The show times are December 4-5, 11-12 and 18-19. There will be two shows each evening, at 7 and 8 PM, and the cost is $5 per person.  Reservations must be made because of the limited seating available; please send an e-mail to: planet@eastern.edu. 

The show is based on a dialog between an astronomer and his five-year-old daughter (played by Biology Professor Maria Fichera's daughter, Carina) who wants to know why we have certain Christmas traditions like mistletoe, candy canes, twelve days of Christmas, decorating houses with greenery, and the Star of Bethlehem.  The show explains the origins of many of these Christmas customs and then investigates when Jesus might have been born.  After narrowing down the date, the show takes the audience back to Jerusalem and Bethlehem around 3 BC and attempts to look into the sky and find something that might have been interpreted as the famous Star which led the Wise Men to the Christ child.  Fascinating new historical clues have led to an interesting new twist to the story compared to the former show presented at Eastern since 1972.

Eastern University's Julia Fowler Planetarium was named the "Best Place to Ponder the Heavens" by Main Line Today Magazine, which wrote, "Tucked away on the bucolic campus of Eastern University, the digital, full-dome Julia Fowler Planetarium offers stunning views of the night sky. And while the staff is dedicated to teaching most of the year, they do develop special shows that run for three weekends each season."

To learn more about the Julia Fowler Planetarium or Eastern's Astronomy and Physics Department, visit: http://www.eastern.edu/academic/cas/depts/physical_sciences/home.html

For questions, Contact Steve Sanders at 610.341.1390 or ssander2@eastern.edu.