A tawny owl screeches nearby in the dark and her mate replies, hooting eerily from the forest below. A white dome floats in the gloaming above a plain black doorway outlined with red light, like a portal to another dimension. I'm in Grizedale Forest, far from any light-polluting cities, to visit the Lake District's first public observatory and planetarium, which opened in May.
The Lawrence Hall of Science's planetarium is playing Traditions of the Winter Sun, a short film about Ohlone and other cultures' traditions surrounding the cosmos, from now to Feb. 27. Photo credit: Lawrence Hall of Science Learn about Ohlone and other cultural traditions for the sun, moon, planets and stars in the 30-minute planetarium show, Traditions in the Winter Sky. Show runs from now to Feb. 27 at the Lawrence Hall of Science. $5 plus admission fee
Are we alone in the universe? Or could there be other forms of life out there, waiting far away in the vast expanse of space? Hear from researchers, astrobiologists and astronomers on the possibility of extraterrestrial life and distant exoplanets that could sustain it. Show off your best out-of-this-world attire by wearing your best alien-themed costume, engage in hands-on alien crafts then take a trip across the universe in our Planetarium - who knows what could be lurking among the stars?