As Earth comes into focus, Ian Hilmer strikes his first chord.

An organic, perhaps folksy, sound emanates from his strings while a view from the farthest reaches of the universe contrasts the rich blues and greens of our home planet against a backdrop of star-speckled black.

On the overhead screen, the Milky Way is held at no more than an arm’s distance. Saturn comes into focus before returning, once again, to its place in deep space. The dark side of the moon is only a second away and there are too many stars to count as Hilmer sings the final notes of his melodic “Out Past the Moon.”

This is science and art in harmony. And this is Mankato East’s next planetarium show.

“With our new machine, we have some interesting possibilities with music,” said East teacher and planetarium director Dave Burgess. “Students had some ideas and we decided to try it.”

During the summer, Burgess used an Educare Foundation grant as well as some additional funding to procure a state-of-the-art planetarium projector. Capable of reproducing space images in real time and with astounding clarity, East’s new projector is one of only a handful in the country in a public planetarium.

Burgess first unveiled the projector during a public show in September. But for its second public appearance, Burgess wanted to try something a little different.

Enter Ian Hilmer, a well-known local singer-songwriter who also works as a paraprofessional at Mankato East. Hilmer has recorded several albums and has toured the United States in addition to being a regular on the local scene, from Songs on the Lawn and Solstice to a CD-release party planned at The Haze in early December.

“If he didn’t work in my room, I never would’ve found out about his music,” Burgess said. “When I heard it, I thought: ‘This is good stuff.’”

The show opens with a few recorded songs from Hilmer accompanied by a computer-generated graphic presentation — think laser show on an overhead dome. Hilmer will then play a few live songs as Burgess silently guides the audience through space. The show finishes with a tour of the night sky.

“This is my 14th year as a musician,” Hilmer said. “But this is my first planetarium show.”

If You Go
What
Planetarium show with music by Ian Hilmer
When
Showtimes are 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesday
Where
Mankato East planetarium
Tickets
Free — but space is limited so seats must be reserved. Call East High School at 507-387-5671