The Stargazer

 On the UW-Eau Claire Campus in Fall 2003, we will begin showing an exciting new show.  "The Stargazer" offers wonderful astronomical insights and boasts a celebrity narrator: Nichelle Nichols, who starred in the original Star Trek TV series and movies as "Uhura."

Nichols' narration takes the viewers on a trip through stellar history, as the visuals on the dome of the Planetarium show how each star has its own celestial fingerprint.  No, she won't be there in person, but you'll enjoy her narration even if you never were a Trekkie.

The show is packed with images and information about stars. It is aimed at adults, but science-savvy kids as young as 8 years old will enjoy it.

The show starts at 7pm, and will include a live overview of the night sky before it ends at 8pm.

Renowned astronomy professor and author Dr. James Kaler (University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana) participates in the narration, explaining the ways that astronomy can have an impact on our lives.  Reflecting on memories from his own youth to the challenges of teaching in the classroom, he explains his childhood fascination with the stars.  Kaler's personal curiosity led to his interest in the study of stellar life cycles and includes his explanation of how stars shine and  how to get a tennis ball to orbit the Earth.

Jim Kaler's narration shows his love of the complex science behind astronomy, while explaining the simple wonder of a clear night sky as one of the great marvels in our universe. "To me, astronomy is learning about life.  Science doesn't diminish the experience of stargazing. It enhances it," he explains.