Radford University Physics

09/09/2026

09/09/2026

We're back!!! The Radford University Planetarium is gently restarting for the fall semester with - so far - our Thursday night shows. We are working to add more shows but this will give us a chance to get things going again after the long layoff.

The upcoming shows for the Radford University Planetarium for this coming Thursday, September 10, and the following 2 Thursdays is "Secret Lives of Stars."

Not all stars are created equal. Some are massive. Others are tiny; almost insignificant. The specific characteristics of a star will determine what type of life it will lead, how long it might live and even the type of death it will die. We will witness the amazing variety of stars and peer into their secret lives. Every star has a unique story to tell. Come join us as we listen to their stories.

This 27-minute show is narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart of TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films. This show was produced by Evans & Sutherland, a Cosm company.

The Radford University Planetarium shows will start with our Thursday night 7pm shows. More shows will be added in the near future.
https://www.radford.edu/planetarium

05/03/2026

One of the great traditions that we have is our Graduates' Breakfast on the morning of Radford University's Commencement. This gives everyone a chance to gather one last time, this time including their families and friends. And, other graduates who are permanent members of the "Physics family" who were able to join us. This gives the Physics faculty a chance to meet (often again) the families who have done such a great job getting their graduates to this milestone. And, it gives the families a chance to talk more with the faculty members who have been so involved with their grads over the years. It's often bittersweet since we (faculty) have invested so much in these students who we will miss so much.

05/03/2026

On Friday, April 24, 2026 the students in the Radford University Physics Department were given unprecedented recognition at the annual Student Awards Ceremony. Physics Dean's Scholar Athena Smith was designated one of the 4 Radford University Outstanding Students. Junior Lily Backus was also designated a Radford University Outstanding Student. And the Society of Physics Students (SPS) was designated as the single Radford University Outstanding Student Organization. Never before has one department been so honored and recognized as having so many outstanding students.

04/13/2026

The show for the Radford University Planetarium for the Thursday-Sunday shows the next two weeks (April 16-19 and 23-26) is "Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System." Our last show of the spring semester will be Sunday, April 26.

Experience the Solar System like never before - by traveling on a spacecraft that can turn the objects in space into sound!

The audience of this stunning 35 minute show are transported inside a special spacecraft that takes them to the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) to view the stars in the night sky, before lifting them off into space to visit the Earth, Moon, Sun and all the planets of the Solar System.

Unlike traditional planetarium shows the soundtrack takes the lead role. Each of the objects in space are represented with sounds as well as being presented with the incredible visuals. The audience listen to the stars appear and hear the planets orbit around their heads. This means that this show is an immersive experience that can be enjoyed irrespective of level of vision.

This show is designed to be educational for children but proves to be an entertaining experience for people of all ages.

This show was produced by Theofanis Matsopoulos (www.matsopoulos.com). This project was funded by a Science and Technology Facilities Council Spark Award and a Royal Astronomical Society Education and Outreach Small Grant. There were also valuable contributions from: The Institute of Cosmology & Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth, Newcastle Children’s Vision Team, The VIEWS group Newcastle and The Great North Museum: Hancock.

The Radford University Planetarium spring semester shows are Thursday , Friday , Saturday @10:30am and , and Sunday .
https://www.radford.edu/planetarium

04/03/2026

We had a great experience this past weekend, March 27-28 hosting the Society of Physics Students Regional Zone 4 Meeting. Over 60 physics students and faculty from Virginia, Maryland and DC attended this event highlighting and supporting physics students. Highlights included over 20 posters presented by students. Our featured speaker was Dr. Shane Larson of Clarkson University who gave a talk about the future of gravitational wave observing in space titled "AN AUDACIOUS ENTERPRISE: LISA and the Future of Gravitational Wave Astronomy." Our famous SPS and Physics Department mascot Natural Log was in attendance, taking selfies and supervising the whole endeavor. Since we have the unique resource of our planetarium we were able to have a "Highlight Your Chapter" session where SPS chapters from the attending schools sent us pictures that we put on the planetarium dome for them to control via their phones. It was a great experience for all, and we look forward to traveling to whomever hosts the next meeting next spring.