As the stars aligned, the legend of Halloween was told under the surrounding planetarium.
On Oct. 19, at Hutcheson Hall at the ETSU Planetarium from 7-8 p.m., there was a Halloween Planetarium Show that related the origin of Halloween to celestial origins. Dr. Gary D. Henson, of the ETSU Astronomy Department, hosted the event.
He initiated the upcoming event previewing the total eclipse on April 8, 2024. In addition, he led the Observatory Open House “The Hubble Tension” on Oct. 21 from 8-10 p.m.
Henson then previewed the night’s event. The “Halloween Show” was a 20-minute video created by the Ball State University science department in Indiana. They emphasized that Halloween was based on the solstice and equinox. The seasons and culture are based on the planets, moons and stars based on cross-quarter days.
“What the sun is doing in our sky?” questioned Henson.
The video then explained the origins of Halloween going back to the United Kingdom and Celtic roots. It also shared a holiday with All Saints Day and All Hallows Day. The video explained that the cultures mixed and with the combination of seasonal solstice; it became the holiday known as Halloween.
“The banner between our world and the other world was weakened,” said Sarah Lumireck, the narrator of the video, “It opened a window to the future, a new year of bon(e)fire.”
She explained that the supernatural elements of Halloween came from the belief that the stars open a portal to the dead.
Photo taken at the Halloween planetarium show. (Asya Dickerson/East Tennessean)
The culture of dressing up, Jack-O-Lanterns, Trick-or-Treating and monsters came from celestial origins. The video also talked about nebula stars and how they make shapes similar to monsters and creatures at Halloween.
“Looking at the same stars your ancient ancestors saw,” said Lumireck.
At the night’s end, Henson invited all to find more views of the outer world including the total eclipse in April.
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