Many of us learned about the order of the planets in our Solar System through some mnemonic device.
We were also taught to think that the Solar System is a fixed thing, but our grade school understanding may not take into account the constant discoveries being made in our cosmic neighborhood.
Astronomy contributor Jean Creighton is hoping to expand our understanding of the Solar System with a new show at the Manfred Olson planetarium called The Solar System Expedition.
"[The Solar System] is a dynamic place, right? So, it’s not like, 'Oh I’ve figured it out in third grade and now I’m all done - whatever it is to be known about the solar system we know," says Creighton. "This is a constant frontier that changes and gets enriched."
Planetariums have been central to exploring and understanding the Solar System, and to put "the cherry on the cake" of the 100th anniversary of the first planetarium, the Manfred Olson Planetarium is hosting The Star Ball this Friday evening. "The idea is to wrap it up with a wonderful party, to celebrate our lovely planets, to celebrate the star ball, which is the critical piece of our planetarium projector that makes the stars. And the hope is that we'll all get to do some dancing, and if you are not one of those people who love dancing, there's going to be crafts, activities, other things people can do to be a part of a cosmic community, if you will. And you're encouraged to put on your space gear."
You can catch the Solar System Expedition every Saturday afternoon through March starting on the 15th.
_
