Starstruck Tonight

Early conception of galaxies shown in Starstruck Tonight.
Thomas Wright, A New Theory of the Universe (1750), Plate 31.
Photograph courtesy of the History of Science Collections
of the University of Oklahoma.

Starstruck Tonight

What's so special about tonight's sky? Produced by OBU students and designed for liberal arts students, this show offers a tour of the spring and summer skies featuring the visible constellations, selected astronomical themes, and literary and mythological skylore. Starstruck Tonight features the planetarium's starfield more than multi-media effects, and is appropriate for anyone with an amateur interest in becoming familiar with the universe as it appears in our night sky. Watch this show often; there's enough content to reward repeated attention, and it varies throughout the year.

The autumn-winter version of Starstruck Tonight lasts about 30 minutes and is now shown by special arrangement only. With Starstruck Tonight there is a live discussion of the sky that night, including the location of visible planets.

Constellations toured

• Asterisms: The Big Dipper, in the constellation Ursa Major the Big Bear, and how to use it to find your way around the sky. Also Polaris and the Little Dipper, in the constellation Ursa Minor the Little Bear.
• The Summer Triangle: Cygnus the Swan (Deneb, Albireo, Cygnus X-1), Lyra the Harp (Vega), & Aquila the Eagle (Altair).
• The Zodiac: Leo the Lion (Regulus), Virgo the Maiden (Spica), Libra the Balance, Scorpius the Scorpion, & Sagittarius the Archer (teapot).
• Circumpolar: Cassiopeia the Queen (Tycho's nova), Cepheus the King, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
• Other constellations: Bootes the Herdsman (Arcturus), Andromeda the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, Pegasus the Flying Horse, Coma Berenices (the hair of Berenice).
• Other topics: The Spring-Summer edition of Starstruck Tonight emphasizes the Milky Way and other galaxies.

Educational resources:

• Study Questions for the spring-summer version
• North sky star chart (circumpolar constellations)
• Current star chart
• Big Dipper starclock ($1).
  Tell time by the Big Dipper! Easy to assemble; printed on card stock.
• Planisphere ($6 or $12 at the OBU Bookstore).
  A laminated star chart for every night of the year; available in either a pocket-sized or larger, easier-to-read version.
• 365 Starry Nights, Chet Raymo ($15 at the OBU Bookstore).
  Introduces the night sky in only a few minutes every night of the year. A great way for families to become familiar with the constellations together, besides picking up a pretty good knowledge of astronomy.