Charles W. Brown Planetarium Calendar

"The Universe Overhead" Planetarium Show

6:30 p.m.

Calendars: College of Sciences and Humanities, Physics and Astronomy

night sky with snowy landscape and a person looking up at it

The sky on cold winter nights has some of the brightest stars and the best-known constellations. Some of these stars are truly supergiants hundreds of times bigger than our Sun, while others are dwarfs the size of Earth. Along the winter Milky Way there are colorful clouds where new stars are being born. Come and enjoy a guided tour of this celestial wonderland, learn about the upcoming total solar eclipse, and use star charts to explore the night sky.

"One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure" Planetarium Show

3:30 p.m.

Calendars: College of Sciences and Humanities, Physics and Astronomy

One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure

"One World, One Sky" is a brilliant program that follows Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a new friend from China. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth. They will also find shapes in the sky that will help them find the North Star. This cross-cultural adventure opens children's eyes to the sky, helping them see how people all over the world are connected.

"We Are Astronomers " Planetarium Show

5 p.m.

Calendars: College of Sciences and Humanities, Physics and Astronomy

Narrated by David Tennant, we explore what exactly do astronomers do in this new program. Today’s astronomer is not the lone observer of past centuries. This program reveals the global collaboration, technology, and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the Universe and features info on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

"The Universe Overhead" Planetarium Show

6:30 p.m.

Calendars: College of Sciences and Humanities, Physics and Astronomy

The sky on cold winter nights has some of the brightest stars and the best-known constellations. Some of these stars are truly supergiants hundreds of times bigger than our Sun, while others are dwarfs the size of Earth. Along the winter Milky Way there are colorful clouds where new stars are being born. Come and enjoy a guided tour of this celestial wonderland, learn about the upcoming total solar eclipse, and use star charts to explore the night sky.

"The Universe Overhead" Planetarium Show

6:30 p.m.

Calendars: College of Sciences and Humanities, Physics and Astronomy

The sky on cold winter nights has some of the brightest stars and the best-known constellations. Some of these stars are truly supergiants hundreds of times bigger than our Sun, while others are dwarfs the size of Earth. Along the winter Milky Way there are colorful clouds where new stars are being born. Come and enjoy a guided tour of this celestial wonderland, learn about the upcoming total solar eclipse, and use star charts to explore the night sky.

"One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure" Planetarium Show

3:30 p.m.

Calendars: Physics and Astronomy, College of Sciences and Humanities

"One World, One Sky" is a brilliant program that follows Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a new friend from China. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth. They will also find shapes in the sky that will help them find the North Star. This cross-cultural adventure opens children's eyes to the sky, helping them see how people all over the world are connected.

"We Are Astronomers " Planetarium Show

5 p.m.

Calendars: College of Sciences and Humanities, Physics and Astronomy

Narrated by David Tennant, we explore what exactly do astronomers do in this new program. Today’s astronomer is not the lone observer of past centuries. This program reveals the global collaboration, technology, and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the Universe and features info on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

"The Universe Overhead" Planetarium Show

6:30 p.m.

Calendars: College of Sciences and Humanities, Physics and Astronomy

The sky on cold winter nights has some of the brightest stars and the best-known constellations. Some of these stars are truly supergiants hundreds of times bigger than our Sun, while others are dwarfs the size of Earth. Along the winter Milky Way there are colorful clouds where new stars are being born. Come and enjoy a guided tour of this celestial wonderland, learn about the upcoming total solar eclipse, and use star charts to explore the night sky.

Celestial Event: Total Solar Eclipse

1:52 p.m.

Calendars: Physics and Astronomy, College of Sciences and Humanities, Teachers College, Student Life

A total solar eclipse will occur during the day on April 8, 2024 and will only be visible by only some of the world, including Muncie, IN (weather permitting, with proper eye protection)! The solar eclipse will begin on Monday, April 8, 2024 at approximately 1:52:13 p.m.*, when the Moon starts to block out the southwest side of the Sun (at the 5 o'clock mark). The Moon will continue to block out more of the Sun until totality, when the Sun is fully blocked by the Moon. Totality in Muncie begins at 3:07:32 p.m. You can safely view this portion of the eclipse, and this short portion alone, without any eye protection because the entire face of the Sun will be completely blocked by the Moon. Here at Ball State University, totality will last 3 minutes and 44 seconds, with it ending at 3:11:16 p.m. The partial solar eclipse will continue until the entire event ends at 4:24:16 p.m. *Exact start and end times will vary by location.