TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium Presents Summer Telescope Viewing Session, Show on Constellations July 19
Stargazers, be ready. It's summer cosmic showtime!
Texas A&M International University's (TAMIU) Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium will present the last of two, free public telescope viewing sessions on Friday, July 19 at 9 p.m. on the west lawn of the TAMIU Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library. A previous session was offered on June 14.
Prior to the viewing session, which will be conducted weather permitting, guests can enjoy a "Live Tour of the Summer Constellations" presentation by Planetarium director Peter Davis at 8 p.m. on the same night, inside the Planetarium.
During Davis' presentation, participants will have the opportunity to see the constellations, planets, and stars visible in Laredo’s current night sky inside the Planetarium dome regardless of the weather, and learn how to locate them in the sky, Davis said.
"We will hear legends from many ancient cultures that led them to draw and name these patterns in the stars," he said, "Participants will receive a free star chart describing the planets and constellations that are currently visible in Laredo’s night sky."
Discount admission prices for the presentation are $5 for adults, and $4 for children 12 years old and under.
Once the presentation ends, participants can head outside for the free telescope viewing. The telescope viewing sessions provide attendees with a venue to enjoy the cool night skies this summer as they appreciate amazing close-up views of the Moon, planets, and other beautiful celestial objects visible in Laredo’s night sky, Davis said.
“Participants will have the opportunity to view these gorgeous celestial objects magnified through the Planetarium’s 9.75-inch telescope,” he said.
Aside from the constellation presentations and telescope viewings, the Planetarium encourages families to make the most of this summer by visiting the Planetarium to view its various educational shows.
"We encourage you to escape the heat and cool off while enjoying an inexpensive, entertaining, educational, full-dome planetarium show that all your family members, from preschoolers to teenagers, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents can enjoy together," Davis said.
The TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium’s immersive, award-winning shows on nature, animals, the Earth’s environment, and outer space feature 360-degree wrap-around visuals, surround sound, and comfortable theater seating, all in an air-conditioned environment.
"A variety of refreshing, ice-cold beverages and tasty snacks can be purchased for $2 apiece from our Ticket Booth, which can be consumed inside the dome during the Planetarium show," Davis said.
Family Matinee shows are offered every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Discount matinee admission prices are $5 for adults, and $4 for children 3 to 12 years old.
Evening shows are on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and on Friday evenings at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon shows will be offered at 1 and 2 p.m. on June 8 and July 13.
Admission prices for public shows are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, teachers, military veterans, TAMIU faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and $4 for children 3 to 12 years old.
Located under a distinctive glass pyramid, TAMIU’s Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium is part of the TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center on the east side of TAMIU's campus. Free parking is available next to the Planetarium at the west entrance to the LBV Science Center at Entrance 2 on University Boulevard.
For a schedule of the wide variety of shows that will be offered this summer, visit the “Now Playing” page of the Planetarium’s website at https://www.tamiu.edu/planetarium/showschedule.shtml or the Planetarium’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/txamiu.planetarium/.
For a TAMIU campus map, visit https://www.tamiu.edu/map.shtml.
For more information, please call the Planetarium Office at 956.326.3128 or email planetarium@tamiu.edu.
Registration for Summer and Fall 2024 at TAMIU is now underway. View the registration schedule here: https://www.tamiu.edu/registrar/registration
To learn more about the University’s Registration processes, visit the dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration.
Summer Semester II begins Monday, July 8, 2024. The first day of classes for the Fall 2024 semester is Monday, Aug. 26, 2024.
More of the University’s story is available on its social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube and online at tamiu.edu.
