Seminar Schedule

Upcoming Planetarians' Zoom Seminars

2026

Dates and times subject to alteration depending on availability of presenters.

• 2026 Oct 30, 11am PDT (2pm EDT, 18:00 UTC), How to give a talk. Giving an engaging talk takes more than knowing your material. Jean Creighton will outline key steps for preparing and delivering a compelling talk for a variety of audiences: how to understand your listeners, define the purpose, clarify your message with visuals and explanations, rehearse effectively, and engage your audience. These strategies will make your presentations more impactful and even enjoyable. Jean grew up in Greece and graduated with a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Waterloo in Canada. In 2007, she became the Director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ever since, she presents approximately 300 shows a year and love connecting with her audiences!

• 2026 Nov 20, at 12pm PST (3pm EST, 20:00 UTC), Planetarium Educators Workshop: Questioning Strategies. The workshop goals are to introduce a scheme for classifying questions, to practice identifying types of questions, and to think of how to design intriguing sequences of questions to ask during a planetarium program. The right questions can help increase the value of our dialog with audiences. This is Part 5 in the Planetarium Educators Workshop series that began in July 2025 and is derived from the Planetarium Educators Workshop Guide. Workshop facilitator is Alan Gould.

• 2026 Dec 18

2027

• 2027 Jan 29 at 11am PST (2pm EST, 19:00 UTC), The Invisible Threat: Why Space Debris Matters to Everyone on Earth with Jason Crutchfield, author of Space Debris: Clearing the Final Frontier. Thousands of satellites and millions of pieces of debris now fill the space around Earth, creating challenges that extend far beyond the risk of orbital collisions. This presentation explores how the growing space debris environment affects the satellites that support communications, banking, navigation, weather forecasting, scientific research, national security, and everyday life. We will also examine the rapid growth of satellite constellations, the relationship between orbital activity and ground-based astronomy, emerging debris-removal technologies, and the policy and sustainability challenges that will shape humanity's future use of space.  We end with discussion and audience ideas for incorporation within the planetarium world.

• 2027 February 26

• 2027 March 26

• 2027 April 30

• 2027 May 28

• 2027 June 25

• 2027 July 30

• 2027 August 27

• 2027 September 24

• 2027 October 29

• 2027 November 19

• 2027 December 17