Catalog

Our current catalog of pre-rendered planetarium shows

9 Planets & Counting


How many planets are there? Nine? Eight? Ten? Twelve? Audiences want to know, or they wouldn't keep asking the same question every day!

Nine Planets and Counting presents the continuing debate in an open-ended manner. What is the definition of a planet? How many are there? The show includes a tour of the solar system, spectacular photographs, exciting new discoveries beyond Pluto, and a presentation  that won't be outdated next week.

Length: Approx 39 min.
Age Range: 7 +

BIG


BIG
. One of the most asked questions about the universe is “How big is it?”—and that’s one of the hardest to answer. BIG has been produced to tackle the question and takes the audience on an immersive journey to the far reaches of the observable universe. Along the way, they meets a huge range of objects to spark their imagination.

Unlike any show you have seen before, BIG combines a light-hearted storytelling style with computer animation, stop-motion character animation,, laser graphics, and a musical score to bring a really big subject down to Earth.

Narrated by Sir Richard Attenborough.

Length: Approx. 20 min.
Age Range: 7+

Black Holes


Black Holes
takes you on a 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?

 We invite you to join us in exploring the science and mystery of Black Holes.

Length: Approx 40 min.

Age Range: 10 +

 

Cosmic Castaways

There are places where the night sky has no constellations. No Orion, no Big Dipper, nothing but a few lonely, far away stars and a few faint, ghostly patches of light. Most stars lie within the crowded boundaries of galaxies, traveling with their brothers and sisters in a vast galactic family. But some find themselves on their own, deep within voids between the galaxies. These are the cosmic castaways.

Come explore what happens when galaxies travel past and into each other.  See how they change the universe around them.  Find out how a galactic collision can leave cosmic castaways in its wake.

Length: Approx 20 min.

Age Range: 11+


The Dark Matter Mystery


What are the building blocks of our universe? We've been trying to answer this question since time immemorial - however we still haven't found the ultimate answer. Approximately a quarter of the universe consists of mysterious dark matter. We know: It is there, however, we don't know what it is made up of.

This planetarium show takes you on the biggest quest in astrophysics. You'll see why we know that there must be dark matter at all. Join the scientists on their observations, out in space, as well as deep under ground. Will they be able to reveal dark matter's mystery?

Length: Approx 38 min.

Age Range: 11+


Dawn of the Space Age


From the launch of Sputnik to the magnificent lunar landings and beyond!  Dawn of the Space Age covers the great race between the Soviet Union and the United States to see who would be first on the Moon.

Be immersed and overwhelmed with this most accurate and beautiful reconstruction of our first steps into space. Who were these people who risked their lives to win the race?  Find out when you watch  Dawn of the Space Age.

Length: Approx. 41 min.

Age Range: 8 +

Earth, Moon & Sun


Coyote has a razor-sharp wit, but he’s a little confused about what he sees in the sky.

Join this amusing character (adapted from American Indian oral traditions) in a fast-paced and fun full-dome show that explores lunar phases, eclipses, how the Sun creates light and heat, and other puzzles.

Engaging and immersive, Earth, Moon & Sun also examines how humans learn through space exploration.  Younger viewers really love this show.

Length: Approx. 26 min.

Age Range: 5+ 


From Earth to the Universe

The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has inspired awe and been the subject of campfire stories, and ancient myths 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 voyage through space and time conveys, through sparkling sights and sounds, the Universe as revealed to us by science.

Length: Approx. 30 min.

Age Range: 8+


Galileo


Travel back in time to Pisa, Italy, to experience Galileo’s early experiments with gravity and the laws of motion, his advocacy of the idea that the Earth revolves around the sun (still an absurd notion to many in the 1600’s), and his work with early telescopes. Learn how his keen observations culminated in The Starry Messenger, an early masterpiece in which Galileo described all his dazzling discoveries in a straightforward, easy to understand way. Narrated by Dava Sobel, author of the award-winning biography Galileo's Daughter.

Length: Approx. 28 min.

Age Range: 13+

(Note: Parents and educators are advised this show mentions Galileo had children out of wedlock.)


The Hot and Energetic Universe

The Hot and Energetic Universe presents the fascinating world of high energy astrophysics. High energy astrophysics plays a key role in understanding the universe, as these very hot frequencies reveal the processes in the hot and violent universe. High energy astrophysics 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. Come and learn about your hot and energetic universe!

Length: Approx. 30 min.
Age Range: 11+

Once Upon The Big Bang

The Big Bang Theory is one of the leading explanations for how the Universe came to be.  The universe as we know it, started with a singularity, (an infinitesimally small point) inflating over the next 13.8 billion years to the cosmos that we know today.
Once upon the Big Bang explores the fascinating events of the birth of time and space.

Length:  Approx. 16 min.
Age Range: 11+

Phantom of the Universe

Phantom of the Universe is a new planetarium show that will showcase an exciting exploration of dark matter, from the Big Bang to its anticipated discovery at the Large Hadron Collider. 

The show will reveal 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.

Length: Approx 25 min.

Age Range: College, with science background helpful

Secret Lives of Stars

Not all stars are created equal. Some are massive. Others are tiny; almost insignificant. The specific characteristics of a star will determine what type of life it will lead, how long it might live and even the type of death it will die. We will witness the amazing variety of stars and peer into their secret lives.

Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart of TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films.

Length: Approx. 25 min.

Age Range: 7+

Skyquest

Come along with a young woman on her personal quest to find a special place in the night sky, from her childhood adventures on Mars (via a cardboard rocket), to the discovery of her "birthday star" that led her to become an astronomer and build a mountain observatory to further her lifelong fascination with the heavens.

She shares her telescope views of the Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn with us; points out stars and constellations; and encourages everyone to make the time to look up, even if stargazing in urban areas with light pollution.

Skyquest is particularly appropriate for younger viewers.

Length: Approx. 25 min.

Age Range: 5+

Solar Quest

Solar Quest is a planetarium short feature that demonstrates and provides an overview of the Sun – Earth environment.

Detailed and high quality animations and videos demonstrate various solar phenomena such as fusion, light energy and solar surface features and phenomena.

The show also discusses the impacts that space weather may have and how the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field protects all life on Earth.

Highlighted in the show is the role of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and how scientists have begun to use it as a way to help identify and predict severe space weather.

Length: Approx. 10 min.

Age Range: 9+

Stars - The Powerhouses of the Universe

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 powers the Universe. Journey to the farthest reaches of our galaxy and experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of STARS.

The stunning animation highlighted by astronauts, spacecraft, telescopes, nebulas, clusters, and more, was created by the talented team of the National Space Centre (Leicester, UK). This dramatic program features the voice talent of Mark Hamill. 

 

Length: Approx 26 min.

Age Range: 8+


The Making of a Star and Her Entourage


The Making of a Star and Her Entourage traces the evolution of humankind’s understanding of the universe. Discover the long journey beginning with the Earth-centered model of the universe (in which the Sun was considered a planet), to our current understanding that the Sun is a star centered in the Solar System and is one of billions that reside in the Milky Way.

Length: Approx. 30 min.

Age Range: 8+

Sunstruck


Discover the wonders of our Sun. Its incredible energy has supported life on earth for millennia, but is now threatening our technology and way of life.  Travel to the distant future to discover our Sun’s connection to the universe’s cosmic cycle of life and death.

Length: Approx. 21 min.

Age Range: 7+

Trip Through Space

Trip Through Space takes an exciting tour of several constellations found in the Winter evening sky, the Solar System, stars, nebulae, galaxies and more.  Younger viewers really like this show.

Length: Approx 28 min.
Age Range: 6+

Two Small Pieces of Glass - The Amazing Telescope

While attending a local star party, two students learn how the telescope has helped us understand our place in space and how telescopes continue to expand our understanding of the Universe. Their conversation with a local female astronomer enlightens them on the history of the telescope and the discoveries these wonderful tools have made. The students see how telescopes work and how the largest observatories in the world use these instruments to explore the mysteries of the Universe.

Length: Approx 25 min.

Age Range: 9 +