Michael and Kimthanh Lê Planetarium

10/23/2026

Universe Uncovered

The Sun is the center of our solar system, right? Kind of.

In space, two or more objects orbiting each other have a center of mass. It is the point around which the objects orbit. This point is the barycenter of the objects. The barycenter is usually closest to the object with the most mass.

The planets, and even our Sun, orbit the barycenter of the solar system. This image from SkyMarvels shows the location of the Sun with the respect to the barycenter and highlights how even our Sun wobbles around the middle of the solar system.

10/16/2026

Universe Uncovered - What color is the universe? If the entire sky were smeared out, what color would the final mix be? This whimsical question came up when trying to determine what stars are commonplace in nearby galaxies. The answer, depicted here, is a perceived shade of beige showing that as the Universe ages the massive, blue hotter stars are dying out and cooler, redder stars are becoming more prevalent.

10/14/2026

Tonight we're highlight the night sky and constellations at the planetarium. We'll see some upcoming celestial events and explore more of the galaxy along the way.

$5 per person, tickets available at the door
6:30 doors open
7:00-8:15 showtime

10/14/2026

A leopard-spotted rock that could prove whether life ever existed beyond Earth is sitting in a tube on Mars.

NASA’s Perseverance rover grabbed up the sample, called Sapphire Canyon, from rocky outcrops on the edges of the Neretva Vallis, a valley sculpted by rivers that once flowed into an ancient lake in Jezero Crater more than 3 billion years ago. The rover landed at the dried lakebed in February 2021 for expressly this purpose, hunting for rocks created or modified by water in the past, which would have had the best chance of preserving evidence of life.

Read more to see the challenges of returning this sample back to Earth:

NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars found a leopard-spotted rock, dubbed Sapphire Canyon, that may hold clues to ancient microbial life, challenging plans for Mars sample return missions.

10/12/2026

The countdown to HELIOS is on! Join the Barry Art Museum November 6th and 7th for Helios: The 6th Annual Public Arts Festival at ! ✨️☀️

This year, we're welcoming back Luke Jerram, the artist behind the "Museum of the Moon" and "Mars" artworks featured at our 1st and 2nd Public Arts Festivals. His newest piece is an inflatable sculpture of the Sun at a scale of 1:200 million, entitled ☀️"Helios"☀️, and it will be making its first appearance in North America at the !

Stay tuned for announcements of live performances and music, glass blowing demonstrations, hands-on activities, a special "Made With the Sun" exhibition, food trucks, a vendor market, and more!

✨️ FREE and family-friendly
☀️ 1075 W 43rd Street, Norfolk, VA 22508
✨️ barryartmuseum.odu.edu/helios

09/29/2026

THIS THURSDAY! Join the Coastal Virginia Sierra Club and our friends at ODU Library and Naro Video at ODU Libraries for a special screening of Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic? There will be a virtual Q&A with Jeb Berrier and the director, Suzan Beraza, at the conclusion of the screening.

Space is limited! RSVP at tinyurl.com/bagitodu

THIS THURSDAY 10/01, 6PM @ Lê Planetarium.

09/23/2026

This weather got you feeling cooped up? Stay dry at the planetarium where the weather is always clear and a sky full of stars.

Tonight - September 23
Tour of the Night Sky
$5 per person, tickets available at the door beginning at 6:30
7:00-8:15 showtime

09/22/2026

Can You Balance an Egg on the Spring Equinox?

The short answer is: yes, but it has nothing to do with the equinox. According to a popular myth, on the spring equinox, you can stand an egg on its end due to some gravitational balance between the Earth and the Sun.

In reality, there is no gravitational change happening during an equinox that would help an egg balance. And there’s no need for it: you can try this egg-balancing trick any random day of the year. All you need to succeed is a bit of patience.