THE USM SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM

70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103

43.6667° N 70.2667° W
Altitude: 10 feet below sea level

Founded January 1970

"What are we going to do with all those cute 'best baby names' books when we all become incorporated into the Borg collective?"

-excerpt from "The Stupidest Worries in World History" collection

CELESTIAL EXPLORATION CLASS # 3:
Exploring the Summer Night Sky

Monday, July 8, 2019

7:00 p.m.

Enrollment: $12 one person ($20 for a couple)
Walk ins welcome!

Yes, we know that the very last thing you want to do after our nine-month winter-spring is to find a hollow of perpetual darkness in which to languish! Yet, if you can find your way to our subterranean star dome theatre on Monday night, you will spend 1.5 hours wholly immersed in the enveloping darkness of our simulated night sphere. Clear, star-adorned,skies in a climate-controlled (we keep both doors open) environment enlivened by convivial fellowship and wholly devoid of blood-craving mosquitos.

Now that this youthful summer is beginning in earnest, what better time to venture down into our planetarium theatre to discover the wondrous firmament? Yes, we know, the better time would be when it's rainy, cold and miserable, but -worse luck-the weather is just a shade south of sublime right now.

You don't need to pre-register!

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

We'll begin our celestial excursion at 7 p.m. (Or, around 7:05 p.m. to accommodate late comers.)

Hey, if you made it this far through the announcement, you deserve a little fun with a three question quiz about summer celestial mythology.

1. The constellation Hercules is called "The Kneeling One." On whom/what is he kneeling?

a. Draco the Dragon

b. Orion the Hunter

c. Medusa

d. Ursa Major

2. Who did Delphinus the Dolphin rescue?

a. Andromeda, the princess

b. Arion, the musician

c. Arachne, the weaver

d. Atalanta, the capital of Georgia

3. Why is Scorpius sometimes called the "Thanksgiving Constellation?"

a. because the pilgrims actually dined on scorpion meat

b. because the Sun appears to pass through Scorpius around Thanksgiving

c. because scorpions were often considered good luck by people in the 17th century

d. because in old star atlases, Scorpius represented a turkey, not a scorpion

ANSWERS
1. a. Draco the Dragon

2. b. Arion, the musician

From the pirates who tried to kill him and steal his gold.

3. b. because the Sun appears to pass through Scorpius around Thanksgiving

Scorpius is one of the 13 zodiac constellations. The Sun appears to move through Scorpius around the time of Thanksgiving.