Planetarium Programs
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Spooky Space
Looking for cosmic fun this Halloween season? Would you like to meet the spectacular stars of Halloween? Monsters, zombies, and ghosts — and their far more terrible counterparts in space? Oh yes, space has its monsters: Black holes, zombie stars, and spectacular ghostly nebulae! Explore these “spooky” wonders of the night sky here at the planetarium. Learn about the celestial origins of Halloween and how it is an astronomical holiday.
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Star Dreaming
Explore the mysteries of the universe with Max and Lucia as they travel deep into the Australian Outback to visit the site of the world’s largest radio telescope and the planet’s oldest living culture. Discover the SKA (Square Kilometer Array) radio telescope and the questions it hopes to answer. Enter the Ancient land of the Yamaji people, Aboriginal Australians who have shared star stories for more than 60,000 years. Discover how much the scientific and ancient world have in common, for we all live under one sky – a shared sky, in Star Dreaming.
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Stargazers of Africa
From the dawn of time, African people have looked to the skies above for inspiration and guidance. Stargazers of Africa is a journey connecting the stars, Moon and planets to the people across this great continent—from long ago to the stargazers of today. Experience African tales from the Yoruba people and a Nigerian story about the far away stars. Discover the African Stonehenge and Moon calendars made from bones over 40,000 years ago!
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Stars
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.
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Supermassive Black Holes
Explore the amazing environments of the strangest objects in our universe – Supermassive Black Holes! Leading observational and theoretical astronomers share the latest state-of-the-art observations and stunning computer simulations to shed light on the physics of black hole formation in the context of galaxy evolution. Travel inside a black hole, see how they shape galaxies and more!
For ages 9 and up.
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The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness
Vast. Wild. Magical. The Arctic is not just one of the planet’s greatest natural spectacles, it’s a place with global ecological importance that has supported Indigenous communities and diverse ecosystems for generations. Follow the elusive Porcupine caribou herd as it migrates to the Arctic Coastal Plain, one of the longest animal migrations on Earth. Meet the polar bears, musk oxen, wolves, golden eagles, and people who call this area home. Experience the adventure of The Arctic, and learn why this remarkable land deserves our protection. Narrated by Indigenous film producer Princess Daazhraii Johnson (Neet’saii Gwich’in) with National Geographic photographer Florian Schulz.
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The Christmas Star
Over the years numerous people have tried to explain the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, as described in the Bible and other historical texts of the time. What was the Christmas Star? Could it be explained as an exploding star, a comet or some other natural celestial phenomena? Explore a variety of scientific explanations for the Star of Bethlehem in this family friendly program at the planetarium.
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The Dark Matter Mystery: Exploring a Cosmic Secret
What keeps Galaxies together? What are the building blocks of the Universe? What makes the Universe look the way it looks today? Researchers all around the world try to answer these questions. We know today that approximately a quarter of the Universe is filled with a mysterious glue: Dark Matter. We know that it is out there. But we have no idea what it is made out of.
This planetarium show takes you on the biggest quest of contemporary astrophysics. You will see why we know that Dark Matter exists, and how this search is one of the most challenging and exciting searches science has to offer. Join the scientists on their hunt for Dark Matter with experiments in space and deep underground. Will they be able to solve the Dark Matter Mystery?
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The Secrets of Gravity
Luke is interested in the universe and its secrets. He is fascinated by the stars, the universe, and the laws of nature. One night, he sneaks into the Albert Einstein Museum where he meets ALBYX3, a small, clever but rather quirky robot who knows all about Albert Einstein and his theories. ALBY takes Luke on a magical journey through space and time during which they uncover the secrets of gravity and learn about friendship and imagination.
Watch the trailer here!
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The Stellars: Mission Green
Imani, Aki, and John are three friends from an alien solar system. While on a space exploration mission, something routine for their tribe, they distractedly neglect their onboard “chores,” leading their ship to crash on an unknown planet – Earth. The accident damages the life-support system that sustains the cherished forest they keep onboard, which gives them their vital Yumi-Plumi fruits. However, forests in their society are usually taken care of by robots.
With no knowledge of plant care or any means of contacting their elders, they are fortunate to be able to turn to the planetarium audience for help. All hope now rests on the Earth children, who help the Stellars discover what plants need to survive and to rescue their Yumi Plumi forest. There is a race against time – will the children be able to figure out the successive elements needed to nourish the plants?
Of course, they will, as we’ve prepared subtle clues, ensuring that everyone will be winners. However, to make sure it won’t be too easy, young viewers will have to travel together with our heroes to visit an ancient-growth forest on Earth, to search among the trees there, teeming with life. They will have to help launch the scout ship, navigate through space, locate the right spot on Earth – and then escape from an angry bear!
