News Flash

The newly remodeled Robert H. Goddard Planetarium at the Roswell Museum and Art Center will re-open to the public Saturday (Oct. 14) with a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Family Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The festivities will begin with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. Free hourly planetarium shows will follow, with the first shortly after the ribbon cutting and subsequent shows at the top of each hour, with the final show at 2 p.m. Free hands-on science and art activities will be set up outside of the planetarium for visitors to enjoy throughout the day. Activities include kaleidoscope and satellite making, as well as giant bubbles and paper circuit boards, which are functioning electrical circuits on paper amid creative designs.

A chalk-art competition with the theme of “Out of This World” will take place on the sidewalk outside the planetarium from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with an awards announcement at 2:30 p.m. There is a $5 fee to cover the cost of supplies for the chalk-art competition and pre-registration is required by Friday (Oct. 13) at 5 p.m. To pre-register, call (575) 624-6744 ext. 10 or visit www.roswellmuseum.org and click on “Events.”

Hamburgers and hot dogs will be available for purchase in the courtyard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., courtesy of the Roswell Independent School District.

Saturday’s planetarium show features an approximately 20-minute film titled “Universe,” which will be viewed across the full dome of the planetarium. It is a historical look at how people have envisioned the universe through the ages. The show highlights some of the ancient sites where structures with astronomical significance were erected, and then looks at the universe through today’s science and the experience and knowledge of space explorers. The film will be followed by a presentation showing Saturday’s upcoming night sky and the various stars and other celestial bodies that will be part of it.

The Goddard Planetarium first opened in 1969. After 48 years and thousands of school children and adults sitting in its seats, the once cutting-edge facility had become obsolete. The interior now has a fresh look with new carpeting, LED lighting around the edge of the dome and 96 new seats, tilted according to each seat’s location in the planetarium. The shows will be projected on a newly cleaned and painted dome with 7.1 Dolby surround-sound and state-of-the-art projectors. The upgrades will provide world-class experiences and new educational opportunities for schools and the public.

For more information about Saturday’s STEAM Family Day, call (575) 624-6744 ext. 10 or visit www.roswellmuseum.org. The planetarium at the Roswell Museum and Art Center is at 100 W. 11th St. Parking is available south of the museum, with access off of Richardson Avenue and also Ninth Street.