Planetarium sheds light on nearby galaxies, stars

MHCC’s Planetarium show, “Exploring our Nearest Galaxies,” at the Planetarium Sky Theater (AC Room 1305) on Tuesday was a lecture on the distant and close corners of our own Milky Way galaxy.

The show tracked from the Milky Way to enormous, odd, and unknown galaxies, bringing the audience along. The projection surprised those who had never seen the show; it thrilled the eyes of the audience when it started spinning and the journey began – from galaxy to galaxy and constellations, too.

Graphic lines made it easier for constellations to be recognized, among others.  Music cannot be left out: There was sometimes music from the 1950s, and other times an intriguing soundtrack similar to the Star Wars soundtrack.

As soon as the journey into outer space began, those in the audience lost track of time. The animation appears to be in 3-D for some moments.

“I learned a lot, there are tons and tons of galaxies out there and they don’t all look like the Milky Way galaxy,” said MHCC student Ernesto Lauger.

Galaxies, planets and constellations are abundant with all types of sizes, shapes, colors, stories, and different names – from just letters and numbers, to weird names of Greek and Roman goddesses like our closest galactic neighbor, Andromeda.

Examples were given of how far the closest stars are, and how long it would take to reach them. Most are impossible to reach, even with our modern technology. Other galaxies are even less feasible to think about visiting.

Questions were few on Tuesday. As the show was well prepared, possible questions were soon answered. People of all ages were present; children, adults, and seniors all took time to attend. Besides being engaging, the lecture was an educated distraction that helped to de-stress and offered a nice place to hang out at the end of the day.

The show was not too lengthy, which kept it interesting, but long enough to cover a chunk of our universe.

It ended as smoothly as it started. The countdown kept going… toward the next show, which highlights Leo, Virgo, and the Spring Sky, on March 3.

Planetarium shows are every first Tuesday of the month at 6, 7:15, and 8:30 p.m. Admissions are free for students with school ID, but $2 for nonstudents.