The Sun, Our Living Star

The Sun has shone on our world for four-and-a-half billion years. Our nearest star is the source of the energy that drives all life. The passage of the Sun across the sky each day, month, and year was the only way to keep track of time for past civilizations. This typical dwarf star consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined. Discover the secrets of our star in this planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive fulldome format.

Admission is $8 for adults or $7 for Parkland students, seniors 65 and older, or children 12 and under. Passes may be purchased at tickets.parkland.edu or in the lobby beginning a half-hour before the first show. Members of the Friends of the Staerkel Planetarium are admitted for free. The full show schedule is at planetarium.parkland.edu.

The planetarium offers matinées to the public on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings through July 24. There are no regular shows on Saturdays or on July 3 or July 4.

You may also like the following events from William M. Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland College:

• Next month, 3rd June, 01:00 pm, One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure in Champaign
• Next month, 3rd June, 02:00 pm, Niyah and the Multiverse in Champaign
• This July, 1st July, 01:00 pm, The Little Star That Could in Champaign