UNK Public Planetarium Show: "The Solar Neutrino Problem"

Name: UNK Public Planetarium Show: "The Solar Neutrino Problem"
Start: 2026-05-01T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-05-01T20:00:00-05:00
Location: Bruner Hall of Science-University of Nebraska Kearney

Schedule

Fri May 01 2026 at 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Bruner Hall of Science-University of Nebraska Kearney | Kearney, NE

Neutrinos are particles produced in some nuclear processes. The sun produces them as it burns hydrogen into helium. In the 1960s, Ray Davis and John Bahcall set out to measure them. In a tank of drycleaner deep within South Dakota's Homestake Mine, Davis measured one-third the amount of neutrinos that were predicted by Bahcall's calculations. This discrepancy was dubbed "The Solar Neutrino Problem." Subsequent experiments in Japan, the Soviet Union, and Italy confirmed the problem. Many solutions were proposed, including the eventual solution: neutrino oscillations. In 2001, the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, published the results that confirmed neutrino oscillations and solved the problem, leading to Nobel Prizes for Davis in 2002 and others for neutrino oscillations in 2015.
Free tickets will be available to reserve at 8:00 AM CT on Friday 4/24 at https://www.ticketleap.events/events/unk-planetarium
Shows are recommended for engaged grade school students through adults. Shows are strongly discouraged for ages 2 and under. Please be prepared to turn off phones and smartwatches, remove lighted shoes, etc., so that all participants may enjoy the show in its intended dark, quiet environment. Please arrive 5 minutes before your show, or ticket reservations may be released to allow for walk-in attendees.
In conjunction with the show, the UNK Astronomy Club will provide telescope observing, outside of BHS, at 8:00 PM (weather permitting).