Planetarium Programs
-
Halloween: Celestial Origins
Vampires, Witches, Goblins, and other spooky creatures! What do you associate with Halloween? Trick-or-Treating, costumes, or something more… Be it ghoulish or ghostly, Halloween is an astronomical holiday! Experience the history of Halloween and how it fits into the seasons as a “cross-quarter day.” From Celtic roots around the harvest and bonfires to modern celebrations, see why the night is celebrated as one of spirits from beyond and sweet treats! See how Samhain, and All Saints Day would eventually transform into Halloween. Traverse the night sky and learn what planets, constellations, and stars will be out on your Halloween evening. A fun filled program for the whole family!
-
Incoming!
Asteroids and comets have collided with our planet throughout its history, changing the course of life on Earth and shaping the world we know today. Real-time data from current NASA missions help audiences explore the past, present, and future of our Solar System. Take a journey through the dynamic story of our cosmic origins. Discover what these impacts from above can teach us—and how scientific advances may allow us to find and track cosmic threats before they reach planet Earth. Narrated by George Takei.
Watch the trailer here!
-
Into the Polar Night
Take an epic expedition to the Artic Ocean to discover the importance ice for planet Earth! The Arctic sea ice groans and creaks as a massive icebreaker slowly churns through. Scientists on an ice flow call out to each other in the dark as a chainsaw cuts through the ice, exposing open ocean below. Journey with scientists on one of the most ambitious international climate collaborations ever, MOSAiC.
The Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate seeks to gain a better understand of the Artic region and the role it plays in global climate and weather patterns.
-
Legends of the Night Sky: Orion
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.
-
Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda
Perseus and Andromeda is a fun-filled story of the beautiful but unfortunate princess Andromeda, who in divine punishment for her mother’s bragging, is sacrificed to a sea monster—and rescued by the Greek hero Perseus. Brought to life by animated narrators Aesop the owl and Socrates the mouse as we follow Perseus on his quest to become a hero and slay Medusa. We learn how the constellations of the fall season were placed in the sky, forever turning overhead throughout the seasons. The program includes a live sky lecture showing where Perseus and Andromeda are located in the Autumn Skies.
-
Legends of the Northern Sky
For thousands of years, humanity has gazed up at the stars in wonder, searching for truth, understanding, and insight. Embark on a journey with the Indigenous peoples of the western plains of Canada and share in their wisdom conveyed by the stars. Alongside Ocek, the fisher, and his band of animal friends, audiences take an expedition south to retrieve summer and return it to the frozen north. Learn how the giant bear Mista Maskwa, was finally tamed by a brave band of birds which chase Mista Maskwa every night, keeping us safe from his foul temperament.
The Indigenous people of North America connected with the night sky in fundamental ways that resonated with their world. Discover their stories in the stars and in turn, learn a little bit more about the spirit that connects us all.
-
Life of Trees
In The Life of Trees, a cheeky ladybug called Dolores and a quirky firefly called Mike take the audience on an adventurous journey of exploration into the wondrous world of trees. Attend the Creepy Crawlies Educational Institution to find out how trees live and their importance to the wider environment.
On the excursion, Delores and Mike zip around a tree, and in doing so, playfully learn its secrets: How do plants get their food from the Sun? How do they grow? How does water get from the roots to the top of the crown? And how does all this make life on our earth possible?
The Life of Trees is a perfect planetarium show for the whole family that raises the awareness of protecting the natural environment in which we live.
-
Little Star that Could
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.
-
Living Worlds
Earth is a planet shaped by life. From the forests that help stabilize our climate, to the winds carrying life-sustaining water and oxygen to far-flung parts of the globe, the fingerprints of life are visible even from many light years away. Journey through space and time to examine life as an essential quality of our home planet Earth. Explore of the co-evolution of life and the ways it has transformed Earth’s surface and atmosphere over billions of years. See how light and color can help us spot a living world, even from great distances. Living Worlds encourages us to consider how a deeper understanding of our own planet can aid in the search for life across the cosmos, and to reflect on ways we can partner with our living world to ensure our continued survival. Narrated by Daveed Diggs.
-
Lucia: The Secret of Shooting Stars
Vladimir, a polar bear and James, a penguin, travel into space aboard the Polaris to study polar auroras. Hit by a meteorite, they crash at the foot of a pre-Columbian pyramid and meet Lucia, a hummingbird who is passionate about rocks. She tells them about a legend evoking “stones of light”. Meteorites, shooting stars, these “stones of light” intrigue them all. Searching for answers, they board for the Moon, then the asteroid belt, and finally land on a comet nucleus. Observations and analyses will allow them to find answers to their questions about these objects and learn about the origin of the solar system.
Watch the trailer here!
