A Visit to the Planetarium

Today, I visited the John C. Wells Planetarium at James Madison University where they offer two free shows most months. This month they are showing A Part of the Sky Called Orion and To Space and Back.  JMU students give an informative and entertaining star talk after each film.  I saw both films and heard two star talks today.  The first show was suited more to families with younger kids.  The second show was suitable for general audiences, but it was more of a feature for adults and older kids. Such is the show pattern on Saturdays at the planetarium.

The show on Orion told how three historic cultures interpreted the constellation Orion.  The folklore was pretty cool.  After the film the song I'm Coming Out played while the GOTO Chronos opto-mechanical star projector dramatically rose from its casing. Since I am internally seven years old, I thought this was THE BEST THING EVER!!!

Just look at that big purple bad boy!

We got to photograph it after the family star talk.

And check out this meteorite and its little push-pin pal (front) in their meteorite exhibit!

The To Space and Back show was especially interesting and well presented.  It gives a short overview of how space based and space influenced technology makes our lives better on Earth.  I really liked how this film made good use of the planetarium's shape to show enormous striking images.  I have been to a few planetarium shows that felt like watching a filmstrip under a dome- not this one though.  This one was a visual treat.

The star talks are fun as well.  Viewers learn how to find seasonal constellations.  This planetarium is also a great advocate for dark sky and less light pollution.

It was a great free thing for a dreary Saturday.  On some clear Saturdays, they set up the solar telescope; looking at the sun is also a great opportunity!  JMU also offers nighttime star observation parties.  While I have heard a good review of these, sadly, I have not yet attended one of their star parties.

Old Nature Reading for a New Year

This year, I am reading an 1848 translation and reprint of Christoph Christian Sturm's 18th century daily devotional, Reflections on the Works of God, and His Providence Throughout All Nature.  Here is the Goodreads author's page for the Rev. Sturm.  Clicky

As may be deduced by the title, Sturm writes a brief segment for each day on the natural world in the corresponding time of year and how God may be seen through seasonal events. Yesterday, for New Year's Day, we were reminded that God has watched over us from birth and will continue to care for us in the new year even if it has bad parts.  Today's reading notes that winter is bleak, but we have all that is needed for our comfort in winter and should be thankful.

I read ahead a bit after buying the book and opened up to a warm day on which Sturm was amazed at the vast multitude of gnats that God made.  Sturm got pretty giddy about all the gnats; that's my kind of guy!

Although my edition came with a rather puritanical introduction, Sturm himself seems contemporary, positive and broadminded in his theology thus far.  So hopefully this will translate across the years and distance and be a nice devotional tool. I also enjoy the grand language used by Sturm and the translator; my favorite word so far was "sublunar".

I first learned of this book when working with regionally published copies at the library.  My own imprint is from a local book dealer and was a personal copy.  The woman who checked me out  when I bought it noticed a relative's signature and the date 1956 inside.  How cool is that?!  It is a small world here in the Shenandoah Valley.
Sadly, my copy isn't in such good condition.

I wanted to invest in a hard copy, but you can also join in the nature devotions for free online.  Sturm, once very popular, has been digitized!

So, Happy New Year, and as the Rev. Sturm wrote for January 2 back in the 1700s, "Let us only bestow more attention to the works of nature, and we shall never find occasion to arraign the wisdom of God...all tends to one grand point, the glory of God, and the happiness of man." p. 12