Public Shows
For up-to-the-minute information about Illinois State University Planetarium offerings, call the Planetarium's Skyline at (309) 438-5007 day or night.
Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
The ISU Planetarium presents The Sun, Our Living Star
The Illinois State University Planetarium is pleased to present The Sun, Our Living Star , a celebration of our star the Sun!
The Sun is our planet’s powerhouse, the source of energy that drives Earth’s winds and weather, and the ball of light that allows the existence of life. The Sun, Our Living Star reveals the impact our star has on every aspect of our lives here on Earth.
Explore the Sun’s role in allowing and maintaining life, from photosynthesis to humans. Discover how the Sun dictates our days, seasons and years. Delve into the history of the Sun’s impact on human religion and culture. Learn about the Sun’s dynamic nature — what appears as a flat disk in the sky is in fact a violent and evolving celestial body, burning 600 million tons of hydrogen every second.
The Sun, Our Living Star allows you to experience the Sun in a new way, with never-before-seen images of its turbulent surface in immersive fulldome format, revealing its power and variability in breathtaking detail.
After the program, we explore the highlights found in the current evening sky; including the bright stars, constellations, and planets visible from Central Illinois.
The Sun, Our Living Star runs weekends from March 20 through May 9. There are no presentations on the weekend of April 3-4 and on Saturday, April 11.
Fridays at 7:30 PM, and Saturdays at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM.
The ISU Planetarium offers online and free: Legends of the Night Sky - Perseus and Andromeda
Explore the ancient Greek and Roman myths leading to today’s constellations. Here we meet the hero Perseus, as he fights the evil Medusa and rescues the princess Andromeda.
This show is produced by Audio Visual Imagineering, with copyright © 2020. It may not be copied or distributed without their express written permission.
Thank you to Joanne Young and Audio Visual Imagineering for making this show available!
Admission and Policies
Tickets for the ISU Planetarium's public shows may be purchased in the Planetarium Gift Shop beginning 20 minutes before each show.
Admission for the Plantarium's regular programs is:
Preschoolers (Ages 3-4) . . . $5.00
Children (Ages 5-12) . . . $6.00
Adults (Ages 13-59 ) . . . $7.00
Seniors (Ages 60 and older) . . $6.00
ISU faculty, staff, students . . . $6.00
Cash and checks only. Sorry, but no debit or credit cards accepted. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you are interested in scheduling a private show for your school or community group then please call the Illinois State University Planetarium about special presentations at (309) 438-2496 during regular business hours, Mondays through Fridays!
Location and Parking
The white-domed Illinois State University Planetarium is located at the east end of Felmley Hall of Science, on the corner of College Avenue and School Street, in Normal.
Inexpensive parking for weekday programs is available in the ISU visitor lot, located on Locust Street.
Free parking for the Friday 7:30 PM show, and Saturday 2 PM and 7:30 PM shows is available a short distance from the ISU Planetarium in University parking lot F-67, located on the east side of School Street.
