Planetarium Programs
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The Sun – Our Living Star
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.
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To Space and Back
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!
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Total Eclipse: Chasers of the Lost Sleep
Kentucky, a sleepless hen, and star of social networks, finds out that animals fall asleep during total eclipses. With the help of her robot J.O.S., she travels through space-time in search of the perfect total solar eclipse, in the hope of finding sleep at last. On her journey, she discovers the conditions that make eclipses possible, how they work, and how to observe this unique phenomenon.
For ages 8 – 12
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Totality: Explore the Wonder of Eclipses
Explore the incredible phenomena of Eclipses, both Lunar and Solar. How and why do they occur? What can we observe and learn from these spectacular displays of nature? Take a look at how eclipses helped prove the theory of general relativity and look forward to upcoming eclipses learning where to see them. From spectacular space environments to the very human experiences that happen when you are caught in the shadow of the Moon and the Sun is plunged into a total solar eclipse, this program will help you understand these fascinating events. Take a special look back at the 2017 eclipse and learn about the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024. The program includes a tour of the night sky as viewed from Maine!
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Tycho to the Moon
Meet Tycho, a dog who doesn’t just howl at the Moon, but wants to go there. Blast off on an amazing ride into space with Tycho and his human friends, Ruby and Michael. Learn about day and night, space travel, the phases of the Moon and features of the lunar surface. Get a close-up look at the Sun, watch the effects of gravity, see the Earth from space and watch meteors shoot across the night sky.
Ages 3 – 8
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Unveiling the Invisible Universe
For tens of thousands of years humans have used their eyes to see light coming from the night sky. Today we use scientific instruments to observe the invisible Universe all around us.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the invention of the astronomical telescope by Galileo revolutionized our knowledge of the Universe. In the 20th century, with the arrival of rockets, it became possible to travel above the Earth’s atmosphere and observe X-ray and gamma ray radiation, evidence of a hot and violent Universe.
It’s not only light that provides information about the Cosmos. Neutrinos and cosmic rays reveal its secrets. More recently, the detection of gravitational waves from two merging black holes by the LIGO experiment, opened an entirely new window in astrophysics.
Enjoy spellbinding images of the Cosmos as revealed by all these unique messengers.
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We Are Astronomers
Do you know what an astronomer does? We Are Astronomers reveals the global collaboration, technology and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the Universe. See how technologies such as the Large Hadron Collider, the observatories of Chile and the Hubble Space Telescope work and how they are used by teams around the world in this entertaining planetarium show. This show is narrated by former Dr Who star David Tennant and accompanied with music by New Zealand composer Rhian Sheehan. We Are Astronomers provides a visually stunning tour of contemporary astronomy using beautiful 360° full dome imagery.
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We Are Guardians
Join us on a journey into, under, and around the many ecosystems across our planet. Discover how each component fits together, and how the health of each part is vital to the health of Planet Earth. Discover how, with the help of satellites and scientific study, we can understand the links between human activities and climate change, and what we can do to work together to improve the health of our shared home.
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We Are Stars
What are we made of? Where did it all come from? Explore the secrets of our cosmic chemistry, and our explosive origins. Connect life on Earth to the evolution of the Universe by following the formation of Hydrogen atoms to the synthesis of carbon, and the molecules for life. Explore the lives and deaths of stars. Narrated by Andy Serkis.
Watch the trailer here!
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Worlds Beyond Earth
Take an exhilarating journey to the worlds that orbit our Sun and the unique conditions that make life on our planet Earth possible. Celebrate the extraordinary Age of Exploration carried out by robotic explorers, over the past 50 years with imagery from NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan Aerospace Exploration (JAXA) missions. Audiences will go on an epic adventure across the solar system, from our Moon, Mars and Venus to beyond the asteroid belt, to Jupiter and Saturn. Produced by the American Museum of Natural History in New York and narrated by Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o.
