The myths, astronomical phenomena and constellations of the sky in the Southern Hemisphere will be explored in a live astronomy show at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Fiske Planetarium on Friday, March 16, and Tuesday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Deidre Brucker, a CU-Boulder senior majoring in computer science, and Sanlyn Buxner, a recent CU graduate who now works at Fiske Planetarium, will present "Southern Skies."
"Most people in the Northern Hemisphere never get the chance to witness the splendor of the southern sky," Brucker said.
Brucker and Buxner will introduce the audience to basic southern constellations and how to navigate the southern sky. They also will display stunning images sent back by the Hubble Space Telescope and show the audience how to find the more exciting objects that can be seen with the naked eye or with a telescope.
"We will focus on the Greek, Egyptian, Maori, Aborigine, South American and tribal constellations," Buxner said.
The show also will look into the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, two irregular galaxies visible to the naked eye in the southern constellations, and some nebulae and clusters.
Fiske Planetarium's monthly live shows give the audience a chance to talk to numerous experts from CU-Boulder.
The Sommers-Bausch Observatory will be open to the public after the Friday night show, weather permitting. The observatory is adjacent to the planetarium.
Tickets go on sale at 7 p.m. the night of the show and are $4 for adults and $3 for seniors and children. Fiske Planetarium is located at Regent Drive and Kittredge Loop Drive on the CU-Boulder campus. For more information on upcoming shows or other programs call (303) 492-5001 or visit the planetarium's Web site at .