Yes, It's True!

Yes, the news you’ve heard is true - In January 2007, the Sudekum Planetarium will close as we begin construction on a new, state-of-the-art planetarium and a Sky and Space Wing full of exciting exhibits. Needless to say, the planetarium staff is very excited about the future. We are also sad to think of the demolition of the current planetarium and seventeen months without our dome sweet dome.

Fortunately the planetarium staff won’t be far away: monthly star charts will continue, the web site will continue, as will ASTROLINE and regular star parties with the Barnard Seyfert Astronomical Society. Behind the scenes we’ll also be developing exhibits and new planetarium programs. No doubt about it, we’ll be staying busy, and you’ll see us around. Stay tuned and make sure to visit our web site often for more details about our expansion!

Suffering Planetarium Withdrawal?

To celebrate our planetarium home, we are planning to have a Planetarium Marathon on our last two days of public operation, January 6 and 7, 2007. Imagine 32 hours of non-stop planetarium excitement including favorites such as Rusty Rocket’s Last Blast, Hubble: Images of the Infinite, and many other programs. Intermixed with these will be some oldies but goodies and even a few classic laser shows. Details are still being worked out, so keep an eye on our web site for updates.

Suffering Planet Withdrawal?

The only planet visible this month is Saturn, but you can only find it low in the eastern sky just before sunrise. In the meantime, if you want to see planets without the use of an alam clock, visit the Sudekum Planetarium to see our newest, completely original production, Nine Planets and Counting. How many planets do you think are there in the Solar System? Take a tour, and see for yourself. The answer may surprise you. Check our schedule for show times.

“SPACECRAFT” Lands in Nashville

SpaceForMusic.com is pleased to announce that internationally acclaimed ambient/electronic music recording artist, SPACECRAFT, will perform in Nashville on Saturday, November 18th, 7:00 pm at the Sudekum Planetarium. SPACECRAFT will perform their enchanting live music within the multimedia planetarium theatre.

This will be the first time SPACECRAFT has performed in Nashville since their Parthenon performance in 1999. SPACECRAFT has performed in churches, festivals, museums, theatres, and planetariums throughout the east and midwestern United States in the past and are excited to be featured as one of the final shows in the Sudekum Planetarium before construction starts to build a new planetarium in January of 2007.

The project "Spacecraft" was born in 1996 after a listening session of NASA image and sound mappings from the Voyager space probe. Tony Gerber and John Rose were so inspired by these recordings, they programmed a new palette of sounds for their synthesizers, triggered from these listening sessions. Next, they called on the talents of Chris Blazen and Diane Timmons to join them for several recording sessions that emerged as their first self-titled CD, "Spacecraft". Spacecraft's music is largely “of the moment” music. Each concert they do is different, unique to that particular venue.

SPACECRAFT is comprised of Nashville artist and veteran space musician Tony Gerber, Kentucky electronic music pioneer John Rose, and vocal synthesist Diane Timmons. SPACECRAFT has received heavy airplay on NPR’s syndicated Echoes, Hearts of Space, Star’s End, and many local radio stations around the U.S. and the world. Their music was used in the Hollywood film “Vanilla Sky” in 2002. Kris McCall and Drew Gilmore, visual artists at the Sudekum Planetarium, will join them creating a visual mood for the evening.

Here is what public radio dj David Devers has to say: “The electronic music of SPACECRAFT is at once enticing and challenging. With each SPACECRAFT concert one is easily drawn into the deep infinity of the universe, while simultaneously being reminded of the very tribal nature of our own kind. You will float peacefully on the marvelous, ambient tapestries of sound woven by SPACECRAFT, and you will be swept away for a futuristic, musical confrontation with the heavens.”

And then there is a review from John Diliberto of Billboard Magazine. “Spacecraft sets the controls for deep space with music recorded live in the Hummel Planetarium in Kentucky. This trio of synthesizers and guitar recalls early '70s Tangerine Dream, when that group was still using live performances as free-form explorations rather than pre-programmed computations. Befitting the planetarium environment, this is music more of design than melody, and it has a pulse more than a rhythm. From the amorphous textures of "Explorations In Space" to the tugging sequencer patterns of the title track, sounds and forms shift and morph through each other, gradually revealing broad chordal structures, gentle pulses, and the interlocking patterns that have long been the hallmark of space music. Spacecraft does it better than many contemporary practitioners, and Tony Gerber's sinuous guitar leads add another dimension to this sound.”

This will be a family friendly concert lasting approximately 75 minutes. Tickets will be $10 per person for everyone 3 years and older. Watch this space for details on when and where to purchase tickets.

Star Parties

The next FREE star party is Friday, November 17, 2006, 8:00 to 10:00 PM at the Visitors Center at Longhunter State Park. Along with the Barnard Seyfert Astronomical Society, we’ll be watching for the Leonid meteor shower on a good, dark, moonless night.