Wausau Planetarium Show: March 14

Many residents don’t know the major role that the state of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin play in one of the most interesting telescopes in the world.  The National Science Foundation Supported IceCube Neutrino Observatory, located at the end of the Earth at the South Pole, was built with help from the unique skills and capabilities found in Wisconsin universities and companies.

If you live in the Wausau area, Thursday, March 14th is your chance to learn how IceCube is using the South Pole ice to search the edges of the Universe for neutrinos. These tiny, nearly massless particles have the potential to reveal new information about our physical world.

“From the South Pole to the Edge of the Universe” is a presentation that will be shown in a portable planetarium at the Patriot Center, 10101 Market Street, Rothschild, WI. One hour shows are scheduled at 4:30pm and 7:00pm. The shows are free and open to all ages.

The presentation is supported by the Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment. The presenters, UW-River Falls physics professor Jim Madsen, science consultant Joel Halvorson, and planetarium education and outreach coordinator from the Bell Museum of Natural History Sally Brummel, are in the Wausau area for the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers annual meeting.

Prof. Jim Madsen

“The digital dome is an entirely new way to visualize the Universe, and we are particularly excited to show footage from this season at the South Pole” said Madsen, who has traveled to the South Pole multiple times to work on IceCube.

Madsen, Brummel, and Halvorson will also present at the science teachers’ annual meeting. Madsen will focus on the physics of IceCube, and Halvorson and Brummel will explain how data visualizations can be used to improve earth and environmental science education at the elementary and secondary levels.

For more information, visit universe.wisc.edu. Seating in the planetarium is guaranteed for the first 35 attendees.