The 2015 Friends of the Planetarium Fall Fundraising Festival

The 2015 Friends of the Planetarium Fall Fundraising Festival was a great success, thanks to the many volunteers and members of the community who joined us to attend shows, become members, and enjoy the variety of activities on the plaza.

On Saturday afternoon the plaza next to the Planetarium dome was enlivened by our many visitors and special guests. These included the founder of modern science himself, Isaac Newton, who showed us how to view sunspots without going blind, and demonstrated several principles of mechanics; a motley band of characters who set off totally harmless chemical rockets, demonstrating, among other things, the Third Law of the aforementioned Newton; the Membership Tent; the creation and consumption of completely safe liquid nitrogen ice cream; the most excellent sonic accompaniment of blues musician and songster Rick Franklin; the presentation of a bunch of free shows in the dome; the encouragement of small children to construct scale models of the solar system; the Comet Toss; and the edifying lecture given by Raphael Perrino, preceding the evening showing of Natural Selection.

Sir Isaac Newton instructs impressionable youth on natural law. ©Lee Phillips

Cautiously placing the rocket on the launching pad. ©Lee Phillips

Another successful launch. ©Lee Phillips

Mr. Rick Franklin provided the musical atmosphere for the afternoon. ©Lee Phillips

John Pomeranz and Kathi Overton whipped up some instant ice cream with the help of a little liquid nitrogen. ©Lee Phillips

John Pomeranz and Kathi Overton created ice cream using liquid nitrogen, fascinating the crowd. ©Lee Phillips

The sun was hot, but Sir Isaac outwitted us all, again. ©Lee Phillips

Making scale models of the solar system. ©Lee Phillips

Raphael Perrino gave a short lecture on space policy and the future of the International Space Station preceding the evening showing of Natural Selection. ©Lee Phillips

Note added in press: We now have reason to believe that the person we assumed to be the illustrious Isaac Newton was in fact an impersonator by the name of Dean Howarth, who has once again managed to deceive us.