Versant Power Astronomy Center and Maynard Jordan Planetarium

One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
2016-11-20 14:00 - 15:00, 2016-11-27 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Versant Power Astronomy Center, 167 Rangeley Rd, Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Explore the night sky with your favorite friends from Sesame Street in One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure. Follow along with Big Bird, Elmo and their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, as they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth. They explore the day and night sky, learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun and the Moon. Along the way, they learn how the sky we see is shared by many people around the world. Children attending the show can interact as they watch, drawing constellations and counting the time it takes the sun to set.
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Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Constellations: A Play by Nick Payne
2016-11-20 19:30 - 21:00
This spellbinding, romantic journey begins with a simple encounter between a man and a woman. But what happens next defies the boundaries of the world we think we know – delving into the infinite possibilities of their relationship and raising questions about the difference between choice and destiny. Through a dizzying fugue of vignettes, audiences watch as Marianne and Roland’s relationship unfolds across time and space, with each variation sending their relationship on an entirely new trajectory. Science and romance collide in this unusual love story
The University of Maine – School of Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Emera Astronomy Center, presents “Constellations” November 15-20 at the University of Maine in Orono. “Constellations” is a play by Nick Payne, directed by Marcia Joy Douglas.

Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Dynamic Earth
2016-11-25 19:00 - 20:00
Explore the inner workings of Earth’s climate system with visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations. This exciting program follows a trail of energy that flows from the Sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and the biosphere. Audiences will ride along on swirling ocean and wind currents, dive into the heart of a monster hurricane, come face-to-face with sharks and gigantic whales, and fly into roiling volcanoes. We explore the relationship between Earth and the Sun, life and the carbon cycle, Earth’s climate control system, and how human activities are changing our planet. Come learn how dynamic planet Earth really is!
Trailer
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Science Lecture Series: Dr. Paul Mayewski
2016-12-01 19:00 - 20:00
Journey Into Climate
Thursday, December 1st at 7:00 pm
Today, climate change in the polar regions is having remarkable consequences. Recent Arctic warming, induced by greenhouse gases has led to poleward migration of the jet stream – with extreme weather event consequences. In the Antarctic, stratospheric ozone depletion and greenhouse gas warming have caused drought in Australia, cooling of Southern Ocean currents, and reductions of Antarctic ice shelves. The potential for abrupt climate change, the significance of shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns, and impacts of human activity on the chemistry of the atmosphere – all gleaned from ice cores – have turned out to be essential to predicting the course of a defining reality of the 21st century – human-induced climate change. Join Dr. Paul Mayeski as he shares how the collection of ice cores from Antarctica, the Arctic, Asia, South America, North America, Australasia, and Europe have helped us understand how the global climate is changing. This program is in partnership with the Maine Science Festival.

Dr. Paul A. Mayewski is Director of the Climate Change Institute and Distinguished Professor in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences, School of Marine Sciences, Business School, and School of Policy and International Affairs at the University of Maine. He has led over 55 expeditions to the remotest reaches of the planet. Paul has over 400 scientific publications, received numerous honors such as Inaugural Medal for Excellence in Antarctic Research, the Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Medal and the International Glaciological Society Seligman Crystal, developed and led major international climate change research programs in Antarctica, Greenland and Asia, released two popular books, appears regularly in media such as CBS 60 Minutes and NOVA. He was highlighted in 2014 Emmy-winning film “Years of Living Dangerously”.

The Science Lecture Series at Emera Astronomy Center will take place the first Thursdays of each month and is a partnership project with the Maine Science Festival and will feature research from a variety of science disciplines from around our state and use the digital planetarium to visualize these discoveries in a new dramatic and immersive way.
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Mystery of the Christmas Star
2016-12-02 19:00 - 20:00, 2016-12-04 15:30 - 16:30, 2016-12-06 10:00 - 11:00, 2016-12-09 19:00 - 20:00, 2016-12-11 15:30 - 16:30, 2016-12-16 19:00 - 20:00, 2016-12-18 15:30 - 16:30, 2016-12-23 19:00 - 20:00
Journey back 2000 years to Bethlehem as we seek to discover a scientific explanation for the Star the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus. Investigate possible dates for the birth of Christ and look at recorded sightings of significant historical and astronomical events during this timeframe. We’ll explore scientific explanations for celestial objects that could have been remarkable enough to cause the wise men to travel across the desert from Babylon to Bethlehem just to see a newborn King. Regardless of what the star was, the message of Peace on Earth and goodwill to all still rings true today!
Trailer
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Legends of the Night Sky: Orion
2016-12-04 14:00 - 15:00, 2016-12-11 14:00 - 15:00, 2016-12-18 14:00 - 15:00
Take a fun and lighthearted look at the myths and stories associated with the constellation Orion, the great hunter of the winter sky. Orion comes to life in a fun-filled, animated accompanied by narrators Aesop the owl and Socrates the mouse as we follow Orion’s adventures as he grows to manhood, battles mythical beasts, foils the plot of an evil king and wins the heart of Artemis, the beautiful moon-goddess. We learn how the constellation Orion was placed in the sky, forever turning overhead throughout the seasons. The program includes a live sky lecture showing where Orion and his companions are located in the Winter Skies.
Trailer
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

WiSe-Net Leak Detection System Launch Party
2016-12-09 17:30 - 18:30
Join us here at the Emera Astronomy Center to celebrate the launch of a wireless leak detection system created by University of Maine researchers, to be used on board the International Space Station (ISS). The detection system will be launched by the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) from Tanegashima, Japan onboard an HTV6 rocket that resupplies ISS on December 9 at 10:26 PM JST (8:26 AM EST).
This is a sponsored event, so tickets are free. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be reserved online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

From Earth to the Universe
2017-01-06 19:00 - 20:00, 2017-01-13 19:00 - 20:00, 2017-01-20 19:00 - 20:00, 2017-01-27 19:00 - 20:00
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.
Trailer
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Magic Treehouse: Space Mission
2017-01-08 14:00 - 15:00, 2017-01-15 14:00 - 15:00, 2017-01-22 14:00 - 15:00, 2017-01-29 14:00 - 15:00
Travel with the brother-sister duo, Jack and Annie, in their Magic Treehouse as they discover a note that asks them to answer a series of six questions about space. With the help of an astronomer, the Internet, an astronaut, books and the writer of the mysterious note, Jack and Annie are taken on a wondrous journey of adventure and learning.
This exciting voyage will carry visitors to the planets and far out into the Universe where Jack and Annie nearly get… Well, we don’t want to give it away. The adventure is just beginning!
Based on the popular book series by Mary Pope Osborne.
Trailer
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

To Space and Back
2017-01-10 10:00 - 11:00
Space exploration, our greatest adventure, is having a big impact on our lives. It is helping us to discover a universe of unimaginable scale and beauty, and it is reaching down into our world and influencing the way we live.
To Space & Back takes audiences on an incredible journey from the far reaches of our known universe to our own planet. It is an extraordinary story of human ingenuity and incredible engineering, describing how the technology that transports us through space is paving the way for the devices and apps we use every day. What is happening above is coming back down to Earth!
Trailer
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Science Lecture Series: Dr. Dean Astumian
2017-02-02 19:00 - 20:00
How molecular motors work – insights from the machinist’s toolbox
Thursday, February 2nd at 7:00 pm
The Nobel prize in Chemistry for 2016 was awarded to Jean Pierre Sauvage, Sir James Fraser Stoddart, and Bernard (Ben) Feringa for their contributions to the design and synthesis of molecular machines. While this field is still in its infancy there is tremendous potential of molecular machines to revolutionize technologies we use in our everyday lives. How do molecular machines provide insights into the mechanisms by which molecular motors, including biological motors function? The ability to “tinker” with separate components of molecular machines allows asking, and answering, specific questions about mechanism, particularly with regard to light-driven vs. chemistry driven molecular machines is very interesting. In this lecture, Dr. Dean Astumian will use dramatic full dome visualizations to show examples of molecular machines and their basic workings. This program is in partnership with the Maine Science Festival.

Dean Astumian received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington, where he was named a distinguished alumnus in 2000. Following staff positions at NIH and NIST he moved to the University of Chicago as Assistant then Associate Professor, and then as Full Professor to the University of Maine. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He was awarded the Galvani Prize of the Bio-electrochemical Society, a Humboldt Prize in 2009, and the Feynman Prize in 2011. His research focus is on kinetic mechanisms and thermodynamics of molecular motors.

The Science Lecture Series at Emera Astronomy Center will take place the first Thursdays of each month and is a partnership project with the Maine Science Festival and will feature research from a variety of science disciplines from around our state and use the digital planetarium to visualize these discoveries in a new dramatic and immersive way.
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Stars
2017-02-03 19:00 - 20:00
Every star has a story. Some are as old as time, faint and almost forgotten. Others burn bright and end their lives in powerful explosions. New stars are created every day, born of vast clouds of gas and dust. Through every phase of their existence, stars release the energy that lights the Universe. Journey to the furthest reaches of our galaxy and experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of stars.
Trailer
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Little Star that Could
2017-02-05 14:00 - 15:00
It’s hard to be a little star in a big universe! Join a medium sized, yellow star as he makes his way through space. In his travels, he meets many different types of stars and learns about some of the other things that make our universe so interesting. After meeting stars, nebulas, and galaxies, the little star takes a good look at himself and finds that he, too, is special. He has nine planets that depend on him for warmth and light. Along with the little star, audiences learn the ways each planet is special.
Trailer
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Earth, Moon, & Sun
2017-02-07 10:00 - 11:00
Earth, Moon, & Sun is a fast-paced full dome demonstration of lunar phases, eclipses, day and night, the sun and other puzzling events with the help of a confused coyote. This program beautifully illustrates basic concepts like moon phases and seasons. Based on the trickster of Native American lore, Coyote is constantly corrected in his misunderstandings of how things work. A live tour of the Maine sky and its beautiful constellations completes this micro-unit of astronomy.
Trailer
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.
