Downing Planetarium

06/07/2022

Need to cool off from the Fresno heat?
Come see our Public Shows for June 2022☀️ 🔭

⭐️We will be closed for the month of July and will be back for public shows in August⭐️

Please reserve your seat today at:
www.downing-planetarium.org

03/11/2022

Our public shows for March 2022 are quickly approaching🍀. We are featuring a new show this month called “Drifting North into the Polar Night”. 🌌

Please visit our website to make a reservation.

Friday March 25th, 2022:

6:00PM Destination Mars

7:30 PM Black Holes

*Telescope viewing after both shows if weather permits*

Saturday March 26, 2022

2:00 PM Solar System Show

3:30 PM Drifting North into the Polar Night

12/17/2021

Want to take a rest from your holiday shopping? Come see our holiday show called “Season of Light” that features wintertime constellations in the night time sky ⭐️ There are still tickets available for the Saturday shows at 2 and 3:30 pm 🎄

09/24/2021

Today, September 23, 2021 is the 175th anniversary of the discovery of Neptune. So far, only one robotic spacecraft has ever visited Neptune. It was Voyager 2 in the year 1989. Voyager 2 conducted a flyby and sent the images and other data back to Earth using only radio waves. It worked much the same way as when you take a picture and send it using your phone. That technology was originally invented for spaceflight! Prior to Voyager 2, we did not have even one good, closeup picture of Neptune. We hope that another mission to Neptune gets launched someday soon!

Dr. White and Kathleen

Here is an article for you: https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2021/09/175th-anniversary-discovery-of-neptune.html

08/12/2021

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight!

The annual Perseid meteor shower will peak tonight in the early morning hours of August 12, 2021. The meteors are small particles of ice and dust that enter the Earth's atmosphere at high speed and create a glowing trail of plasma. The particles are the debris shed from the Swift-Tuttle comet. Fortunately, most of the recent smoke has cleared away from the Fresno area so it will not hide our view of the meteors. Also, the Moon will not interfere with the observations this year since it only a few days past New Moon and so the Moon will set early in the evening. For viewing the meteors, try to get to a dark location, away from city lights. Use a lawn chair, lay back, and try to observe as much of the sky as possible at once. Under good conditions, you might see as many as one meteor per minute! The greatest number of meteors are typically seen between the hours from midnight to dawn.

07/13/2021

Venus and Mars are Alright Tonight!

Don’t miss a close appearance between Venus and Mars, low in the western sky, early this evening. Look for Venus first since it is the brighter of the pair. Next, check for Mars nearby in the 8 o’clock position. The separation between the two will only be about ½ of a degree. In addition, a thin waxing crescent moon will be slightly higher and to the left. If you watch each evening, the planets will appear to drift slowly apart.

02/11/2016

Two massive black holes merging together confirm the existence of gravity waves.

Scientists announce discovery of clear gravitational wave signal, ripples in spacetime first predicted by Albert Einstein

09/29/2015

Fresno State student and professor react to NASA's discovery of liquid water on mars.

Video credit: Nexstar Broadcasting Group, inc.

08/29/2015

During our public Friday shows visitors to the Downing Planetarium have a chance to look at the stars, planets, and Moon with the use of our telescope.

This images was captured with the use of an iPhone camera and a 13.5 inche telescope.

08/11/2015

The Perseid Meteor Shower will peak this Thursday, August 13th at 1am local time. For the best view get away from the city lights.

Every year in mid-August, Earth plows headlong into the debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Slamming into our atmosphere at 130,000 mph, the crumbles flash to light as the Perseid meteor...

07/17/2015

Listen live now on KMJ 580AM, the Ray Appleton Show, to hear Dr. Steven White, the director of the Downing Planetarium, talk about the .