• Home
  • About Chambanamoms.com
    • Press/Awards
    • Meet the Chambanamoms.com Staff
    • Write For Us
  • Advertise
  • FAQ
  • Contact

ChambanaMoms.com

The Top Online Resource for Champaign-Urbana Area Families

  • New to C-U?
  • In Season
    • Fall
    • Spring
    • Summer
  • [ Event Calendar ]
    • Submit an Event
  • Eat + Drink
    • Favorite Foods Around C-U
    • Kids Eat Free
    • Restaurant Openings & Closings
    • Eat Healthy
    • Farmer’s Markets
  • News
    • Business
    • COVID-19
  • Need to Know
    • Kids Classes & Teams
    • Schools
    • Childcare
    • Birthday Parties
    • Things to Do This Month
    • Date Night
    • Travel Beyond C-U
    • All Things Baby
    • Your Child’s Health
    • Healthy Living
  • Weekend Planner
    • Get the Planner
Chambanamoms.com is the top online resource for families in the Champaign-Urbana area.
Learn More | Advertise
You are here: Home / News / Stargazing is Back at Staerkel Planetarium

Stargazing is Back at Staerkel Planetarium

August 26, 2021 By Kelly Youngblood

By Kelly Youngblood

After a 17-month shutdown, the stars are finally shining bright again at William M. Staerkel Planetarium.

Staerkel Planetarium, located at Parkland College in Champaign, re-opened to the public on Aug. 6.

As of now, ticket sales are limited to 50 per show and masks are required inside the facility.

Erik Johnson, director of the planetarium and an astronomy professor, said it was a great feeling to finally be back inside the dome with a live audience.

“It was rather exciting to have an audience in person!” Johnson said.

The last public shows were held on March 14, 2020. Since that time, they’ve offered virtual shows through Zoom.

But the virtual experience was just not the same as an in-person showing, according to Johnson.

“We have enjoyed interacting with people through Zoom and even reaching an audience that normally can’t attend a show, but face-to-face meetings and the immersive environment of a planetarium dome can’t be matched by a computer screen,” Johnson said.

The younger audience members (and their parents) will be happy to know seat boosters are now available for use.

Birthday parties are also back; however, since masks are required indoors, if party-goers want to bring cake, they can set up a table outside of the building. They will still offer the birthday show in the dome, as well as a complimentary astronaut ice cream to the birthday boy or girl.

A fall schedule of shows is on the planetarium website.

The planetarium now boasts a Digistar 6 digital projection system and the first Carl Zeiss M1015 opto-mechanical star projector installed in the western hemisphere. Staerkel Planetarium is the second largest planetarium in Illinois.

Filed Under: Educational Fun, Indoor Fun, News Tagged With: Admission, birthday parties, champaign, erik johnson, Parkland College, Staerkel Planetarium, stars

Get the Chambanamoms.com Weekend Planner (It’s Free!)

Enter your email address to receive email updates. We respect your email privacy.


Copyright © 2022 | Terms of Use | Disclaimer | Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Comment Policy | Contact