Students at Park View Elementary School took a journey through the stars to celebrate this year’s start of the Accelerated Reading program.

Michael Carrell of Mobile Ed Productions brought his inflatable planetarium presentation to the school Thursday.

Students were excited as they sat on the bleachers waiting until they could crawl into the dome and see the presentation.

Using amazing modern technology, Carrell told students about the wonders of the stars, planets, meteors and black holes. Librarian Anne Willis said the traveling display also teaches students how to locate constellations in the night sky. The presentation includes the myths behind each of the “pictures” created by the constellations.

Students crawl into an inflated dome to watch the show digitally projected on the inner walls.

“We can actually make worm holes and black holes and all kinds of things,” Carrell said.

Carrell also explains meteor showers.

“I want them to know it’s not really stars falling,” Carrell said.

Toward end of the presentation, Carrell asked a student to identify the projected constellations. The presentation ends with the students going at “warp speed” around the galaxy.

The Mobile Ed Sky Dome can hold up to 90 children at a time. Carrell gave the approximately 45-minute presentation five times at Park View so every student could have a chance to enjoy the special educational experience.

Willis said this year’s AR space theme was chosen out of a number of options by popular vote of the teachers.

“We’re really promoting them checking out space books (in the library),” Willis said.

As a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) school, Park View focuses on finding ways to promote science and technology in multiple subjects.

Willis said she found the Sky Dome presentation while looking for educational exhibits that could visit the school.

Carrell said science is sometimes hard to keep up with.

“Every day they find out something new,” Carrell said.

Carrell has been working with Mobile Ed Productions for approximately 18 years. He recently switched from touring the East Coast to covering the company’s Midwest presentations.