The University of Texas at Arlington

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Today's Moon Phase

Groupon Customers

If you purchased a voucher from Groupon to visit the Planetarium, please note that advance reservations are not required. To redeem your voucher please bring it with you to any public show through March 2, 2012 to receive your tickets. The voucher may be used for any regular public show except the $2 movie. The voucher is good only for 1 show - it may not be used over multiple visits. If you have additional questions about your voucher please call the Planetarium office at 817-272-1183 during normal business hours.

Public Show Cancellations in February

The 5:30 showing of We Are Astronomers on February 11th has been cancelled due to our special Romancing The Stars show (details below). In addition, Cosmic Colors at 6:00 on Tuesday, February 14th will also be cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Romancing the Stars

Bring your sweetheart to the Planetarium this Valentine's Day for our special couples only show - Romancing the Stars. We'll take you on a romantic journey through the heavens in our state-of-the-art theater. Sit back and enjoy some of the stories of love and devotion in the sky. The cost is $15 per couple and includes a rose and box of chocolates. Choose from one of two showtimes:

• Saturday, February 11 at 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 14 at 6:00 p.m.

Reservations and payment are required in advance. To reserve your tickets today, please call the Planetarium office at 817-272-1183 or send an email to planetarium@uta.edu. Groupon customers may not use a voucher for this show.

Dinner Under the Stars

The Planetarium is offering a private Dinner Under the Stars this Valentine's Day! Bring your Valentine to the Planetarium for a private Italian dinner under the twinkling stars of the Planetarium theater. The cost is $300 and includes dinner for 2, a bottle of wine and an optional private star-gazing in the dome. Each Dinner Under the Stars rental is 1 hour. Limited slots are available, please call 817-272-1183 to reserve your spot today.

• Saturday, February 11 at 8:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 14 at 7:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 14 at 8:30 p.m.

The World Will Not End in 2012!

Worried that the world will end in 2012? We get a lot of 2012 related questions from the public, and have compiled many of them together in our Ask the Astronomer segment, with answers to calm the mind. We promise - the world will not end in 2012! Continue reading for more information about 2012.

• Is there a danger from giant Solar storms predicted for 2012?
• Solar activity has a regular cycle, with peaks approximately every 11 years. Near these activity peaks, Solar flares can cause some interruption of satellite communications, although engineers are learning how to build electronics that are protected against most Solar storms. But there is no special risk associated with 2012. The next Solar maximum will occur in the 2012-2014 time-frame and is predicted to be an average Solar cycle, no different than previous cycles throughout history.
• How do scientists feel about claims of pending doomsday?
• There is no evidence for any of the assertions made in books, movies, documentaries, or over the Internet, in support of unusual events taking place in December 2012.
• Is the Earth in danger of being hit by a meteor in 2012?
• The Earth has always been subject to impacts by comets and asteroids, although big hits are very rare. The last big impact was 65 million years ago, and that MAY have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Nothing is predicted to hit in 2012.
• Is there a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Planet X that is approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread destruction?
• Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an Internet hoax. If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth in 2012, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, they do not exist.
• Could phenomena occur where planets align in a way that impacts Earth?
• There are no planetary alignments in the next few decades, Earth will not cross the galactic plane in 2012, and even if these alignments were to occur, their effects on the Earth would be negligible. Each December the Earth and Sun align with the approximate center of the Milky Way Galaxy but that is an annual event of no consequence.
• Does the Mayan calendar end in December 2012?
• Just because the calendar on your kitchen wall ends on December 31, doesn't mean that time doesn't exist after that. The same holds true for the Mayan calendar which does not end on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then -- just as your calendar begins again on January 1 -- another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar.
• What is the origin of the prediction that the world will end in 2012?
• The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012. Then these two fables were linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 -- hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012.
• Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012?
• Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012.

View more and submit your own questions to Ask the Astronomer

Today's Events

• 1:00 pm   Astronaut
• 2:30 pm   $2 Movie - Fast Five
• 5:30 pm   We Are Astronomers
• 7:00 pm   Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Now Showing

$2 Movie

See your favorite movies on a REALLY BIG SCREEN.

Wednesday	05:30 pm
Friday	05:30 pm
Saturday	02:30 pm

Astronaut

See what it takes to become an Astronaut and the effect space has on the human body.

Saturday

01:00 pm

Cosmic Colors

Take an adventure along the spectrum and discover the world of color.

Sunday	01:30 pm
Tuesday	06:00 pm

Pink Floyd

Enjoy a 60's style laser light show set to the music of Pink Floyd.

Saturday

07:00 pm

Spacepark 360

Spacepark 360 is an out-of-this-world entertainment experience. Get transported to surreal vistas and experience the most thrilling amusement park rides the solar system has to offer!

Sunday

02:30 pm

We Are Astronomers

Do you know what an astronomer does? Today's astronomer is not the lone observer of past centuries. We Are Astronomers reveals the global collaboration, technology, and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the Universe.

Thursday	06:00 pm
Saturday	05:30 pm