The Del & Norma Robison Planetarium at Truman State

The Del & Norma Robison Planetarium is Truman State University's indoor planetarium in Magruder Hall.

It is an academic facility, a public community resource and a destination for school and group programs.

Most importantly for a first-time visitor: the planetarium is not the same thing as Truman's Observatory. The planetarium presents projected astronomy programs indoors; the Observatory uses real telescopes on the real night sky.

Current public-show pattern

Truman's current planetarium information lists public shows during the academic year on:

• Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
• Thursdays at 6 p.m.
• Fridays at 6 p.m.
• selected Saturdays

The Wednesday-through-Friday public shows are currently listed as free.

Saturday public shows currently list $8 general admission.

Because show topics and dates change, check the live planetarium schedule rather than treating those weekly patterns as a permanent calendar.

What happens during a show?

The planetarium uses its dome to present astronomy visually in a controlled indoor environment.

Truman says its staff develop public programs on topics including:

• constellations and mythology;
• planets and the Solar System;
• stars;
• black holes;
• exoplanets;
• asteroids;
• other space-science subjects.

The exact topic changes from week to week.

Unlike a telescope event, a planetarium program does not depend on a clear night. Clouds outside do not prevent the dome from showing the sky.

Public shows versus group reservations

Ordinary public shows are scheduled by the planetarium.

Groups can also request separate programs. Truman lists field trips for K–12 classes, homeschool groups and other organizations and says presentations can be adapted to the group's educational level.

The reservation form currently asks groups to submit a request at least two weeks before the preferred date.

The same form lists a seating capacity of 60. Larger groups may be split across multiple shows.

Those reservation rules are for group scheduling, not evidence that every ordinary public show needs a reservation.

Check the specific event listing for ticket or attendance instructions.

Current group pricing is separate from public admission

Truman's current information lists:

• field trips at $45 per hour per group;
• special events at $100 per hour per group.

Those are facility/group rates and should not be confused with the free weekday public shows or current Saturday general admission.

Prices can change, so a school or organization should verify them when making a reservation.

Parking for an evening show

Truman's current planetarium parking page says Red and Blue lots are open without a parking pass after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends.

Green lots are reserved for campus residents.

During standard business hours, visitors need a Truman parking decal or temporary parking pass. The planetarium page directs visitors to Truman's Department of Public Safety for temporary passes.

That makes the 6 p.m. public-show parking situation simpler than a daytime field trip, but visitors should still use the current campus parking map.

Planetarium or Observatory?

Choose the planetarium when you want:

• an indoor program;
• a scheduled topic;
• a weather-independent experience;
• a group or school presentation.

Choose the Observatory when you want to look through telescopes at actual celestial objects during a scheduled public observing event.

See Truman State University Observatory: Stargazing in Kirksville for that facility and Public Stargazing Events Around Kirksville for outdoor event sources.

If you are curious what the real eyepiece view looks like compared with a planetarium projection or space photograph, see What You Can See Through a Telescope in Kirksville.

Check the Del & Norma Robison Planetarium website for the current show calendar before visiting.