May 9, 2019

Triton’s Cernan Earth and Space Center and Blue Star Museums partner to offer free admission to military families this summer

The Triton College Cernan Earth and Space Center is showing its support to members of the armed forces and their families by offering free admission to all the Cernan Center’s exciting and educational programs this summer.

Thanks to a partnership between the Cernan Center and Blue Star Museums, active duty military personnel, veterans and their families will receive free admission to all shows between Armed Forces Day, May 18, through Labor Day, Sept. 2, 2019. The offer is available to all active Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard service members as well as Veterans, Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps and up to five family members with valid military ID.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to partner with Blue Star Museums to acknowledge and support the sacrifice and service military members provide for our country,” said Kris McCall, Cernan Earth and Space Center director. “From the Space Age to Space Aliens, we’re confident our programs will provide enriching experiences for military families from the local area or from across the country.”

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across America. To find other participating museums, visit arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

Every show in the Cernan Earth and Space Center includes a guided tour of what is visible in the real night sky, but the planetarium experience is much more than playing connect the dots. The uniquely immersive planetarium environment can transport visitors to the planets or the stars or the edge of the Universe, beneath the ocean’s surface or back in time. From black holes to biodiversity, dramatic programs take audiences of all ages on exciting voyages of discovery.

Upcoming planetarium features include:

Dawn of the Space-Age (May-August)

From Sputnik to the Space Shuttle and beyond, join the excitement of exploring the final frontier as we prepare for closer international cooperation and the dawn of commercial spaceflight.

Space Aliens (May-June)

Join our alien “experts” – Hopeful and Skeptical – as they try to convince each other whether or not life exists beyond Earth. Follow their astrobiology arguments from the ocean floor to the edge of the galaxy.

The Sun: Our Living Star (July-September)

Hear the story of our nearest star – our planet’s powerhouse, the source of energy that drives Earth’s winds and weather, and the ball of light that allows the very existence of life.

Early Explorers Programming (Suitable for children ages 3-7)

Rusty Rocket’s Last Blast (May-August)

Join Rusty Rocket as he leads a class of rookies on their first tour of the solar system. Along the way, Rusty explains basic rocket science and highlights the great distances between the planets.

A full list of Cernan Center programs is available at Triton.edu/Cernan. For more information about the Cernan Center, its programs, field trips or events, call (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3372, or email cernan@triton.edu. Please call the Program Line at (708) 583-3100 for up-to-the-minute information before attending.