SUNY Oswego planetarium to explore 'Weird Close Lives of Binary Stars'
Office of Communications and Marketing
Published
The SUNY Oswego planetarium will explore "The Weird Close Lives of Binary Stars" at 7 p.m. each Sunday during September.
"Half of the stars you see at night are actually unresolved binary stars, with two stars orbiting each other," explained Dr. Scott Roby, director of the college's planetarium and an associate professor of physics.
In the shows, Roby will examine "the lives of interacting binaries, where strange things can happen such as a star being cannibalized by its neighbor or a star dying twice!" he said. The September show will include new 3D models of contact binaries using the planetarium's updated software.
Regular Sunday shows will continue through June, with changing topics each month in the state-of-the-art facility on the second floor of the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation.
The planetarium has limited seating, so guests are encouraged to arrive a bit early. Shows are recommended for children ages 4 and older. Children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. No food or drink is permitted in the facility.
Parking is free in the commuter lot off Washington Boulevard and the employee lot off Centennial Boulevard across from the Shineman Center.