The Day of the Sun's Return, the Winter Solstice

The winter solstice, the dreariest day with the shortest day light and longest night of the year, our ancestors celebrated the beginning of the return of the Sun to the higher heavens. The planetarium show will explore the astronomical events associated with the first day of winter and will demonstrate how the position of the solstice with respect to the fixed stars has changed over the millennium. The patch of the sky in which the modern solstice occurs contains the galactic center and the delightfully beautiful Trifid nebulae. These places and objects are visible to modern stargazers through long exposure photography with large telescopes. The planetarium celebration of the winter solstice will include the presentation of spectacular slides of the region.