Starry Heavens Newsletter
December 2014
Seasons Greetings Everyone--we are on the verge of a whole new year! This month marks the 3rd month of my assuming management of the Imaginarium and as we close out the year I reflect on how glad I am to be here. It's been great to be able to share my interests with students and the general public, as well as with the Windward Community College 'ohana.
That said, I look forward to an exciting year of events in our Imaginarium and in space! If you haven't already done so, check out our website, http://aerospace.wcc.hawaii.edu and note that we have posted celestial highlights for 2015. In the next month or so, we will also be posting our
new schedule of programs for the spring semester. We have a busy February coming up with special events for Valentine's Day and more!
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But before I get too ahead of myself, I did want to focus on this month. It's hard to get away from the hectic pace of the holiday season, but I hope that as part of "treating yourself" you consider taking an hour or so to enjoy our December programs. We have several opportunities to see our popular holiday show, Season of Light (see schedule below), as well as our regular Stargazing show on Dec. 10.
For those uninitiated to our Stargazing program, it is a great way to learn about the night sky without worrying about the weather (or bugs!). Occasionally, we do get visitors wondering if their experience will be possible that evening, because of course on the Windward side of Oahu there is a tendency for the skies to be cloudy. At first I was a bit confused at the question until I realized that unless one has had a previous planetarium experience, the title "Stargazing" could imply it would take place outdoors!
Be assured that you will be in the comfort of the climate-controlled Imaginarium, with its reclining seats and quiet skies. Krissie Kellogg, our expert presenter, will be your guide for what I believe will be a truly entertaining and educational hour.
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As a reminder, we recommend reservations for all our shows and credit cards are not accepted at the box office. But good news: the campus recently received an ATM machine, located in the building just behind the Imaginarium, next to The Hub coffee shop!
We hope to see you this month, if not stay tuned for some great programs next year. Have a wonderful and safe holiday season and Happy New Year!
Holiday Schedule
Season of Light dominates the schedule this month, giving you 3 opportunities to see this fascinating and informative show about the season, as well as the origins of the traditions that many cultures celebrate during this time of year.
Also, don't miss our
Stargazing program, updating you on the current constellations, planets and other events in the night sky!
Wednesday, Dec. 12 – 7:00PM
Stargazing with Krissie (A live program in the Imaginarium)
Friday, Dec. 12 – 7:00PM
Season of Light
Saturday, Dec. 13 – 10:00AM
Season of Light
Friday, Dec. 19 – 7:00PM
Season of Light
You may find more information regarding these programs on our website (
http://aerospace.wcc.hawaii.edu/imaginarium.html) or call us at 235-7350. Reservations are recommended, call 235-7433 to reserve seats.
Sky News
The Geminid Meteor Shower peaks on Saturday, Dec. 13 into the wee hours of the night. The local meteor watching group and the Hawaiian Astronomical Society are sponsoring an event in Makaha that evening to view the shower on a private property far away from interfering city lights. According to one of the organizers, Tom Giguere
, this shower is consistently the best show of the year.
<Editor's note: meteor showers are unpredictable and come with no guarantees on the "wow factor". Attend with the attitude that it will be a learning experience no matter how many meteors you actually spot and you will not be disappointed.>
The group will meet around sunset and you will be able to leave at any time, however it's recommended you arrive at the site before it gets too dark. If you are interested in joining them contact Tom at 808-782-1408 or
Thomas.giguere@yahoo.com for arrangements and directions. You will most likely want to bring along snacks, water, bug spray and enough folding lawn chairs for your party. Aside from that, don’t worry about having any type of telescope or binoculars—when looking for meteors the best way is to take in as much of the sky as possible!
Reservations
If you are planning on attending any of our monthly shows, we highly recommend making reservations. For reservations, please call 235-7433. As a reminder, reserved tickets must be picked up at the box office
at least 15 minutes prior to showtime. If tickets are not picked up, they are released for sale to walk-in customers.
Please note that credit and debit cards are not accepted at the box office. For those that don't have reservations, we do have some tickets set aside that are sold on a first come, first served basis. I recommend arriving at the box office early if you don't have don't reservations (box office opens 30 minutes before the show begins). Please note that reservations can be made from 8am-4pm Monday-Friday. The office is not open on the weekends.
Happy Holidays!
Carolyn
