Rowan Planetarium presents “Solar Superstorms”

Every century or two the Sun suffers an enormous eruption that can affect aspects of human life.

The current planetarium show at Edelman Planetarium at Rowan University, “Solar Superstorms,” narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, takes viewers deep into the inner workings of the star.

Using the latest supercomputer simulations, the movie follows the path of hot magnetized gas from deep within the Sun, through its tangled journey through the Sun’s agitated outer layers, and on to explosive magnetic eruptions so powerful they can shut down power lines and communications stations around the Earth.

The last and largest such superstorm was described by Richard Carrington in 1859; it triggered amazing displays of the Northern lights and knocked out simple telegraph communications across the nation, shocking some operators.

“Superstorms” plays at 3 p.m. on Sundays through Nov. 22 in the star theater of Edelman Planetarium in Rowan University’s Science Hall. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and younger, $3 for seniors older than 60 and $3 for Rowan students with ID. The show also includes a live presentation of the current night sky, highlighting exotic storms that can be found elsewhere in the universe. The entire presentation lasts about an hour. More information is available at the planetarium’s website, www.rowan.edu/planetarium/.