Another Planetarium First Gives Show Second Life
KINGSPORT – Thanks to the continued growth in knowledge and utilization of the state-of-the-art technology that Bays Mountain Parks renovated Planetarium possesses, a great but older show is getting a second lease on life.‚ The Case of the Disappearing Planet is now showing allowing fans of the Bays Mountain Park original feature a chance to enjoy the show in a whole new format.
Updating The Case of the Disappearing Planet marks yet another first for the parks planetarium and exhibit staff as this is the first show from the older format to receive an update designed to take advantage of the Planetariums new capabilities.‚ One of our goals when the Planetarium was renovated was to not only unveil new shows, but to update some of our existing ones as well, said Astronomy and Space Sciences Program Coordinator Adam Thanz.‚ The new technology allows us to bring the content to life in an exciting way which is, of course, critical in our educational pursuits and beneficial to our public offerings.
The Case of the Disappearing Planet is a fun, original production about a private eye named Skye Watcher whos looking for the missing planet Pluto.‚ In the course of her search, the street-smart and wise Skye learns more about the status of the planets in our Solar System.
As mentioned, this show is a Bays Mountain Park original production written by Northeast State Community College Associate Professor of Astronomy Robin Byrne.‚ ‚ Byrne also provides the voice to Skye Watcher.‚ The shows artwork was completed by Exhibits Technician Deborah Mann, while its animated sequences were done by Senior Exhibits Technician Allen Davis.‚ The original score was produced by Astronomy and Space Sciences Program Administrator Jason Dorfman.
To provide additional viewing opportunities over the holiday season, beginning Monday, December 19 and running through December 30, Planetarium shows can be seen Monday thru Friday at 2:00 (alternate/optional show) and 4:00 p.m.‚ After December 30, park programming returns to its normal winter schedule and Planetarium shows can be seen Tuesday thru Friday at 4:00 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00, 2:00 (alternate/optional show), and 4:00 p.m.‚ Tickets are just $4.00 per person per show.‚ Park members are admitted free with the use of their pass.‚ For more information and for updated seasonal hours visitors are encouraged to visit online at www.baysmountain.com.
Annually, more than 150,000 visitors pass through Bays Mountain Park making it one of the State of Tennessees Top 50 Most Visited Attractions, according to the State of Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.
One of the nations largest city-owned parks with 3,550 acres, Bays Mountain Park features 38 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, a state-of-the-art planetarium, wildlife habitats, fun exhibits, a 44-acre lake, and much, much more.