Upcoming Events Events

30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video Habitat Earth

Living networks connect and support life forms large and small—from colonies of tiny microbes and populations of massive whales to ever-expanding human societies. In the California Academy of Sciences’ latest original planetarium show, Habitat Earth, discover what it means to live in today’s connected world. Through stunning visualizations of the natural world, dive below the ocean’s surface to explore the dynamic relationships found in kelp forest ecosystems, travel beneath the forest floor to see how Earth’s tallest trees rely on tiny fungi to survive, and journey to new heights to witness the intricate intersection between human and ecological networks.

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30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video Exo: Are We Alone?

Humankind has always sought to understand the mysteries of the Universe and speculated about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Today we know of thousands of exoplanets — planets located outside our Solar System — that offer valuable information about our own planet, its origins and life on Earth. We’re on the cusp of making some fascinating discoveries. But how will they change our lives? 

This “feel good movie” about life is intended to be celebratory, positive and exciting. The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium team hopes to get audiences interested not only in astronomy research, but also in creating connections between ourselves and the extraterrestrial life that may be out there in the Universe.

Come on an urgent mission to collect some scientific samples and save the Earth!

This live and interactive planetarium show, with hands on activities is specially designed for our youngest visitors, expect to get out of  your seat and get moving!  It does get dark in the planetarium and it is not recommended for children younger than 3.  

30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video Dynamic Earth

The award-winning Dynamic Earth explores the inner workings of Earth’s great life support system: the global climate. 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. Audiences will 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.

Dynamic Earth is the result of a two-year long collaboration between Spitz Creative Media, the Advanced Visualization Lab at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, and Thomas Lucas Productions, Inc., in association with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and NASA Earth Science. Narrated by Liam Neeson.

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Is Earth the only planet with a moon? Are all moons like ours? Make sure you’re buckled up because we’ll be visiting some of the solar system’s strangest and most unique locations as we explore its many magnificent moons!

This live and interactive planetarium show is specially designed for our youngest visitors.  It does get dark in the planetarium and it is not recommended for children younger than 3.  

Ever wondered what it will take for astronauts to travel to the Moon, Mars and beyond? On this long journey, what challenges will astronauts face? How will they stay motivated and healthy on their spacecraft so far away from Earth? The new, Bell original planetarium show Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, explores these questions and more

On a two year journey to Mars astronauts will face extraordinary challenges—long distance, a closed environment, isolation, altered gravity, radiation. What will it take to get astronauts to Mars—and back—safely? This new, animated planetarium production highlights NASA research and training initiatives that are preparing the next generation of astronauts who will head to Mars. The film shows how creativity, collaboration, communication, and expertise in a diverse number of fields are key for the success of deep space travel—while also inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals! Witness what it takes to embark on the first human mission beyond Earth’s orbit.

The Bell Museum collaborated with NASA and the UNC Morehead Planetarium and Science Center to create this new planetarium show. The work was funded by a NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Award 80NSSC20M0028 to the Bell Museum through the Regents of the University of Minnesota.

30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video Birth of Planet Earth

Birth of Planet Earth tells the twisted tale of our planet's origins.

Scientists now believe that our galaxy is filled with solar systems, including up to a billion planets roughly the size of our own. The film employs advanced, data-driven, cinematic-quality visualizations to explore some of the greatest questions in science today: How did Earth become a living planet in the wake of our solar system's violent birth? What does its history tell us about our chances of finding other worlds that are truly Earth-like?

Produced by Spitz Creative Media, NCSA's Advanced Visualization Lab, Thomas Lucas Productions, In, in association with Tellus Science Museum. This project has been made possible with support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office; funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video 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.

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30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video Moons: Worlds of Mystery

Experience the amazing diversity of moons and the important roles they play in shaping our solar system. Follow in the footsteps of astronauts to our silvery moon, then venture beyond to unfamiliar and exotic worlds. Journey to the outer planets and their moons, returning home with newfound wonder about the dynamic and intricate solar system in which we all live.

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30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video From Dream to Discovery: Inside NASA

Inside NASA, experience the excitement of today’s space missions as you journey from NASA’s test facilities all the way to Pluto. Immerse yourself in the adventure and extremes of spacecraft engineering—from the design of missions like the James Webb Space Telescope and New Horizons, to the rigors of testing, launch, and space operations. When humans dare to dream, we create truly amazing things.

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Explorers will start on watery Earth and embark on an adventure taking them to all 8 planets.  From bouncing on Mercury to hula-hooping with Saturn they are certain to have a great journey.

This fully live and interactive planetarium show is specially designed for our youngest visitors.  However, it does get dark in the planetarium and it is not recommended for children younger than 3.  

30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video Wayfinders: Waves, Winds and Stars

In Wayfinders: Waves, Winds, and Stars, learn how to read the stars and interpret the wind and waves as we follow the story of Hawaii’s Polynesian Voyaging Society and their efforts to recover the nearly lost techniques of traditional Polynesian navigation aboard the double-hulled canoe Hōkūleʻa. Fulldome footage and animation blend together to take viewers aboard Hōkūleʻa and demonstrate how ancient wayfinders were able to navigate halfway across the world without the use of modern instruments. Produced by Bishop Museum in collaboration with Polynesian Voyaging Society and 1001 Stories.

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30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video Black Holes: The Other Side of infinity

Be dazzled with striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to a super-massive black hole lurking at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy. This cutting-edge production features high-resolution visualizations of cosmic phenomena, working with data generated by computer simulations, to bring the current science of black holes to the dome screen. Narrated by Liam Neeson.

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30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video Hidden Universe

An extraordinary journey deep into space, the documentary adventure Hidden Universe brings to life the farthest reaches of our universe with unprecedented clarity through real images captured by the world’s most powerful telescopes-seen on-screen. Stunning, high-resolution images of space allow moviegoers to explore the earliest galaxies, watch stars being born in vivid clouds of gas and dust, tour the surface of Mars, and witness images of distant celestial structures including stunning views of the Sun.

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30 minute live planetarium presentation + 30 minute video To Worlds Beyond: Journey Through the Solar System

From the fiery surface of the Sun to the icy realm of comets, travel to worlds with enormous volcanoes, vast canyons, dazzling rings, and storms that would swallow the Earth. Learn more about Mars and Pluto too!

How do the sun, moon and stars move across the sky?  Why does it get dark so early in the winter yet the sun is still up at bedtime in the summer? How have different cultures around the world used the stars to tell stories?  In this live and interactive planetarium presentation you will  discover motions and patterns in the sky, make and take your own constellation and travel around the world to see how others see the sky.

Featuring the video short: THE GREAT WAKA tells the New Zealand Māori story of how a fisherman, Tamareriti, created the Milky Way with all its constellations, and for the first time brought light to our Southern night skies. Look up from The South Pacific, and you’ll see his Great Waka canoe traveling across the sky. Find out how the waka came to be there and how through the ages it has guided Polynesian sailors navigating the southern seas. 

Our intrepid explorers embark on a journey to the outer solar system and beyond, following the instructions of an ancient Alien map to find what lies at the center of the Milky Way. What will they find? Will they make it home in one piece? Join us to find out!

This live and interactive planetarium show, with hands on activities is specially designed for our youngest visitors, expect to get out of  your seat and get moving!  It does get dark in the planetarium and it is not recommended for children younger than 3.