4 days Ago By OLIVIA ALLEN [email protected]
Bettendorf High School's Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium is celebrating the 50th year of its annual "The Christmas Star" program this week. Beginning this past Saturday, this year's program will run every night through Friday, Dec.
20 at 7 p.m. — following holiday music and a 6:30 p.
m. lightshow for early arrivals. Michael Grannen, director of the Donald A.
Schaefer Planetarium, talks about the 50th year of "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec. 16, in Bettendorf. The planetarium's longest running presentation has been shown to an upward of 15,000 visitors.
Shows are free, but seating is limited this year. To reserve seats, call the Bettendorf High School activities office at (563)332-4516. "What I find interesting about our Christmas Star program, is (how) it brings astronomy and history together in relation to the Christmas holiday," said Michael Grannen, planetarium director and science teacher.
Featuring 3D videos and images created by planetarium staff, the program explores how a person — or more specifically, three wise men — could have followed a star to Bethlehem, nodding to the traditional Christmas story of Jesus' birth. People are also reading..
. Through this astronomical immersion, Grannen said the program aims to "pinpoint" a more accurate idea of Jesus' birthdate. "We're pretty confident that (Dec.
25) was not the time Jesus was born, so it's a bit of an investigation story," he said. "That part makes it exciting, more than just for a religious (or) scientific purpose — it kind of blends everything together." Michael Grannen's silhouette can be seen as he turns off the lights before showing "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec.
16, in Bettendorf. The show is projected on to the ceiling by two fisheye projectors. Bettendorf's Christmas Star program script was derived from scientific and theological research, adapted to fit a family audience.
The program is narrated by the late Frank Gorshe, a former Bettendorf High School chemistry teacher of 25 years. The program's background music will include two classic holiday albums: Mannheim Steamroller's "Christmas in the Aire" and "Fresh Aire Christmas." "The pre-show lights and audio is a nice experience," Grannen said, recommending that guests arrive early.
"It's not just going to be quiet, dead time like it is in a movie theater." To him, the chance to experience a 21st-century planetarium is "worthwhile" in and of itself. "It's a free event, (in) which you get a viewing experience that's not common in everyday," Grannen said.
A current look at the Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec. 16, in Bettendorf.
The planetarium serves not only high school students but elementary students and Quad-Cities organizations such as Boy Scout troops. The planetarium has seen several major upgrades over the years. The most recent was in 2017, when its original star-ball projector was replaced with dual 4K resolution fisheye projectors to provide a 360-degree view.
The planetarium also received new, advanced computer software and 5.1 surround sound at this time. Bettendorf elementary school students visit the planetarium once a year as an extension of their classroom science lessons, though it's mainly used for high school science, English and social studies classes.
Since opening in 1974, the planetarium has served more than 8,000 visitors on average each year. To date, Grannen said more than 15,000 people have seen the Christmas Star program specifically. "It's the longest running show we have," he said, urging folks to see it for themselves this week.
For more information about the Don Schaefer Planetarium, visit www.bhs.bettendorf.
k12.ia.us/page/planetarium-hs/.
Michael Grannen, director of the Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium, talks about the 50th year of "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec. 16, in Bettendorf.
The planetarium's longest running presentation has been shown to an upward of 15,000 visitors. Michael Grannen's silhouette can be seen as he turns off the lights before showing "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec. 16, in Bettendorf.
The show is projected on to the ceiling by two fisheye projectors. A current look at the Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec.
16, in Bettendorf. The planetarium serves not only high school students but elementary students and Quad-Cities organizations such as Boy Scout troops. Michael Grannen's silhouette can be seen as he turns off the lights before showing "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec.
16, in Bettendorf. The show is projected on to the ceiling by two fisheye projectors. A current look at the Donald A.
Schaefer Planetarium at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec. 16, in Bettendorf. The planetarium serves not only high school students but elementary students and Quad-Cities organizations such as Boy Scout troops.
Michael Grannen, director of the Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium, talks about the 50th year of "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec. 16, in Bettendorf.
The planetarium's longest running presentation has been shown to an upward of 15,000 visitors. Bettendorf High School Planetarium Michael Grannen, director of the Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium, talks about the 50th year of "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec.
16, in Bettendorf. The planetarium's longest running presentation has been shown to an upward of 15,000 visitors. Michael Grannen's silhouette can be seen as he turns off the lights before showing "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec.
16, in Bettendorf. The show is projected on to the ceiling by two fisheye projectors. A current look at the Donald A.
Schaefer Planetarium at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec. 16, in Bettendorf. The planetarium serves not only high school students but elementary students and Quad-Cities organizations such as Boy Scout troops.
Michael Grannen's silhouette can be seen as he turns off the lights before showing "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec. 16, in Bettendorf. The show is projected on to the ceiling by two fisheye projectors.
A current look at the Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec. 16, in Bettendorf.
The planetarium serves not only high school students but elementary students and Quad-Cities organizations such as Boy Scout troops. Michael Grannen, director of the Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium, talks about the 50th year of "The Christmas Star" program at Bettendorf High School on Monday, Dec.
16, in Bettendorf. The planetarium's longest running presentation has been shown to an upward of 15,000 visitors. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
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