AstroFriday at San Juan College Planetarium

Few things in life can be more satisfying than learning while you have fun. San Juan College offers the public this opportunity for free!  Plan a day with your family and friends and head to the college planetarium for the next AstroFriday.

AstroFriday at San Juan College Planetarium

San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico, is one of the largest community colleges in the state. The school admits more than 15,000 students every year. With a mission to provide quality education in an ever-changing world, the college runs a planetarium that’s open to the community.

The San Juan College Planetarium offers free public shows throughout the year. Its most popular event is AstroFriday. On one Friday every month, anyone can go to AstroFriday for free. The event includes a planetarium show followed by stargazing. The exact Friday each month depends on the lunar phase (preferably the first quarter of the moon cycle) and the planetarium schedule. The timings for the show are 6:30 and 7:30 pm, followed by stargazing if the weather cooperates.

Navajo Sky Legends

Each AstroFriday has an educational theme, and the theme for February is Navajo Sky Legends. The planetarium will screen a show on the Navajo sky legends, the cosmology of the Navajo people, and the mythology surrounding the constellations.

Astronomy played a significant role in the Native Americans’ world view. Every tribe had a different idea of what the stars meant. For the Navajos, every constellation had a deep meaning.

Learn more about the fascinating astronomy of the Navajo people at San Juan College Planetarium’s AstroFriday on February 8th.