‘Full Moon’ at planetarium at Westminster

Staff report

new wilmington, pa.

“Full Moon Spectacular” will be presented Saturday in the Westminster College Planetarium, Room 116 of the Hoyt Science Resources Center.

Scheduled for the day before the full moon, this is a celebration of Earth’s nearest celestial neighbor.

It includes back-to-back screenings of two programs using the planetarium’s digital 360-degree dome projector.

“Secret of the Cardboard Rocket,” suitable for children age 5 to 10 and their parents, will be shown at 3:30 p.m.

A young girl and boy turn a cardboard box into a rocket for an adventure that introduces children to the solar system.

Viewers will learn what a planet is, how the planets differ from each other and why Earth is a special place.

“Dawn of the Space Age,” shown at 5 and 6:30 p.m., covers important American and Russian space history from the launch of Sputnik to future Mars exploration.

Details on both shows are available at www.westminster.edu/planetarium.

Weather permitting, rooftop stargazing will follow the 6:30 p.m. screening.

The programs are free and open to the public, but reservations are necessary due to limited seating.

Reservations, including private showings for larger groups, can be made by contacting Westminster’s Physics Department at 724-946-7200 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, e-mail physics@westminster.edu or completing the online form at www.westminster.edu/planetarium.

Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is a top-tier liberal-arts college, a national leader in graduation-rate performance and a “Great School, Great Price,” according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide.

Westminster ranked 38th among liberal-arts colleges, according to the Washington Monthly College Guide, and is one of the most affordable national liberal-arts colleges in Pennsylvania.

Westminster also has been honored as one of “The Best 373 Colleges” and “Best in the Northeast” by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President’s Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.