Audience

The general public is invited to attend free programs. These programs are provided as a free service of the Chesapeake Public School System.

Programs

Programs take place on Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. Topics for these programs change every month and are educational in nature. They are designed to give the individual a general overview of astronomy.

Reservations

Due to limited seating, reservations are necessary. Reservations may be made by telephoning Chesapeake Public Schools at (757)-547-0153 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. weekdays.

Admission

Reservations will cancel if you arrive later than 7:50 p.m. Programs start promptly at 8:00 p.m. and late arrivals are not allowed to enter the dark theater.

It is recommended that children below the first grade level not be admitted to the planetarium chamber. All quiet children are welcome. Children that are not quiet will asked to be removed from the planetarium.

Special Groups

The planetarium is used during school hours to present programs to Chesapeake school classes. Other groups may visit the planetarium when scheduling allows. A nominal fee is charged for group visits.

Appointments must be made through the planetarium office. Please call Dr. Hitt’s office (757) 547-0153, ext. 208 Monday through Friday between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. All group reservations will be confirmed by mail.

2024 Public Program Schedule

• January — Stargazing

  • Learn to use star charts and telescopes to explore outer space in your backyard.

• February — Cosmic Symphony

  • Take an audio visual journey through the Universe. Using full dome movies, lasers, and stereophonic sound, we will explore our space neighborhood.

• March — When a Dragon Eats the Sun

  • On April 8th the Sun will appear to be eaten by a Dragon… Explore this event.

• April — The Stars of Spring

  • There are 88 constellations. Take a tour of some of the constellations in the spring sky.

• May — The Zodiac Stars

  • Learn how to find the zodiac stars in your backyard. Take an imaginary journey through the zodiac constellations. Do they forecast future events?

• June — The Mystery of Stonehenge

  • Visit a 4000 year old stone structure that may have been an astronomical computer.

• July and August — The Summer Stars

  • See the constellations of the summer sky and learn the mythology associated with these star patterns.

• September —  Alien Invasion

  • Since 1875, strange objects have been reported in the sky. It was 1947 when the first "flying saucer" was reported. Are Aliens visiting Earth? We will explore the probability and possibility of an alien invasion.

• October — Moons of the Solar System

  • There are over 200 moons and we will explore some of the most interesting planet satellites.

• November — Orion Returns

  • View the famous constellations of the winter season.

• December — The Christmas Star

  • The planetarium sky will be set back over 2000 years to the time of the most famous star in history.  The movements of the planets and sky will be displayed among the stars.