Connecting the community to the beauty of the night sky and wonders of the cosmos.
We are open to the public. Join us under the night sky in our planetarium theater for one of our upcoming events or set up a private reservation.
Browse Public Events
The grid below shows the next nine events. Browse all upcoming events or use the View the Entire Planetarium Calendar button below the grid.
Dear UWM Planetarium friends,
When I started as a planetarium director, I used to focus on how to convey a scientific idea without getting bogged down by details. Eventually I realized that the delivery matters, not just the content. In the last year, I have written articles in the Planetarian, the journal of the International Planetarium Society, about connecting with the audience and the value of rehearsal.
I was able to use some of this wisdom to help some emerging scientists at the Albert Einstein Institute in Hannover, Germany, after I presented “How to Give a Talk.” One of the big ideas is that the talk has to be tailored to the audience: The level, the tone, and the assumed knowledge all matter. If the audience stares at you, pause and check in. I coached 13 people one on one with advice that ranged from “breathe” to “the talk needs a central idea to have a throughline” to “the intro doesn’t connect to your contribution.” I really enjoy improving science communication wherever possible.
I look forward to seeing you under our stars,
Jean
Book Private Events
