Ancient people worshiped it, The Beatles sang about it and life as we know it wouldn't exist without that one thing all of us cold people on campus really want to soak up now -- the sun.
On Tuesday, March 10, from 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. in room 402 of the Mark Jefferson Science Complex, the sun will take center stage as the “star” of SunStruck, a film made exclusively for planetarium viewing.
Produced by the Michigan Science Center in Detroit thanks to financing from NASA, SunStruck sheds light on the positives and negatives about the sun, such as coronal mass ejection events.
Tom Kasper who teaches Astronomy 204 in Sherzer Hall says CME events can cause disruptions to our satellite communications and power systems. But, have no fear about being panicked by watching the film.
“I do not foresee anyone becoming fearful of the sun after viewing SunStruck, but rather more appreciative of the complexities of the world and the universe around us,” Kasper said.
Planetarium films such as SunStruck offer a unique and immersive viewing experience in which patrons are surrounded by both film and sound. Stephanie Simons, a junior majoring in communications described the viewing experience as “cool” and “something you don’t experience every day.”
The EMU Planetarium is equipped with Dolby surround sound and a hi-def projector, which film lovers everywhere can truly appreciate.
Tickets to the show are $5 and you can get them by visiting the EMU Box Office, online at emutix.com or via phone by calling (734)-487-2282.
The EMU Planetarium will be having Tuesday night shows that begin at 8:15 p.m. on March 10, 24, 28 and April 14 and 21. There’s also a Friday night showing that begins at 8:15 p.m. on April 24 as well as two Saturday matinees that begin at 2:30 p.m. on March 28 and April 18.
After these past few weeks of Siberian-like winter fury, seeing an immersive film experience like SunStruck might very well be a bright idea and unlike the real sun, staring at the screen when this film airs won’t damage your eyes.
Professor Kasper feels that SunStruck is a great way to learn about how stars work and to see how the sun affects our lives.
“Even though it’s 93 million miles away there would be no life on Earth without the light it gives,” Kasper added.
