The Valdosta State University Planetarium will present “Dawn of the Space Age” at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15. The presentation is free of charge and open to the public.
 
VSU’s Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences provided the following synopsis for the show: “On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union astounded the world by placing into orbit the first man-made moon. Sputnik 1 was little bigger than a basketball and lasted only three months, but its impact on history was tremendous. The Race for Space had begun, and the Russians had won the first heat. They would also win the next few — launching the first probe to the moon’s far side and sending the first cosmonauts into space. The ensuing decades would see the United States eventually win the race to the moon, and then a period of peaceful cooperation between the two superpowers that continues to this day.”
 
“Dawn of the Space Age” will begin with a look at the September sky, including the planets, the stars, and deep-sky objects. It will then trace the history of manned spaceflight with a full-dome video, courtesy of Mirage 3D Productions.
 
Seating for each of the three presentations is limited to 47 guests. Free admission tickets will be distributed beginning at 6 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis at the VSU Planetarium.
 
The VSU Observatory will be open from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., weather permitting, allowing guests the opportunity to view the stars and planets.  
 
Located on the third floor of Nevins Hall, the VSU Planetarium features a Digitarium Kappa digital projector, which can reproduce the night sky as seen from anywhere on Earth or from the surface of any object in the solar system, at any time in history, past or future. This technology is the first of its kind in the world.
 
Limited parking will be available in front of Nevins Hall and across Patterson Street.
 
Planetarium public outreach shows are appropriate for children ages 5 and up.
 
Contact VSU’s Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences at (229) 333-5752 for more information.