World of Science Lectures

At 7 p.m. the first Friday of the month, the Planetarium becomes a forum for a local scientist to discuss his or her specialties. Past topics have included severe weather, glaciers, the Hubble Telescope, tornadoes, insects, and wildflowers. Admission is only $1 at the door.   Teachers, invite your classes!

Schedule for 2011-2012 Academic year

October 7          “The Historic Tornado Season of 2011”
He’s back!   Meteorologist Ed Kieser returns to C-U with an exciting talk on the record tornadoes in the U.S. this year.  

November 4        “Earthquakes around the Globe and at Home”
Gregory Pluta, Operations Manager for the NEES MUST-SIM Testing Facility at the University of Illinois will discuss earthquakes in general, the Japanese quake of 2011 and “earthquake engineering” research.

December 2       “The Real Zodiac, 2012, and All That!”
Astronomer James Kaler returns to the dome to take on a tour of the zodiac before discussing some of the mystique surrounding the year 2012. 

February 3          “Pollination Fascination”
Lesley Deem of the UI’s department of Entomology and director of the Pollinatarium, will “bee” in the dome to discuss nature’s pollinators and their importance. 

March 2              "The Science of Prehistoric Religious Art"
Retired Parkland professor of anthropology, Len Stelle, takes us on a journey to a rock art site found a few years back  in the Hill Section of southern Illinois.

April 6                “Ten Things You Should Know about the Universe”
UI Physicist Dr. Mats Selen (television’s “The Whys Guy”) takes us on a light-hearted, cosmological journey through this wild universe of ours and what you should know about it!