The Planetarium is the perfect place to bring your group for an outing. The Technology & Society programs are recommended for grades 3 and up, and can be scheduled on any week day.
Grades 3 & up
Astronaut
The exploration of space is the greatest endeavor that humankind has ever undertaken. What does it take to be part of this incredible journey? What does it take to become an astronaut?
Astronaut, the latest immersive planetarium show to be created by the National Space Centre, takes you from Earth into space... and beyond.
Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut. Explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to manoeuvring through microscopic regions of the human body. Discover the perils that lurk in space as we subject ‘Chad’, our test astronaut, to everything that space has to throw at him.
Presented in stunning high definition 360 degree Full dome video and explosive surround sound, Astronaut is an experience like nothing on Earth.
Grades 4 & up
Back to the Moon for Good
40 years ago, we left the Moon never to return. Until now.
In case you haven't heard, the Moon is trending again... and in a big way. Unlike the glory days of the 1960s and 1970s, our big white space neighbor is enjoying the attention of a new generation of lunar explorers. Only this time, they're going back to the Moon for good. The educational Google Lunar XPRIZE fulldome planetarium show "Back to the Moon for Good" chronicles teams around the world competing for the largest incentivized prize in history, by landing a robotic spacecraft on the Moon for the first time in more than 40 years. To win the Google Lunar XPRIZE, a team must land a robotic spacecraft on the Moon, travel it 500 meters over the lunar surface, and send video, images and data back to Earth. This global competition is designed to spark imagination and inspire a renewed commitment to space exploration, not by governments or countries -- by the citizens of the world.
Dynamic Earth
Narrated by actor Liam Neeson, Dynamic Earth is an immersive full dome program that explores the inner workings of Earth’s climate engine. With visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations, this cutting-edge production follows a trail of energy that flows from the Sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and the biosphere.
You'll 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. Collaborators: Thomas Lucas Productions, Inc.; National Center for Supercomputing Applications; Spitz Creative Media; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio; in association with Denver Museum of Nature & Science and NASA Science Mission Directorate.
From Earth to the Universe
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.
Oasis in Space
Journey to the planets of our Solar System and search for the most important ingredient for life – water.
Oasis in Space transports the audience on a startling and beautiful voyage through our universe, galaxy and solar system in search of liquid water -- a key ingredient for life on Earth. With a proven, audience-tested story, a 95% national viewer approval rating, and an original surround-format musical score, Oasis In Space will delight viewers of all ages.
Two Small Pieces of Glass
In late 2007, the United Nations (UN) 62nd General Assembly proclaimed 2009 the International Year of Astronomy, celebrating the first astronomical use of the telescope by Galileo -- a momentous event that initiated 400 years of astronomical discoveries and triggered a scientific revolution which profoundly affected our worldview.
The Planetarium is participating in this extraordinary worldwide event by presenting this Show. Produced to engage and appeal to audiences of all ages, Two Small Pieces of Glass traces the history of the telescope from Galileo's modifications to a child's spyglass – using two small pieces of glass – to the launch of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the future of astronomy. It explores the wonder and discovery made by astronomers throughout the last 400 years.
Grades 5 & up
IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System
Join Scientists who are investigating the boundary between our Solar System and the rest of our Galaxy. Designed for visitors with an appreciation for the challenges of space and a desire to learn more about science research, this Show follows the creation of NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). You’ll get an in-depth look at the mission and how IBEX is collectiing high-speed atoms to create a map of our Solar system’s boundary.
In Search of New Worlds
Does the universe abound with countless other planets teeming with life? Are we on the edge of a new era, soon to discover life elsewhere in the universe? Will at least one of those countless other "new" planets provide some hint that we share the vastness of space with other life? Or are we alone in the universe?
"In Search of New Worlds", before turning to other planetary systems, examines events that have changed our understanding of the size and content of our own solar system.
Grades 6 & up
Black Holes: the Other Side of Infinity
Welcome to the dark side of the Universe, on a hunt for the ultimate cosmic monsters - Black Holes!
Watch the birth of a Black Hole, zip through a wormhole, journey past the event horizon, and experience the formation of the Milky Way! Mathematical equations, cutting edge science, and Einstein's theories fill in holes along the way, providing the most complete picture yet of this mysterious phenomenon. Can you feel the pull?
