Explore the Milky Way

The ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s 3-D planetarium program “A 3-D Hitchhikers Guide” is back, this time focusing on the Messier Objects located in the Milky Way for a five-week run in March.

The live planetarium program, hosted by Shawn Laatsch, ‘Imiloa planetarium manager, showcases the 3-D stereoscopic projection capability in the ‘Imiloa planetarium. The program will “fly” participants into space on a tour of the universe that astronomers are discovering with the observatories of Mauna Kea and other space-based missions.

The program will be offered on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. through March 29.

Laatsch will begin by exploring our night sky and pointing out some of the brighter stars and constellations. From there he will take audiences out and explore the objects the French astronomer Charles Messier catalogued in the late 1700s. These are some of the brightest objects visible in binoculars and backyard telescopes. Laatsch will show the latest views of a number of these objects and their positions in the Milky Way. Audiences will explore the Milky Way as our home galaxy, and how the Messier Objects have helped us gain valuable insight into the structure and workings of our home galaxy. Take a virtual 3D flight through the cosmos in a new and exciting way.

Laatsch serves as an executive officer in the International Planetarium Society, the world’s largest organization of planetarium professionals and is actively involved in astronomy outreach and education. He has more than 28 years of planetarium experience in museum, university and K-12 settings. He serves as the chair of the Mauna Kea Astronomy Outreach Committee working with the observatories.

The “3D Hitchhikers Guide – The Messier Milky Way” live planetarium program will be presented in ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s 120-seat planetarium. Admission is $8 for members and $10 for non-members. Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii is a world-class informal science education center located on the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus. ‘Imiloa is a place of life-long learning where the power of Hawaii’s cultural traditions, its legacy of exploration and the wonders of astronomy come together to provide inspiration and hope for generations.

The center is open to the public from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays). For more information, visit the website at www.imiloahawaii.org or call 969-9703.