If you're looking to inject some romance into your life, tonight's the night. This evening Mars will approach Earth closer than it has for the past two years, and we'll also experience a full lunar eclipse. In earlier times, Mars was associated with male power (the whole "god of war with his big spear" thing), while the moon and its cycles were considered a symbol of female power and mystery. The Saint Louis Science Center doesn't go into that sort of nonscientific, mytho-poetic jazz, but it recognizes the glory of a beautiful night sky. So tonight's date night at the James S. McDonnell Planetarium (Clayton and Faulkner drives; 314-289-4424 or www.slsc.org) is themed Nova Nights: Red Planet, Red Moon. Telescopes will be handy for viewing both of the aforementioned astronomical phenomena, and there's also a screening of the 1964 film First Men in the Moon, which is based on an H.G. Wells story. Admission is $10 to $15, there's a cash bar and reservations are recommended.
Fri., April 11, 7 p.m., 2014