Member Thank You

Dec. 19, 2015, 7 p.m.

This inaugural member thank you event will be a triple feature. We will present two full-dome shows, An Astronomer Looks for the Christmas Star and Season of Light, followed by an interactive star talk by planetarium director Jonathan Harmon.

The program is open to members only, and there is no charge for admission. Seats may be reserved via Eventbrite with a special code that has been emailed to members. If you are a current member and do not have the code, please email contact@friendsoftheplanetarium.org if you want to attend this event.

If you would like to start receiving the myriad benefits, honor, and glory of membership, join today.

The schedule will be as follows:

An Astronomer Looks for the Christmas Star

An Astronomer Looks for the Christmas Star. Credit: Alice Monet, Ph.D.

In this first ever program to be produced entirely by members of the Friends of Arlington’s Planetarium, we will explore the natural phenomena that could have been the basis for the Biblical account of the Christmas Star. Using the new projector and its state-of-the-art planetarium software, we will travel back in time and space to see the skies of Bethlehem and Judea at the traditional time of the birth of Christ. The audience will be invited to explore the possibilities and vote for the explanation that seems most probable. Along the way, they will discover why some of the celestial events and phenomena that appear from time to time in the nighttime sky inspired both awe and apprehension among ancient peoples, and still do in modern times! Target audience is all ages.

Season of Light

Season of Light. Credit: Loch Ness Productions.

One of the most popular shows at the David M. Brown Planetarium, Season of Light is an annual holiday program about the coldest and darkest of seasons — a time which holds some of the warmest and brightest celebrations of the year. This multicultural presentation traces the history and development of many of the world's most endearing holiday customs, all of which involve lighting up the winter season. Audiences learn about a few Northern hemisphere winter constellations, find out why we have seasons, observe the Sun's path across the sky throughout the year, and see the Earth's tilt and orbit around the Sun. Target audience is all ages. Loch Ness Productions.

For more information, see Science and the Christmas Star

Doors open: 6:30 p.m. Show begins: 7 p.m.

Our capacity is 58 seats. We set aside 20 seats to accommodate those who arrive without a reservation, so if the show is sold out you can still try to attend by arriving close to 6:30 p.m. However, although we will do whatever we can to seat all comers, there is no guarantee of admission without a reservation.