Supernovae and the science of planet formation will be discussed in February during Fiske Planetarium presentations at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
"What Planets Are and How They Form" will be held Thursday, Feb. 9, and Friday, Feb. 10, while "Supernovae" will take place Thursday, Feb. 16, and Friday, Feb. 17.
All presentations begin at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $6 for adults, $5 for students and $3.50 for children and seniors.
Hal Levison of the Southwest Research Institute will discuss how the planets in our solar system formed during his show Feb. 9 and Feb. 10. He also will delve into the question of what planets are and discuss what new discoveries scientists have made about the makeup of planets.
CU-Boulder Professor Emeritus Richard McCray will discuss supernovae -- colossal explosions of massive stars and one of the most violent phenomena in
astronomy -- during his show Feb. 16 and Feb. 17. He will describe what astronomers have learned about supernovae from ancient and modern observations.
The Sommers-Bausch Observatory is open to the public following Friday evening shows, weather permitting. Admission to the observatory is free.
For more information about Fiske Planetarium and other shows and programs it offers call (303) 492-5001 or visit the Web site at