UWM students are busy preparing for Creepy Cosmos, this fall’s Halloween-themed program at the UWM Planetarium. The show highlights some of the spookiest space phenomena, including the solar system’s most unforgiving climates and black hole spaghettification. The program is one of the few Planetarium productions driven almost entirely by students: Everything from designing the fliers to promoting and creating the show to presenting the show itself is done by UWM students, with undergraduates Jack Koshkin and Xander Strube set to present.
“Xander and I will take you on a tour through the spookiest places in the cosmos,” said Koshkin, “from the scorching surface of Venus where your bones would get crushed, to the gravitational extremes of neutron stars and black holes! I’m also composing some of the music you’ll hear during the show, taking inspiration from classic horror movies as well as films like Interstellar.”
The Manfred Olson Planetarium hires UWM students to tackle various responsibilities, such as publicity, design, and task management, with the guidance of the Director Dr. Jean Creighton and Assistant Director Victoria Robison. With Creepy Cosmos being one of the Planetarium’s more student-driven productions, it gives students a chance to shine.
“It has been an enjoyable experience working with the other team members to create a spooky and fun-filled program that is still educational,” said undergraduate Emma Wilson, a member of the Planetarium’s production and design team. “We were lucky enough to base it off of a prior program, but together we adapted the visuals into something new and exciting.”
All are welcome to attend Creepy Cosmos on Fridays, October 4-25 from 7-8 p.m. Tickets are available through the Planetarium’s website or, if spots remain, at the check-in booth on show dates. We invite UWM students, staff, faculty, and the Milwaukee community to share in the fun!
By Ashley Harrison, Manfred Olson Planetarium