Following an exciting event with music and stargazing during Astronomy Day on Oct. 12, Jewett Observatory will close its doors to the public for the semester. The observatory, which contains the largest refracting telescope in Washington state, will reopen in the spring with more events.

WSU’s Planetarium, however, remains open and will be hosting events weekly throughout the winter. These shows feature an exploration of the night sky and its constellations with the guide of a docent and then watching an exclusive video on the domed screen.

“They can ask questions in the first half from people who actually know what they’re talking about,” said associate physics professor Guy Worthey.

“We try to provide a pretty baseline understanding of things just so people can be familiar with what they’re looking at in the sky or potentially find things,” Ian Kleditz, a planetarium docent and senior, said

Kleditz said people can ask about anything related to astronomy, from why the stars twinkle to why the constellations were named after certain things.

The planetarium does not get much foot traffic at present, and the biggest thing that would help students come is simply “knowing about it,” Worthey said. Many students are unaware there is both an observatory and a planetarium on campus, which hold events regularly.

“We try to advertise,” Kleditz said, “but it’s always described as getting people to care about the thing they don’t care about.”

According to the planetarium’s website, the dome was installed in 1962 and has been upgraded periodically ever since. It has since been used for classes, groups and public shows throughout the year.

Upcoming events include a showing of “Sunstruck!” at 7 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Oct. 20. The event will begin as normal, with a tour of the night sky and information about the stars, followed by a video on the sun.

There is also a special Halloween-themed event at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 and 5 p.m. on Oct. 27. It will feature the “astronomical origins of Halloween,” according to the planetarium’s website.

Evening shows cost $5 each and anyone is welcome to attend. All funds go toward the maintenance of the dome’s sound and visual systems as well as potential upgrades.

The planetarium is located in Sloan Hall on the second floor in room 231. A full schedule of events can be found on the planetarium’s website.

“We’re here for entertainment at a relatively low cost,” Kleditz said. “Astronomy is cool. People should enjoy it.”

Additionally, if you have a group of 12 or more people, you can contact  Worthey at his email, [email protected], and schedule a sky tour for free during the planetarium’s business hours.

“Come and learn about the universe,” Worthey said.