On the first Friday of the month at 7 pm, the Staerkel Planetarium becomes a forum for a local scientist to discuss their specialties.
All audiences are welcome! Admission is $2 for everyone and free for members of the Friends of the Staerkel Planetarium. Teachers, group leaders, invite your classes!
The series was named for UIUC astronomer Jim Kaler, who gave his time to speak in our series every year for over 20 years.
2025–2026 Lecture Series
- October 3, 2025
Prof. Ana Barros (UIUC, Civil and Environmental Engineering) presents "Observing Earth from Space: What it Takes to Design and Plan a Satellite Mission".
- November 7, 2025
"Buzzing with Life: How Microbes Connect Pollinators, Plants, and Pests"
Community college students will present their research with MICRO-CCS, Microbial Interactions Create Research Opportunities for Community College Students.
- December 5, 2025
Prof. Lara Waldrop (UIUC, Electrical and Computer Engineering) is the principal investigator on the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory mission.
- February 6, 2026
"Conserving Native Bees in Uncertain Times"
Prof. Alexandra Harmon-Threatt (UIUC, Entomology) will share the science of native bee conservation, which has never been more critical or more difficult.
- March 6, 2026
Andrew Pritchard (Chambana Weather, Nutrien Ag Solutions) returns to the planetarium to share videos of severe weather.
- April 3, 2026
Prof. Gautham Narayan (UIUC, Astronomy) will share how he uses artificial intelligence to assist with his research in cosmology.