Robinson Planetarium at Adrian College Sets Dates for October Programs

Adrian, MI – The Robinson Planetarium at Adrian College has set its “Star Talk Halloween, an Astronomy Holiday” program schedule  for October. Shows are for all ages and scheduled on Fridays in October — 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th — starting at 7 p.m. All programs are free and open to the public. Each program lasts approximately 50 minutes.

Star Talk: The Fall Skies and Halloween — The Robinson Planetarium will have a look at The Fall Constellations in  Michigan’s sky. Shining star constellations from the zodiac Taurus the bull and Gemini the twins with the Winter Circle of constellations. The Planetarium will have a brief look at the new NASA Moon and Mars human launch vehicle the Artemis, scheduled to launch later this year.

The Planetarium’s feature show will follow the history and folklore of the astronomy holiday of Halloween. Halloween is an astronomical holiday; it is a cross-quarter date, approximately midway between an equinox and a solstice. There are four cross-quarter days throughout the year, and each is a minor holiday, Groundhog Day (Feb 2nd), May Day (May 1st), Lammas Day (Aug. 1st) and Halloween (October 31st).

Long ago, the Celts of the British Isles used cross-quarter days to mark the beginning of seasons. Winter began with Halloween or as the Celts called Samhain, which marked the transition between summer and winter, light and dark — life and death. On that night, according to folklore, those who had died during the previous year returned for a final visit to their former homes. Celts would set out food and lite fires to aid them on their journey, and remained on guard for the mischief of the spirits.

The Robinson Planetarium is located at the eastern end of Peelle Hall on the corner of Charles and Williams streets on the Adrian College campus. Lawn signs will be posted.

For more information, contact Planetarium Director Mark Fairclough at 265.5161 ext. 4788 or email [email protected].

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*Media courtesy of Adrian College’s Robinson Planetarium*