The Ball State Planetarium is a sky theater that can simulate the night sky at any place on Earth, at any time of the year. Programs presented during the year explore topics such as constellation patterns, planets, galaxies, and black holes. Various audiovisual special effects enhance the presentations. The planetarium has been in operation for more than thirty years. It can seat seventy and has served almost a quarter of a million visitors. There is no admission charge. The planetarium operates from October through the end of April, except during university vacations and examination periods; it is normally closed during the summer months.