Radford University Physics

10/17/2026

Physics Alumni! Come join us for a light reception on Saturday, October 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Reed Hall 3rd floor student study lounge (pictured below). If you haven't been around the last few years (major Reed-Curie renovations happened in 2017-2019) you should come by and see how things look now! The Physics Department is located on the 3rd floor of Reed Hall, with labs on the 2nd floor of Reed and Curie Halls, as well as the ground floor of Curie Hall. And of course the Planetarium is on the Main Street level of the Center for the Sciences, the third in the 3 attached science buildings.

We hope to see you next weekend!!

10/13/2026

10/13/2026

The full dome show at the Radford University Planetarium for this week's 7 p.m. Thursday show (October 15) is "Unveiling the Invisible Universe."

For thousands of years humans observed the light coming from the night sky with their eyes. In the beginning of the 17th century, the invention of the telescope by Galileo revolutionized our knowledge of the Universe. Finally, in the 20th century with the advent of rockets, it became possible to go above the earth’s atmosphere and observe X-ray and gamma ray radiation which are the marks of the hot and violent Universe. But it is not only light that can give us information about the cosmos. Neutrinos and cosmic rays also provide vital information. Finally, the detection by the LIGO experiment of gravitational waves from two merging black holes opened a new window in astrophysics. This show presents images of the cosmos as revealed by all these different messengers.

This show was produced by Integrated Activities in the High-Energy Astrophysics Domain (AHEAD2020) and funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871158.

The full dome show at the Radford University Planetarium for this week's 10:30 a.m. Saturday show (October 17) is "Mysteries of Your Brain."

In this original Bell Museum production, your tour guides on this journey are a curious girl and her crow companion—together you’ll zoom along the paths of neurons, fly through brains and experience illusions on a grand scale. You’ll learn how your brain makes you you and that, ultimately, we each have the power to change our brains.

Mysteries of Your Brain is produced by the Bell Museum (). The Bell Museum collaborated with the University of North Carolina Morehead Planetarium and Science Center to create this planetarium show. The work was made possible through generous support from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and Boston Scientific.

The Radford University Planetarium 2026 fall semester shows are Thursdays and Saturdays @10:30am.
https://www.radford.edu/planetarium

09/28/2026

The full dome show at the Radford University Planetarium for this week's 7 p.m. Thursday and 10:30 a.m. Saturday shows (October 1 & 3) is "Unveiling the Invisible Universe."

For thousands of years humans observed the light coming from the night sky with their eyes. In the beginning of the 17th century, the invention of the telescope by Galileo revolutionized our knowledge of the Universe. Finally, in the 20th century with the advent of rockets, it became possible to go above the earth’s atmosphere and observe X-ray and gamma ray radiation which are the marks of the hot and violent Universe. But it is not only light that can give us information about the cosmos. Neutrinos and cosmic rays also provide vital information. Finally, the detection by the LIGO experiment of gravitational waves from two merging black holes opened a new window in astrophysics. This show presents images of the cosmos as revealed by all these different messengers.

This show was produced by Integrated Activities in the High-Energy Astrophysics Domain (AHEAD2020) and funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871158.

The Radford University Planetarium 2026 fall semester shows are Thursday and Saturday @10:30am.
https://www.radford.edu/planetarium

09/24/2026

The Radford University Planetarium will have our 10:30am Saturday shows for the rest of the semester with the exception of Fall Break and Thakksgiving Break. The show for Saturday, September 26 will be "Voyage to Distant Worlds."

Come with us on a tour of the planets in our solar system. Discover facts you never knew about our neighboring worlds and how they differ from our familiar home. This immersive tour of our solar system starts with our own star and travels to the far reaches of our solar system, even beyond the distant Kuiper Belt.

This show was produced by the Casper Planetarium and lasts for 36 visually stunning minutes.

More shows will be added in the near future as we continue to settle on our regular schedule for the fall.
https://www.radford.edu/planetarium

09/18/2026

Yes, she really does all of this. And more!

Physics major’s extensive resume lead to prestigious summer internship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.

09/18/2026

The Radford University Planetarium is starting our Saturday shows with a soft opening this Saturday, September 19 at 10:30am. The show will be "Voyage to Distant Worlds."

Come with us on a tour of the planets in our solar system. Discover facts you never knew about our neighboring worlds and how they differ from our familiar home. This immersive tour of our solar system starts with our own star and travels to the far reaches of our solar system, even beyond the distant Kuiper Belt.

This show was produced by the Casper Planetarium and lasts for 38 visually stunning minutes.

More shows will be added in the near future as we continue to settle on our regular schedule for the fall.
https://www.radford.edu/planetarium