BUCKHANNON — West Virginia Wesleyan College is hosting monthly shows at its planetarium that feature a journey through space, a tour of the night sky and telescope viewing experiences.

The programs are offered the first Saturday of each month in the 40-seat planetarium, which is located on the second floor of Christopher Hall. The sessions are open to the public and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The next planetarium experience at Wesleyan will be on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. Doors will open 30 minutes before showtime, and money taken in from ticket sales go directly to facility maintenance and video cost. Funds collected also allow the planetarium to offer free shows for school and kids’ groups throughout the year.

The 40-seat planetarium was a key part of the design of the Christopher Hall of Science and was completed in December 1968. Originally, it had a state-of-the-art Spitz A3P prime projector and was intended for both teaching and public shows.

“In the fall of 2017, with a generous donation from the Naylor Family Trust Fund, we upgraded to a fully digital projection system that now allows us to fly up close to planets and display beautiful images of deep sky objects,” said Dr. Tracey DeLaney, associate professor and West Virginia Wesleyan College Planetarium director. “Of late we have only been using the planetarium for teaching and school shows, but we are now excited to finally reopen for public shows.”

West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors.

For more information on Wesleyan or any of its upcoming events, visit the college’s Facebook page or go to www.wvwc.edu.