We currently feature the following shows in our planetarium. Most shows average 30 minutes in length. We have also included specific age ranges that will help guide you to selecting a show that would best fit your group.
The show opens with the first era of space exploration in the late 1960s and early 1970s. We see what that era of landers and orbiters taught us about our nearest neighbor including the discovery of the Moons origin, composition, structure and the accessibility of raw materials on its surface. The Google Lunar XPRIZE is designed to democratize space and create new opportunities for eventual human and robotic presence on the Moon. We see the engineering and innovation steps taken by the internationally distributed teams competing to land a spacecraft on the Moon and vie for additional prizes. We highlight the human spirit of competition and collaboration as teams take on this audacious challenge. Who will win the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE? The audience is taken through a successful launch, landing and lunar surface travel. The show ends with a stunning glimpse of a plausible scenario for our future on the Moon.
While Celeste is fighting off sleep in her room by reading a book on astronomy she receives an unexpected visit from Moon. Together, they will enjoy a journey through the Universe to discover what exoplanets are and how they can be detected. They observe rogue planets, oceanic worlds and super-Earths. Moon tells her about exoplanet hunters, who observe the sky in search of planets like Earth. Many adventures are yet to come. But first, she needs some rest. Celeste drops off to sleep waiting for the next visit of Moon.
Narrated by Barbra Rojas-Ayale; Big Astronomy explores three observatories located in Chile, in extreme and remote places. This show includes examples of the many of STEM careers needed to keep the observatories open and running. A great deal of astronomy is done in the nation of Chile, due to its special climate and location, which creates stable, dry air. With its high, dry, and dark sites, Chile is one of the best places in the world for observational astronomy. The show takes you to three of the many telescopes along Chiles mountains.
“Birth of Planet Earth” is a planetarium fulldome show that tells the twisted tale of our planet’s origins. Scientists now believe that our galaxy is filled with solar systems, including up to a billion planets roughly the size of our own. The film employs advanced, data-driven, cinematic-quality visualizations to explore some of the greatest questions in science today: How did Earth become a living planet in the wake of our solar system’s violent birth? What does its history tell us about our chances of finding other worlds that are truly Earth-like? Produced by Spitz Creative Media, NCSA’s Advanced Visualization Lab, Thomas Lucas Productions, Inc., in association with Tellus Science Museum. This project has been made possible with support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office; funded in part by the National Science Foundation.
Witness the dramatic collisions that shaped the planets and moons! How did our solar system originate? What chain of events led to its creation? Just as detectives look for traces of evidence to solve a mystery, astronomers analyze the evidence that points to the formation of the Sun and planets. In particular, they study the influence that impacts and collisions had on the worlds of the solar system. The most dramatic evidence for this collisional history of solar system evolution are the impact craters found on almost all the bodies in the solar system, including Earth. These surface scars tell us the formation history of planets, moons, and rings was violent. Yet today, we live in a relatively stable solar system, made possible by the shattering collisions that shaped our worlds. This program gives us a unique look at the formation of the solar system by tracing the role that collisions played throughout its history. Beginning with the condensation of the initial cloud of gas and cosmic dust, we explore the history of planetary formation and the mechanism of accretion that played an important role in shaping the worlds of the solar system. The Birth of the Solar System combines the videography and animation created by Antares Fulldome of Barcelona (who originally produced the show in 2008) with the soundtrack expertise of Loch Ness Productions. It features a revised script by Carolyn Collins Petersen, plus music from the vast resources of the original and popular planetarium space music library created by Mark C. Petersen. Mark also narrated and produced the soundtrack.
Black Holes takes you on a fully immersive journey through one of the most mystifying, awe-inspiring phenomena in the universe: a black hole. Where do they come from? Where do they go? How do we find them? Is there one on Earth's horizon? What was Einstein's connection to them?
Deep in the ice at the heart of Antarctica, IceCube, the biggest and strangest detector in the world waits for mysterious messengers from the cosmos. Scientists are using tiny and elusive particles called neutrinos to explore the most extreme places in the universe. These ghostly neutrinos give us an exclusive way to study powerful cosmic engines like exploding stars and black holes.
A journey into your inner universe! ‘Chemistry of Life’ uses advanced scientific visualizations to bring the audience into a dynamic molecular world we all carry inside of us. We explore the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, and learn how the chemical processes in our cells connect us to all other living things on Earth. But how do we know all this? How do we explore things that are only a few atoms in size? Planetarium show ‘Chemistry of Life’ is a story of both life and endless scientific exploration.
A fulldome look at the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph instrument installed on the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009 during Servicing Mission 4, as well as the science behind its utility. The show covers the basics of spectroscopy at a high level, and touches on the processing of galactic and extragalactic gas. Other topics include the use of quasars as background light sources, cosmic evolution, and the development of large scale structure.
The study of our universe is as old as time, yet our understanding of the origins and nature of the universe is less than 100 years old. This planetarium program, written and produced by high school and college students is an overview of the science of cosmology. From our earliest theories about the size of the universe to the big bang theory, this show details how our understanding has evolved over time.
The search for dark matter is the most pressing astrophysical problem of our time – the solution to which will help us understand why the Universe is as it is, where it came from, and how it has evolved over billions of years – the unimaginable depths of deep time, of which a human life is but a flickering instant. But in that instant, we can grasp its immensity and, through science, we can attempt to understand it.
Like almost all children, Celeste is fascinated with dinosaurs. She is preparing a talk for her class about how they went extinct when Moon, a very wise and magical character, poses a tantalizing question: what if I told you that there are still dinosaurs among us? Celeste will join Moon in a journey through time. An exciting adventure that will show them the Earth as it was in the very, very distant past. They will see the fascinating transformations that these animals underwent over millions of years, creating giant creatures, armored beasts and super predators, until the day that a cataclysmic impact event caused a mass extinction on Earth. But all is not lost. Celeste will discover the key to their survival.
The night sky is a view of infinity. Does alien life exist out there? Nothing we can ask about the universe is so important for our understanding of the world. In the show we examine the conditions for a habitable zone starting the journey in our own solar system. Then we imagine a tour to some of the recently discovered exoplanets orbiting other stars in the Milky Way. What might be essential for life on distant moons or planets and how could we detect it? We get an impression of the importance of telescopes, Mars rovers like “Curiosity” and space probes for these challenging studies.
Join scientists on an ice floe in the middle of the Artic Ocean as they race fading light to set up one of the most ambitious international climate collaborations ever, MOSAiC, the Multidisiplinarey Drifitng Observatory for the Study of Artic Climate. Launched in September 2019 and led by the Alfred Wegener Institute (Grermany), the largest polar expedition in history froze an icebreaker into the Central Artic Ocean. It was done to better understand this remote region of the world and the role it plays in global climate and weather patterns. Now, in 360°, you can experience the first three months of the year-long expedition as darkeness descends, storms swirl, and scientists work to gather data from a harsh and unforgiving environment.
A Casper Planetarium Full Dome Production about planets outside of our solar system and the methods used to find them.
Out of devastating events in the cosmos comes new creation. Explosive phenomena are responsible for the way we see the universe today, and not all of them happen on a grand scale. When giant stars explode as “supernovas,” they seed the galaxies with heavy elements that make planets and life possible. Some collisions we're only just now starting to understand. For example, when Black Holes collide, they can throw off some of the most energetic particles known, ripping and warping space as they go. But other “explosions” have profound effects as well, such as the beauty and power of supervolcanoes which have contributed to the transformation of our world into the life bearing oasis we now enjoy. The smallest of explosions, such as the forced impact of atoms, can echo the foundation events of the early universe. As the universe has transformed into the structure we live in now, even the most elementary particles have endured. This show follows the path of one of these “particles,” a proton, as it participates in nature's astounding events of rebirth and renewal.
Starting from ancient times, learn about the history of planetary discovery, especially that of Pluto, and how it has led to an amazing mission to explore the Kuiper Belt. A basic overview of the whole Solar System is included. Typical to the educational purpose of Bays Mountain Planetarium, this program includes a live section midway to engage your audience in an interactive activity to increase understanding and retention. The activity is a fun demonstration of the blink comparator that Clyde Tombaugh used to discover Pluto. The audience is asked to find Pluto shift among thousands of stars. Of course, to have some fun and to show how difficult it was to search for Pluto, a red herring is thrown in to make things a little difficult. But, that red herring is important. It illustrates other objects, those that were closer to us in our Solar System, that Tombaugh discovered along his quest.
For centuries, humanity has wondered whether we are alone in the Universe. Now, we are finally one step closer to knowing the answer. With the discovery in 1995 of the first planet orbiting another star, we now know that planets are not unique to our own Solar System. In fact, these “extrasolar” planets now appear to be quite common. This show explores what makes a planet “Earth-like” in the first place and take a tour of several worlds that just might fit the conditions we're looking for. From water worlds to molten landscapes, inhabitable moons to planets with multiple suns, these exotic worlds aren't just science fiction anymore!
This 20-minute multi-media show from the Children's Museum of Indianapolis introduces children and families to the science, technology, and history of flight. The show features NASA’s research and the advancements that have made space travel possible, along with the important role that models have played in flight development. NASA resources include images and experts.
Kari Byron from Crash Test World and MythBusters launches us on a journey beyond the Earth towards a sustainable future in space. NASA’s 21st-century Artemis program, named after the Greek moon Goddess and twin of Apollo, is the next step in our mission to explore the universe.
The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity's oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today's grandest telescopes, we invite you to experience From Earth to the Universe. This stunning, 30-minute voyage through space and time conveys, through sparkling sights and sounds, the Universe revealed to us by science. Viewers can revel in the splendour of the worlds in the Solar System and our scorching Sun. From Earth to the Universe takes the audience out to the colourful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars, and still further out beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of a myriad galaxies. Along the way, the audience will learn about the history of astronomy, the invention of the telescope, and today's giant telescopes that allow us to probe ever deeper into the Universe.
Join us on a fast-paced journey through space as we visit various planets in, out and way beyond the solar system! We’ll demonstrate the scale of the universe and visit some unique sights as we explore. Things don’t always go to plan, so come prepared to have your mind blown!
An introduction to galaxies.
Immerse yourself in the amazing sounds of our planet! Through giant screen images, surround sound, and a live interactive presentation. Global Soundscapes takes you on an ear-opening journey into the science of sound and the emerging field of soundscape ecology.
The planetarium documentary The Hot and Energetic Universe presents with the use of immersive visualizations and real images the achievements of the modern astronomy, the most advanced terrestrial and orbital observatories, the basic principles electromagnetic radiation and the natural phenomena related to the High Energy Astrophysics. High Energy Astrophysics plays a key role in understanding the universe. These radiations reveal the processes in the hot and violent Universe. This science also probes hot gas in clusters of galaxies, which are the most massive objects in the Universe. It also probes hot gas accreting around supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies. Finally, high energy radiation provides important information about our own Galaxy, neutron stars, supernova remnants and stars like our Sun which emit copious amounts of high energy radiation.
A fascinating tour of the cosmos — from Earth orbit to the limits of the observable universe, featuring planets, star birth, supernovae, galaxy collisions, black holes, and more!
Join scientists who are investigating the boundary between our Solar System and the rest of our galaxy in IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System. Designed for visitors with an appreciation for the challenges of space science and a desire to learn more about science research, the show follows the creation of NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). audience will get an in-depth look at the mission and how IBEX is collecting high-speed atoms to create a map of our Solar System’s boundary. Narrated by two inquisitive teenagers, audience will hear from the scientists and engineers that developed the IBEX mission and created the spacecraft, and get the latest updates on the mission’s discoveries.
What lies at the heart of our galaxy? For twenty years, ESO's Very Large Telescope and the Keck telescopes have observed the centre of the Galaxy, looking at the motion of more than a hundred stars and identifying the position of an otherwise invisible object — the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Embark on a Journey to the Centre of the Milky Way and during seven travel faster than light, from the driest place on Earth, the Atacama Desert in Chile right to the centre of our own galaxy, where a black hole is consuming anything that strays into its path. 84 million stars will appear in front of your eyes, each hiding mysteries waiting to be solved. Are there planets around them, perhaps with moons? Do they have water? Could they harbour life?
Our search for the lost continent of Atlantis takes us on a journey through astronomical knowledge and understanding of the ancient Greeks. How did the constellations get their names? What different patterns did ancient cultures see in the sky? Was Atlantis a real place? Did it really sink into the sea? We will uncover clues to help us solve this age-old mystery.
On the occasion of the International Year of Light, ZEISS has produced a fulldome teaser that takes planetarium visitors on a trip to the varied facets of light. Light affects our lives in much more ways than we are aware of. The short film approaches the phenomenon in a way that is both fascinating and informative. It will appeal to young and old, experts and the lay public, and to people all over the glove.
Light Years From Andromeda teaches the concepts of light speed, the light year and how astronomers use them to measure distances to some familiar celestial objects — the Moon, the Sun, the planets, nearby stars, and galaxies. Early cosmosThe show briefly touches on the properties of light that help determine a star's age and temperature, and gives a fascinating look at how light and distance allow us to 'look back' further in time as we gaze farther into space.
Starry skies are a vanishing treasure because light pollution is washing away our view of the cosmos. It not only threatens astronomy, it disrupts wildlife, and affects human health. The yellow glows over cities and towns — seen so clearly from space — are testament to the billions spent in wasted energy from lighting up the sky. Losing the Dark is a “public service announcement” planetarium show, a collaboration of Loch Ness Productions and the International Dark-Sky Association. It introduces and illustrates some of the issues regarding light pollution, and suggests three simple actions people can take to help mitigate it. The show gives planetarium professionals a tool to help educate the public about the problems of light pollution. Planetarians are uniquely positioned to teach audience ways we can all work together to implement responsible use of lighting.
MAGNETISM demonstrates how the Earth's magnetic field protects our planet from energetic particles from the Sun and galaxy, and how the magnetic field also protects the water in our atmosphere from being swept away by the solar wind. It shows the first aurora seen simultaneously from the ground and from the ISS, and tells about the MMS mission (Magnetospheric Multiscale) and its quest to understand the magnetic connection between the Earth and the Sun.
Max the Dog and a young girl named Tori take the first trip to the Moon since the Apollo erea, and their trip proves so inspiring to people back on Earth that all the nations of the world come together to build a great Moon colony. From the colony, the views of Earth make everyone realize how small and precious the planet Earth is. Adapted for the planetarium from the popular children’s book.
The film introduces the cosmovision of this ancient culture based on elements of the cosmos like the Sun, Venus, the Moon and the stars, following their position they defined much of its planning for the construction of their cities, plus their astronomical knowledge lasted by generations, forming the pillars of their Culture that nowadays we are still learning to listen.
In a feast of colours and sounds, Mayan Archaeoastronomy: Observers of the Universe makes a tour of 6 Mayan temples: San Gervasio, Chichen Itzá, Uxmal, Edzná, Palenque and Bonampak where the spectator dives into a Mayan world of knowledge about the importance of the orientations of its temples in relation to the movement of some stars like the Sun, the Moon and Venus. Mayan Archaeoastronomy: Observers of the Universe is the first movie for fulldome completely animated made in Mexico. It is narrated in 4 languages English, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. It is a film financed by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico, produced by Frutos Digitales with the support of the European Southern Observatory.
New film for planetariums dedicated to the Apollo mission realized for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. The history of the program, the launch, the activity on the moon’s surface and the return to Earth.
Moonbase: The Next Step is the story of this human endeavour, pushing scientific and technological advances to the limit. Travelling the 250,000 miles and surviving the hostile and alien conditions of reduced gravity, extreme temperatures and toxic lunar dust, we explain the science and technology for this brave mission to happen. Follow our story filled with awe, danger, trepidation and share the wonder of the lunar environment made for 360 fulldome format. Prepare for a hostile and breath-taking lunar experience...
The show starts with our own Moon, and explores its birth in a violent collision between infant Earth and a Mars-sized object some 4.5 billion years ago. The Moon has contributed not only to Earth's stability, but possibly even to the conditions making our planet habitable for early life. Today we explore the Moon remotely, with landers and orbiters. But, one day soon, people will return to the Moon to live and work.
Now that the Space Shuttle ere is over, NASA is writing the next chapters in human Spaceflight with its commercial and international partners. It is advancing research and technology on the International Space Station, opening low-Earth orbit to US industry, and pushing the frontiers of deep space even farther...all the way to Mars.
Natural Selection celebrates the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species" and the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. We will join Darwin on his voyage with teh HMS Beagle to teh Galapagos Islands where he was inspired to develop his later theory of transmutation by natural selection. From the comfort of Down House in Kent, Darwin himself will explain the mechanisms of natural selection to the audience, and support it by showing many beautiful examples of nature. The thrill of a scientific discovery, the adventure of science and the beauty of nature are central in this show.
For thousands of years, mankind thought that the Earth was the centre of the Universe. Thanks to our curiosity, imagination and urge to explore, we now know that planets like our Earth are nothing special in the cosmos. The Sun is just one ordinary star among hundreds of billions in our galaxy, the Milky Way. With the world's most powerful telescopes, we are able to explore more and more of the Universe. What we have found so far has surpassed even the wildest expectations of scientists as well as authors of science fiction. Most stars have planets — it turns out they are more common than we thought. A huge diversity of different worlds is out there, just waiting to be discovered.
Phantom of the Universe is a new planetarium show that showcases an exciting exploration of dark matter, from the Big Bang to its anticipated discovery at the Large Hadron Collider. The show is offered to planetariums worldwide free of charge. The show reveals the first hints of its existence through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term “dark matter.” It describes the astral choreography witnessed by Vera Rubin in the Andromeda galaxy and then plummets deep underground to see the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth, housed in a former gold mine. From there, it journeys across space and time to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, speeding alongside particles before they collide in visually stunning explosions of light and sound, while learning how scientists around the world are collaborating to track down the constituents of dark matter.
Light up the cold dark season with a warm and bright holiday show! Season of Light explores the reasons humans are so fascinated with lighting up our lives during the December holiday season. This very popular show is an exploration of the astronomical meanings behind seasonal traditions, including the “Star over Bethlehem”.
Find out more about 'what's up tonight' in just a few than some people do in a lifetime! Hop through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to planetarium space music in this fulldome audiovisual experience.
Discover the mysteries around Calakmul, a Maya city lost for a thousand years under the jungle, be guided through relationships between the starry sky and the architecture as well as about the biodiversity wealth of the jungle in Campeche state, Mexico, through incredible timelapses, 360° video, drone shots, computer-generated animations of 3D models and direct jungle audio in 5.1 channels.
“SEEING!” follows a photon's creation and journey across the galaxy to a young stargazer's eye. The viewer follows the photon into the girl's eye, learning the structures of the eye and their functions, prior to taking a ride on the optic nerve. Dramatic fulldome imagery from around the globe featuring humanity, landscapes, skyscapes, wildlife and space will be used to create the story. Along the way the program examines how the eye works, how technology has enabled us to restore vision and prevent a variety of diseases that affect sight.
Turn back the pages of time and witness the ancient wonders of the world as they appeared thousands of years ago. Explore the Great Pyramid, stand in the shadow of the towering Colossus and experience the rest of the world's Seven Wonders. We will investigate the theories of how these wonders were created, and get a glimpse of some of the universe's greatest wonders.
Experience history as you immerse yourself in the world’s first-ever spacewalk captured in cinematic 360-degree outside the ISS.
The interior of an alien spaceship is recreated which is capable of transporting spectators/passengers on a 40-minute journey into the Cosmos to the music of “The Planets” by Gustav Holst. The show is more artistic than scientific, but beautiful scenes of the solar system are shown. Narrated by Ottavia Piccolo. Produced in 2010.
Travel back in time to experience the birth of our Sun and solar system. Discover how the Sun came to support life, how it threatens life as we know it, and how its energy will one day fade away.
Time travel like never imagined! Explore ancient civilizations. Witness the birth of the universe. Journey to the edge of a black hole. In Tales of a Time Traveler, you will discover that time is not so easily defined. Time is illusive, impossible to hold. It can’t be owned. It can’t be stopped. Time travel surrounds you - from the biological clock in your brain and the changing shadows on a sundial, to the history of life on Earth. Then the story expands to the lives of stars, the time scale of the Big Bang, and the distortion of time by gravity. Narrated by David Tennant.
Created and hosted by cosmically curious teenagers from urban Milwaukee schools, this unique cosmic experience will take you on a dynamic journey across the universe and through time. Explore the origins and fate of the universe, black holes and our Sun. Witness stunning full dome animations video scripted, story boarded and narrated by our inspiring young adults.
The Sun has shone on our world for four and a half billion years. The light that warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather and all life. The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky — day by day, month by month — was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilizations. Don’t be fooled by the terminology; although it is a typical dwarf star, the Sun consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined. Discover the secrets of our star in this planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive fulldome format. Our team has worked with some of the most talented planetarium producers to bring you this visually striking planetarium show about the most important star in our lives.
This program is all about eclipses – from lunar to total solar. We cover how they occur and what happens when they do. We look back to the proof of general relativity and look forward to upcoming eclipses and where to witness them. Our production includes a variety of wonderful styles – from spectacular space environments to humorous pop-up books. A very special part of the show relates, in a very human way, what happens when you are caught in the shadow of the Moon and the Sun is plunged into a total solar eclipse. Your audience will love this program. And so will your audience of most any age.
Two eclipses cross the US in 2023 and 2024 - an annular on October 14, 2023 and a total eclipse on April 8, 2024! Everyone in the continental US will experience at least a partial solar eclipse on April 8. Total solar eclipses are a rare and beautiful phenomena, and in this new planetarium show, you will learn how eclipses happen, how to safely view one, and where these two eclipses take place. You will learn the history of eclipse watchers and how to observe safely. Texas is the nexus where the annular eclipse of 2023 and the total solar eclipse of 2024 cross! The next solar eclipse to cross the US is in 2045 so don’t miss this one!!
Two Small Pieces of Glass – The Amazing Telescope fulldome show follows two students as they interact with a female astronomer at a local star party. Along the way, the students learn the history of the telescope from Galileo's modifications to a child's spyglass — using two small pieces of glass — to the launch of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the future of astronomy. Aiming to engage and appeal to audience of all ages, the show explores the wonder and discovery made by astronomers throughout the last 400 years. A fulldome show for planetariums and digital dome theaters.
From the edge of space and time, through vast fields of wondrous galaxies, to the majesty of our solar system, this show will take audience on a grand tour of the universe and let them experience its most provocative secrets. The show is a three dimensional journey from the edge of the universe through space and time to reach our home planet, witnessing the major components of the cosmos along the way.
In VAST, we set off on a journey fruther into space than any other human being has ever been. Join us on the journey, starting in our own solar system all the way out to the Big Bang. The production has been created using the interactive software OpenSpace, developed by Norrköping Visualization Center C together with NASA, AMNH and others. VAST is an 8K fulldome show in 2D or 3D. Produced within the Wisdome project by Norrköping Visualization Center C. Funded by Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
A tour of the objects in our solar system from the sun out to the Kuiper belt. This fulldome show includes the latest info from various observatories and robotic space probes. A science-rich show recommended for general audience and school groups grade 4 and up.
An explorer of the cosmos has traveled too far...And can’t find home. Follow in the footsteps of a cosmic traveler as he shares a wild story. Find out what grand mysteries he has uncovered while journeying deep into intergalactic space, searching...