploring the different types and variety of stars that it holds and peers into their secret lives. Afterwards, the show will conclude with a lecture about the size of our own star, the fate of our home solar system, and a comparison of the Sun to other notable stars of the Lebanon area night sky. The show concludes with time for questions and discussion.