Update: Due to projected inclement weather, Planetarium on the Parkway has been rescheduled for Friday, October 12.

The Franklin Institute is kicking their popular “Night Skies In The Observatory” series up a notch with a special edition in conjunction with Open Air.

On Tuesday, October 2 at 8:30 p.m., the Franklin Institute’s Chief Astronomer (and Philly 101 star) Derrick Pitts will host an interactive presentation called “Planetarium On The Parkway” at the Project Information Center at Eakins Oval, just in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Pitts will direct Open Air’s giant robotic searchlights to highlight salient stellar objects viewable from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. So incredibly cool.

And as we’ve pointed out, viewing Open Air from ground level directly below the searchlights affords a particularly stunning viewing experience.

This is a free event, and amateur and budding astronomers are welcome to bring their own telescopes.

For more details on Open Air, check out all of our coverage here.