OCEAN PINES -- Kids of all ages will see stars Friday as Cosmic Adventures brings its traveling astronomy series to the Worcester County Library.

Two programs featuring portable planetariums will be held at the Ocean Pines branch at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

"Portable planetariums have been around since at least the late 1970s, but computerized versions like I have are more recent; the first came out in 2004," said Greg Anderson, astronomy educator with Cosmic Adventures Traveling Planetarium. "I was working for a science outreach program at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pa., at that time. We offered many science labs to schools, but little in the way of astronomy. About a year later -- in the spring of 2005 -- I had the opportunity to start my own business. I liked working with schools as I had been doing, and a traveling planetarium seemed like it might be unique enough to attract some interest."

Anderson considers himself a lifelong science nut and has a degree in biology, though he admitted his fascination with astronomy is a relatively new one.

"I was always intrigued by the subject whenever I learned more about it in a professional capacity, and I took some formal coursework once I decided to make a go of the business," he said.

"I believe that people of all ages can benefit from knowing more about the universe we are part of. As we put up more lights outside that dim our view of the sky and spend more time inside, we are losing our connection to the rest of the universe. The Cosmic Adventures planetarium gives people a chance to see what they are missing, and -- hopefully -- spark an interest in the real sky."

The program begins with a look at the current night sky, including which stars and planets are visible to the naked eye.

"From there, we'll talk about the constellations and perhaps some deep space objects -- distant galaxies and nebulae," Anderson explained. "I'll also take questions from the audience, so every program is a little different."

The former teacher thinks the program he has developed makes the daunting subject much easier for people to grasp.

"Astronomy is one of the harder subjects to learn about through textbooks, because much of it is abstract," Anderson said. "The planetarium makes it a little more real by immersing its audience in the night sky and allowing them to explore it -- inside and during the day.

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Look to the stars at Ocean Pines library