Black Holes Show at the BC Planetarium

Photo courtesy of http://planetarium.wayne.edu

Depicted in science fiction books and films as a place where anything and everything mysteriously disappears once engulfed, and as a place where time is halted, there exists mystifying regions in space known as a black holes.

On Friday, March 2, the third and final showing of the planetarium show “Black Holes” will be presented to the general public at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Tickets are absolutely free, and can be reserved on the Brown Paper Tickets website, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/216030. Ticket reservations became available last Friday, but the first show sold out within hours.

What’s really exciting is that this show is hosted at our very own planetarium at BC! Located at B244, the Geer Planetarium is the only community college planetarium in the state. This dome is 30 feet and can seat sixty people.

In the event reservations run out before you get a chance to book your tickets, do not be discouraged. There will be a physical waitlist available the night of the show beginning at 7 p.m. Show up on time, and 15 seats along with the seats of those who neglect their reservations will be given to those who are write their names on the waitlist on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The show will display 3-D simulations of black holes along with their unique physical and visual effects. Black holes are unique in that their pull is so strong that not even light can escape. They have the energy of a million suns and can completely devour entire stars. In addition, viewers will be able to see what it would be like to approach the super massive black hole in the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

The incredible technology within the Geer Planetarium is the Digistar 3 projector, which can (to name a few of its abilities) show star positions in three dimensions, realistic journeys through space, and the night sky accurately.

If you are planning on attending the show, please arrive on time. Once the show begins, those who are late will not be admitted due to the fact that the planetarium must remain completely dark during the show. Also, ditch your food and drinks upon entering the planetarium, for they are not allowed.

Don’t feel limited to just watching planetarium shows to learn about space. If this subject sparks your interest, perhaps you should consider enrolling in one of the astronomy classes at BC. There will be 13 basic astronomy classes offered spring quarter, five of which will be hosted in the planetarium.

A big thank you goes out to the Science and Math Institute (SAMI) at BC for sponsoring this event. SAMI started in 2008 and organizes events and offers programs to promote success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It also provides events and programs for K-12 to increase interest and awareness in the science and mathematics fields.

For those attending, enjoy the show, and stay tuned for other upcoming events by SAMI. There may even be a star gazing night, in which you can go to the rooftop observatory at BC to look into the Meade 16” Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with computerized drive.