by Owen Marchand, WTOP10-TV
Each month, the SUNY Oswego Planetarium holds a different theme during its weekly shows. At Sundays at 7pm the Planetarium holds exciting shows hosted by Dr. John Zielinski of the Oswego physics department. The theme for the month of November is “Astronomical subjects in the works of Shakespeare, Tolstoy, and Mark Twain.”
During these shows Dr. Zielinski will discuss the astronomical topics in Shakespeare’s works such as Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Tolstoy’s War and Peace, as well as Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. He states that he will be giving a background on each of these pieces in order to connect them to the show in a way that is both interesting and educational. During this portion of the show, Dr. Zielinski will talk about important characters, and situations of each of the pieces of literature.
Throughout the show, Dr. Zielinski will also show many clips from films based on these novels and plays and incorporate them within the show. He says that a main part of the show is assimilating as many of these events as possible on the planetarium dome. Along with these clips, some other astronomical facts will be noted such as how all the stars seem to rotate the North Star and that all stars return to the same position in the sky every 23 hours and 56 minutes.
In order to witness this month’s show, one must sign up in advanced as the planetarium only has 35 seats but will allow and over-flow of people to sit on the floor. It is important to get there a little early in order to secure a seat! If the weather is good after each show, there will be a telescopic observation held after the presentation.