The Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium is hitting the road from Duluth to the end of the Gunflint Trail Aug. 11-18. The traveling event will coincide with the annual Perseid Meteor Shower where stargazers can expect to see 50-70 meteors or shooting stars per hour.
The mobile GeoDome Theater creates an immersive learning environment that is interactive and engaging. University of Minnesota Duluth staff and students will lead attendees through a dynamic digital space exploration experience. Accompanying the planetarium will be telescopes offering live sky viewing with consultation, thanks to volunteers from the Arrowhead Astronomical Society.
“It is the perfect time of year for stargazing. Each day we will be in a new location with the portable planetarium and telescopes to observe the sun, stars, planets and moon,” said Joel Halvorson, interim planetarium director of the University of Minnesota Duluth. “Our final two nights of the caravan take place at the end of the Gunflint Trail, which happens to be one of the best places in the entire country for observing the stars.”
All events are free, with daily programming that will run from 5 to 11 p.m. Planetarium shows will be offered on the half hour. In the event of cloudy skies, programming will be limited to the planetarium.
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