Celebrate American discovery, innovation, and values through topics in astronomy, history, art, music, and more in this special nine-part series of talks in the BGSU Planetarium. This America 250 in the Planetarium series of programs will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting at 7:30 p.m. July 13 – 31. All America 250 in the Planetarium programs are free and open to the public. This first program in the series, America’s Missions to the Moon: A History of Adventure, will be presented by Andrew Layden, Professor, BGSU Department of Physics & Astronomy. From the unmanned lunar probes of the early 1960’s, through the Apollo missions to the Artemis missions of today, we will trace the development of America’s lunar discovery and the spacecraft that made it possible. There will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion to place these events into the context of the politics and technology of these decades of American history. The talk will be followed by the planetarium show DAWN OF THE SPACE AGE at 8:45 p.m.    

  From the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, to early human spaceflight to the Moon of the 1960s to today’s International Space Station. See the Moon landings as never before and peek at possible future missions to Mars in this immersive, historically accurate reconstruction of Humankind’s first steps into space in the fulldome video show, DAWN OF THE SPACE AGE. This planetarium show is being presented as part of the special July AMERICA 250 IN THE PLANETARIUM series and will follow a Speakers Series public talk. AMERICA 250 IN THE PLANETARIUM programs will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, July 13–31.  Public lectures will begin at 7:30 p.m. Planetarium shows will follow at 8:45 p.m. Weather permitting, public stargazing will follow around 9:45 p.m.