Katy Garmany will present her final live astronomy show at Fiske Planetarium June 16 ending a nine-year stay as director of the planetarium and Sommers-Bausch Observatory at the University of Colorado at Boulder and 26 years on campus.
In July, Garmany will begin a new position at Columbia University聮s Biosphere 2 astronomy program in Tucson, Ariz., where she will be one of three full-time faculty teaching a variety of astronomy courses and supervising observation projects for a class of about 25 students.
"I love my job here at CU, but it is time for something new," said Garmany, adding that she will miss the Boulder campus and all of her colleagues and students.
At her new position, Garmany will work with college students from around the nation who will spend one semester taking only science classes through the Biosphere 2 astronomy program. The program is similar to CU-Boulder聮s study abroad programs where students spend up to a year studying in a different country, she said.
Garmany has been at CU-Boulder for 26 years and has focused much of her recent research on hot stars and starbursts. She is an expert on the solar system and the constellations and has been a staple of the planetarium聮s live astronomy shows.
Professor Ted Snow will take over as interim director of Fiske, while Assistant Professor Erica Ellingson will act as interim director of Sommers-Bausch, according to Garmany. Snow and Ellingson are both in the astrophysical and planetary sciences department at CU-Boulder.
During her final live show at the planetarium, June 16 at 8 p.m., Garmany will introduce the audience to the night sky and give them a tour of the summer constellations above Boulder. She also will talk about the summer solstice.
"Many people just want to understand the sky," Garmany said. "Part of this show is helping them see what is up there."
Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. Tickets go on sale at 7:30 p.m. the night of the show.
The Sommers-Bausch Observatory will be open to the public, weather permitting, following the show at Fiske. The observatory is adjacent to the planetarium.
For more information about the Fiske Planetarium and other shows and programs offered to the public and educators, call (303) 492-5001, or visit the Web site at .