作者：辛西娅·休伯特

2021年8月17日

萨克拉门托 State’s popular Planetarium, shuttered for more than a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will soon reopen to schoolchildren and the general public.

“I can’t wait to get back under that dome with an audience in front of me and the stars above me,” said Planetarium Director Kyle Watters, a 囊状态 Physics lecturer.

沃特斯说，学校团体的门票将保持免费，普通门票至少为5美元，直到秋季。 To reserve a spot, go to csus.edu/planetarium.

健康和安全规程将要求所有访客，无论是否接种疫苗，都要戴上面罩。 至少在第一个月，每场演出的座位数将限制在60人以内，以促进社交距离。

“We’re going to play it on the safe side,” Watters said.

沃特斯说，这个设施以前是萨克州立天文学学生的演讲厅，但直到春天才会在大楼里举行大型讲座。

天文馆是欧内斯特·e·查南科学综合大楼的一部分，从2019年9月开放到2020年3月关闭，天文馆的所有节目都售罄，并接待了数千名儿童进行实地考察。 它提供超高清的360度宇宙之旅，感觉如此真实，以至于会引发晕动病。

沃特斯说，9月份的公开演出将持续三天，每天两到三场。 在未来的几个月里，日程可能会延长。

Among the first shows will be 暗物质之谜, which focuses on “the mysterious stuff called dark matter that makes up the majority of the mass in our galaxy,” said Watters.

“I’m excited for this one,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite topics each year when I teach  . There is still so much in our galaxy that we know very little about.”

The Planetarium likely will bring back 太阳的秘密, an intimate look at the role the Sun plays in the life of the solar system, and 《圣诞之星之谜,” which examines possible scientific explanations for the star that the Biblical wise men followed to find the baby Jesus.

但沃特斯最期待的是向教师和年轻学者展示天文馆。

“I love watching the teachers’ faces, how excited they are to see the kids’ reactions to being under the dome,” he said. “It’s just really cool.”

自然科学与数学学院发展主任詹妮弗·纳瓦罗（Jennifer Navarro）表示，该大学仍在寻找捐赠者，他们将获得1000美元的礼物，以换取将自己的名字永久贴在天文馆座位的背面。 The “Seat Under the Stars” effort already has raised more than $100,000, Navarro said.

“We continue to raise funds to support the Planetarium and help us to keep ticket prices low so that it is accessible to all,” she said.

Anyone interested in learning more about sponsorship and naming opportunities, the Seat Under the Stars campaign, or other ways to contribute can contact Navarro directly at jennifer.navarro@csus.edu.