Science Through Shadows (STS) is a NASA-funded Science Activation Project.
STS seeks to increase astronomy literacy and inform people about NASA’s diverse range of projects (not just Mars and Telescopes in Space!), and NASA’s workforce diversity, through dissemination of short films about solar eclipses, occultations, transits, and small bodies of the Solar System. Films are produced in both fulldome (planetarium) and flat screen formats and are free for download and use. STS involves minority high school students in the production of some of these films. STS also sponsors 5 inflatable planetariums, given to national partners so that they may further outreach efforts to areas underserved by brick and mortar museums.
STS is funded by NASA grant #80NSSC22M0124
More Videos
VIDEO COMING SOON! Great North American Eclipse of 2024
A total solar eclipse is one of nature’s most incredible events. On April 8th, 2024, observers across North America will have the opportunity to experience this phenomenon. This video will teach audience members what to expect on eclipse day, how to safely view the eclipse, and why it will be worth it to travel to the path of totality!
VIDEO COMING SOON! What Causes Eclipses?
What is an eclipse? Why do they happen? This edition of Science Through Shadows will dive into the mechanisms that cause an eclipse, address common misconceptions surrounding eclipses, and shed light on the differences between types of eclipses.
Leadership Team
Dr. Douglas Duncan, Principal Investigator
Dr. Doug Duncan was part of the research group that discovered sunspot cycles on other stars, on the staff of the Hubble Space Telescope, and Director of Fiske Planetarium from 2002-2018. He has witnessed and taken people to 12 total solar eclipses, starting on March 7, 1970. He loves to communicate astronomy and has done commentary for 11 years on National Public Radio.
Dr. John Keller, Principal Investigator
Dr. John Keller is the Director of Fiske Planetarium and a Teaching Professor of Distinction within the Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences Department at the University of Colorado Boulder. Keller is a planetary scientist with research interests in occultations, astronomy education, and teacher preparation. He is PI and Co-PI for multiple NASA and NSF funded projects through which Fiske produces immersive full dome films that are shared with the planetarium community worldwide free of charge. Read more...
Fiske Team
Meet the rest of the Fiske Team working on the Science through Shadows project.