VSU Planetarium Presents August Skies, Eclipses, Meteor Showers Aug. 27

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta State University Planetarium presents “August Skies, Eclipses, and Meteor Showers: Oh My!” at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27.

Seating for each presentation is limited. Free admission ticket distribution begins as early as 5:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis at the VSU Planetarium.

“August Skies, Eclipses, and Meteor Showers: Oh My!” will highlight celestial events from around the world, including The Perseids and a total lunar eclipse in Northern Europe, both of which occurred on Aug. 12. Later, guests will be invited to the Observatory deck to enjoy a partial lunar eclipse.

According to Time and Date, the penumbral eclipse will begin locally at 9:23 p.m., when the lighter, outer part of Earth’s shadow starts touching the Moon’s face. The partial eclipse will begin at 10:33 p.m. By 12:12 a.m. Friday, the moon will be closest to the center of the shadow; 96 percent of the moon will enter the umbra creating a heavy copper-red “blood moon” look. The partial eclipse will end at 1:51 a.m., followed by the penumbral eclipse at 3:01 a.m.

“With the telescopes, we can see the Moon, stars, and brighter objects,” said Dr. Martha Leake, professor of astronomy and physics at VSU.

Depending on the weather, area residents should be able to see the red glow of the moon near maximum without a telescope.

Located on the third floor of Nevins Hall, the VSU Planetarium features a Digitarium Kappa digital projector, which can reproduce the night sky as seen from anywhere on Earth or from the surface of any object in the solar system, at any time in history, past or future.

Limited parking is available in front of Nevins Hall and across Patterson Street.

Planetarium public outreach shows are appropriate for all ages.

This is the VSU Planetarium’s first show of the 2026-2027 season. Shows are typically presented on Friday nights.

Contact VSU’s Department of Data Science at (229) 333-5778 for more information.