A fixture in downtown Bay City, the Delta Planetarium remains one of the College’s
most visible assets to the general public. Journeys asked Planetarium Manager Mike Murray about the importance of community outreach
programs held at the facility.
How many people came to the Delta College Planetarium last year?
The total theater attendance was 17,413. That’s comprised of public shows, K-12 shows, special presentations for space occurrences, college classes and private shows for community groups and clubs.
We also had the temporary exhibits “Visions of a Red Planet” and “Many Inspired Steps” that were free and open to the public and they drew thousands of additional visitors.
A memorable reaction from an attendee?
At my recent presentation “First on the Moon,” celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, an attendee commented how interesting it was to learn and see so many things they had never heard of before. They asked when we would be doing the show again. These are the reactions I love, the ones that engage and leave people wanting more.
Can you tell us about some community outreach programs you have that people may not know about?
We have a lot going on outside the Planetarium. We have the Kids Demos for Bay County Library Summer Reading Program, “Booked for Lunch” talk at Wirt Library with a presentation on the book “Mission Moon 3D,” presentations at the Bay-Arenac Educator Conference, Statewide Astronomy Night at Bay City State Park, Family Fun Fair for “What’s Next Bay City,” and the African-American Cultural Festival.
Why do you think these things are important?
We serve as a connection to the community by inspiring ongoing learning and discovery. People’s natural fascination with astronomy and space serves as a gateway to exploring any number of related themes. It reminds the community that Delta fosters that natural sense of wonder hidden deep within us all, and that it offers many opportunities to learn more.
What things are coming up that you’re excited about?
We’re always looking for hot topics and current events to share with the public. These come in the form of live in-house productions put on by our talented staff, including Show Specialist Brian Kennedy and Planetarium Assistant David Bontekoe. We’ll continue the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program with shows about each mission as they come up, like Apollo 12 in November 2019 and Apollo 13 in April 2020. Coming in February is the 30th anniversary of “Pale Blue Dot,” the most distant image of Earth ever taken from space by the Voyager 1 spacecraft.
We’re looking forward to seeing even more people come out for these. They’ll be great.
“It is gratifying to know that people appreciate the variety and value of programming that we offer. They’re often surprised by the multitude of programs that include art, music, nature, history and culture.”
Planetarium Manager
Interested in supporting the Planetarium? Contact us at 989-686-9224 or foundation@delta.edu.