Take an up-close tour of the solar system through a free show at the Allen F. Blocher Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
“Gods of the Solar System” will be offered at 2 p.m. Nov. 3, 10, 17 and 24. Free of charge and open to the public, the show presents the mythology, history and characteristics of the planetary bodies in the solar system, many named for mythical gods such as Jupiter and Neptune.
On Monday evenings, the free “Night Sky” program is offered at 8 p.m. in the planetarium to look in detail at objects in the current night sky.
Planetarium seating is first come, first served for up to 55 people.
The Arthur J. Pejsa Observatory telescope is open for free viewings from 8:30-10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday evenings if the skies are clear and the temperature is above 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Groups of 15 or more may schedule a special showing of any planetarium program for $25 per group. To learn more about showings or to check if the observatory is open, call 715-346-2208 or go to www.uwsp.edu/physastr/plan_obs.
The planetarium and observatory are located on the second and fourth floor, respectively, of the UW-Stevens Point Science Building at the corner of Reserve Street and Fourth Avenue. Parking is available in Lot D behind the building and is free in all university lots after 7 p.m. and on weekends.
Photo courtesy UWSP. A new show at UW-Stevens Point’s Blocher Planetarium begins Oct. 20, taking a tour of the planetary bodies in the solar system and how they were named after mythical gods.
“The Kobishop Collection: Reflections of the Arctic” will be on display through Nov. 22 in the lobby of Albertson Hall, the university library, 900 Reserve St., Stevens Point. A free closing reception will be held in the lobby at 5 p.m., Nov. 22.
Owned by the late Stevens Point native Mae Kobishop and hosted by the UW-Stevens Point Museum of Natural History, the collection features artifacts such as an Inuit spirit mask, soapstone carvings, a three-part mouth drill, male and female masks and more. Kobishop purchased the traditionally crafted items from native residents while working as an administrator in the Alaska Native Health Service from 1961 to 1967.
The university’s Museum of Natural History is open and free to the public, when the library is open. To learn more, go to www.uwsp.edu/cols-ap/museum.
“The 39 Steps” will be offered at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1-2 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 3, at the Helen Connor Laird Theater, 2000 W. Fifth St., Marshfield. The show is appropriate for junior high school-age audiences or older.
“The 39 Steps” is a comedy spoof on Hollywood’s 1930s “whodunit” movies and adapted from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film of the same name. Actors include UW-Stevens Point students Carly Rhyner and Lauren Gierl. Community members Andrew Spencer, Edgar Ausbourne, Mark Van Over and Ed Krall complete the six-member cast.
The story takes Richard Hannay (played by Spencer), falsely accused of murder, on a trip through England and Scotland searching for answers to the mystery of “The 39 Steps.”
General admission tickets are $12. UW-Stevens Points students may attend for free with their student I.D. To order tickets, go to www.tickets.uwsp.edu or call and leave a message at 715-389-6534. Tickets also can be purchased at the theater’s box office one hour before each performance.
NEW! Preschoolers and their parents or guardians will share time together hearing stories about animals and nature Fridays during the fall semester at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Museum of Natural History.
Story Time at the Museum is a free, weekly public program held from 10-11 a.m. through Dec. 13 (no program Nov. 29). Museum staff or student volunteers bring natural history to life through books as well as an activity or art project related to the stories. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Programs and book titles for November and December include:
· Nov. 1, “Polar Opposites” and “Polar Bear Island”
· Nov. 8, “Superworm” and “Diary of a Worm”
· Nov. 15, “Time to Sleep” and “One Cold Autumn Day”
· Nov. 22, “The Giggle Game” and “If Animals Went to School”
· Dec. 6, “Cheetah Can’t Lose” and “Freeda the Cheetah”
· Dec. 13, “There Was an Old Monkey Who Swallowed a Frog” and “Naughty Little Monkeys”
Registration is recommended. Call 715-346-2858 or email [email protected], then meet for story time at the museum on the first floor of Albertson Hall (library), 900 Reserve St., Stevens Point. Metered parking is available in Lot R across from the library.
NEW! From turkeys to deer, learn about wildlife at free programs offered this November at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Schmeeckle Reserve.
Led by UW-Stevens Point students, these programs meet at the reserve’s Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, unless otherwise noted. For more information, call 715-346-4992 or go to www.uwsp.edu/cnr/schmeeckle. Dress for the weather, as most programs are outdoors. Prior registration is not required.
Two Preschool Discovery Programs will be held from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on select Fridays in November for ages 3 to 6 with a parent or guardian. Programs begin at the Visitor Center and go outside, weather permitting. Each includes crafts and snacks.
- Migration Motivation, Nov. 1, Geese are flying overhead these days – what does it take for them to fly south for the winter?
- Playtime in the Prairie, Nov. 8, Learn about the prairie, what hides there and what works of art can be created in the grassland.
Family nature programs offered in November include:
· Birds at the Feeder? Become a Leader!, Nov. 10, 1-2 p.m. Become a scientist and help a Wisconsin birding study at the Schmeeckle bird viewing area.
· Don’t Gobble Up the Gobbler, Nov. 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Explore the rich history, cultural influence and characteristics of the turkey that make it much more than Thanksgiving dinner.
· Wildlife Investigators, Nov. 23, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Become a detective and look for the evidence that wildlife leaves behind.
· Schmeeckle Hide-and-Seek, Nov. 24, 2-3 p.m. With the change of seasons comes a change of animal movement and behavior. Discover where animals at the reserve are hiding and preparing to hibernate for the winter.
