Abrams planetarium

10/09/2026

With amazing things happening in our sky every day we have highlighted a few things to look out for in the next few days. (Remember to check the best time to see it in your area since times will vary).

October 11 (Morning):
About three hours before sunrise, look toward the east for Mars passing through the Beehive Star Cluster. This cluster contains hundreds of stars, making it a beautiful sight as the reddish planet moves among them. Binoculars will provide the best view of Mars surrounded by the cluster's stars, and this is also a great opportunity for astrophotography.

October 12 (Evening):
About 30 minutes after sunset, look toward the west-southwest for Mercury at its greatest eastern elongation. Mercury will be 25° away from the Sun in the sky, making this one of the better opportunities to spot the planet this month. A young crescent Moon will also be nearby, adding to the view. Mercury will be very low on the horizon, so find a location with an unobstructed view and use binoculars to help locate it after the Sun has fully set.

If you want to read more about these events you can use the links below:

https://starwalk.space/en/news/m44-beehive-cluster

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/mars-beehive-cluster-october-2026

https://science.nasa.gov/mercury/

https://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-youngest-moon-you-can-see-with-your-eye-alone/

Image description: The first Image contains the dates that this post is referencing. The following image contains snipping’s from the Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar along with the planetarium logo and the events listed above, with graphics that correspond with each event.

10/04/2026

With amazing things happening in our sky every day we have highlighted a few things to look out for in the next few days. (Remember to check the best time to see it in your area since times will vary).

October 4 (Evening):
About one hour after sunset, look toward the east for Saturn at opposition. Saturn will be at its brightest and visible throughout the entire night as a bright, steady point of light. It can be seen with the naked eye, but a telescope will reveal its rings.

October 6 (Morning):
About one hour before sunrise, look toward the east for the Moon passing directly in front of Jupiter in a rare occultation. Jupiter will briefly disappear behind the Moon before reappearing, making this one of the most exciting skywatching events of the week. The pair will be easy to see with the naked eye, but binoculars can provide an even better view. The occulation will start around 4:23 am for the lansing area and may not be visible everywhere.

Link to the QR code: http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/bstar/1006jupiter.htm

If you want to read more on these:

https://science.nasa.gov/saturn/

https://www.astronomy.com/observing/the-moon-occults-jupiter-october-6/

Image description: The first Image contains the dates that this post is referencing. The following image contains snipping’s from the Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar along with the planetarium logo and the events listed above, with graphics that correspond with each event.

09/26/2026

Tonight! We don't have a show because of the football game. But you can join us at Burchfield park for stargazing under the original Planetarium --the sky!

THIS WEEKEND!! Join us at Burchfield Park for Abrams After Dark.

While there is no cost for the event itself, typical vehicle entry fees will apply ($5 for Ingham Co. Residents, $7 for non-residents.)

Concessions will be open for marshmallows, pumpkin rolls, donuts, c***r, and coffee. See you on the 26th!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1bfCYe8z8q/

09/26/2026

Remember, tonight we are hosting a public event at Burchfield Park. The address is 881 Grovenburg Rd, Holt, MI 48842. We hope to see you there!

09/26/2026

With amazing things happening in our sky every day we have highlighted a few things to look out for in the next few days. (Remember to check the best time to see it in your area since times will vary).

September 27 (Morning):
About one hour before sunrise, look toward the west-southwest for the Moon near Saturn. Saturn will appear as a bright, steady point of light below the Moon. The pair will be easy to see with the naked eye, but a telescope can reveal Saturn’s rings.

October 1 (Evening):
If you want a good challenge about 30 minutes after sunset, look very low toward the west-southwest for Venus and Mercury. Venus will appear brighter and lower on the horizon, while Mercury will be slightly higher nearby. Because both planets will be low in the evening twilight, binoculars will make them easier to spot.

If you want to read more on these:

https://science.nasa.gov/saturn/

https://science.nasa.gov/venus/

https://science.nasa.gov/mercury/

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/project/find-planets-in-the-sky/

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/how-to-find-planets-night-sky

Image description: The first Image contains the dates that this post is referencing. The following image contains snipping’s from the Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar along with the planetarium logo and the events listed above, with graphics that correspond with each event.

09/20/2026

We will be cancelling the shows today, Sunday, September 20th as well due to the ongoing impacts related to the campus-wide power outages. We apologize for the inconvenience.

We will refund any advance tickets that were purchased.

09/19/2026

Our 8pm show for tonight, Sept. 19, is cancelled due to the campus wide power outage. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you purchased tickets in advance we will refund you.

09/18/2026

With amazing things happening in our sky every day we have highlighted a few things to look out for in the next few days. (Remember to check the best time to see it in your area since times will vary).

September 22 (Evening):
Fall officially begins with the Autumnal Equinox at 8:05 p.m. EDT. The equinox happens when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, giving us nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness as we move into the fall season.

September 26 (Evening):
Look for the Full Harvest Moon rising in the eastern sky after sunset. The Moon officially becomes full at 12:49 p.m. EDT, so it will appear bright and nearly completely full throughout the evening. It is called the Harvest Moon because it is the full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox, and its bright evening light traditionally gave farmers more time to bring in their crops during harvest season.

If you want to read more on these:

https://starwalk.space/en/news/autumnal-equinox-first-day-of-fall

https://moonlightphase.com/blog/harvest-moon-september-2026

Image description: The first Image contains the dates that this post is referencing. The following image contains snipping’s from the Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar along with the planetarium logo and the events listed above, with graphics that correspond with each event.