Montana Students Educate the Public on Our Universe

Year-round the University of Montana hosts planetarium shows guided by passionate student hosts and lectures that explore the beauty and mysteries of our universe.

Planetarium Director and Astronomy Lecturer, Dr. Mark Reiser, hosts shows and supervises student’s shows at the Planetarium at the University of Montana. “Astronomy was my first love… we’re still married after all these years,” Reiser said. He has been hosting planetarium shows since he was an undergraduate in Wisconsin, through graduate school in Wyoming, and then into his teaching career at UM.

When deciding which concept he should create a show on he grabs ideas from his Astronomy classes, a special interest, or astronomical events. Reiser allows his ten student planetarium hosts to pick whatever topics they want and run with it. His favorite astronomical event to do a show on is eclipse totality.

He hopes that when people go to planetarium shows they feel compelled after learning about the universe. “To me, it’s endless inspiration, it is a better understanding and appreciating the world and the universe around us and our place in it,” Reiser said about Astronomy, “if they[students and the audience] come away with feelings of awe and inspiration at the sheer beauty, that’s perhaps my highest goal.”

This summer the Planetarium is hosting many shows hosted by students, with the supervision of UM staff. The shows are fundraisers for the students to go to a Planetarium conference.

School’s Out(and So Are the Stars)

10 am and 4:30 pm June 27th

Star Gazing 101

5:30 and 6:30 pm June 27 and 28

4 pm and 5 pm July 6th

Stars and Stripes

2 pm and 3 pm July 4th

3 pm and 4pm July 5th

The schedule is constantly being updated with new shows. All shows are held in the basement of the Payne Family Native American Center. Tickets are not sold at the door, so be sure to go on GrizTix if you are interested in seeing the shows.