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The Little Star That Could (K-4th) 35 min
"The Little Star That Could" has been reproduced for digital
fulldome projection with new computer graphic animation. This popular
and well-loved story which has been shown at the SMSU planetarium
for 20 years has been updated with accurate astronomical
information. Have no fear; the story basically remains the same with
all of your favorite stars! For those of you who are not familiar
with the show, "The Little Star That Could" is a story about Little
Star, an average yellow star in search for planets of his own to
protect and warm. Along the way, he meets other stars, learns what
makes each star special, and discovers that stars combine to form star
clusters and galaxies. Eventually, Little Star finds his planets. Each
planet is introduced to your audiences with basic information about our
Solar System. FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Our Place In Space (1st - 3rd)
33 min
This is a wonderful
children's program
that features several colorful and lively animal characters (Scarlett
the
macaw, Paula the polar bear, Indy the elephant, Charlie the crocodile,
Sheba the cobra and Leo the lion). The story begins with a crossword
puzzle
book falling from the sky and landing on Scarlett's head. When she
opens
the book the first puzzle she comes to is called Our Place in Space.
For
some help in solving the puzzle clues, Scarlett travels all over the
world
to visit her friends. Each friend is able to teach her something new
and
exciting about the Earth and Space! The discussions center around the
following
themes: The Sun as a Star, What Makes the Sun Move, The Planet Earth, A
Weighty Subject - Gravity, The Shadow of Night, Constellations are Star
Pictures, Getting into Space. Scarlett's journey finally ends with an
imaginary
space trip as Captain Leo takes her to visit the planets and moons of
our
solar system and the stars beyond.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Two Small Pieces of Glass (3rd-Adult) 25 min
Join two students as they learn how the telescope has helped us
understand our place in space and how telescopes continue to expand our
understanding of the Universe. The students see how telescopes work and
how the largest observatories in the world use these instruments to
explore the mysteries of the universe. While looking through the
telescope, the students, along with the planetarium audience, explore
the Galilean Moons, Saturn’s rings, and spiral structure of the
galaxies.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Galileo--The
Power of the Telescope (5th-Adult) 44 min
Two
eyes and two pieces of glass revolutionized human understanding 400
years ago. The eyes belonged to Galileo Galilei, and the curved pieces
of glass were the lenses of his telescope. In Galileo: The Power
of the Telescope – you'll learn Galileo's personal and powerful
story, and explore how his discoveries displaced long-held views about
the universe. 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. FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Seasonal
Stargazing (4th-Adult) 30 min
Find out more about "what's up
tonight" in just a few minutes than some people do in a lifetime! Hop
through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to
planetarium space music in this fulldome audiovisual experience.
The content of this show changes throughout the year to reflect the
night sky at the appropriate time of year.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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The Cowboy
Astronomer (3rd-8th) 37 min
A skillfully woven
tapestry of star tales and Native American legends, combined with
constellation identification, star-hopping, and astronomy tidbits — all
told from the unique viewpoint of a cowboy astronomer who has traveled
the world plying his trade and learning the sky along the way.
Explore the stars from a cowboy's point of view! Narrated by
cowboy poet and humorist Baxter Black. FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Sky Quest
(3rd-8th) 25 min
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.
Sky Quest is an entertaining and educational
exploration of the night sky that appeals to family members of all
ages. Grade-school children may identify most with the main character
depicted as an 8-year-old "astronaut" in the 5-minute live-action video
shown before the rest of the planetarium projectors are
introduced. FULLDOME PRODUCTION.
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Cosmic
Colors (5th-Adult) 33 min
Cosmic Colors will take you on a wondrous journey across the entire
electromagnetic spectrum. Discover the many reasons for
color—like why the sky is blue and why Mars is red. Take a tour
within a plant leaf and journey inside the human eye. Investigate
x-rays by voyaging to a monstrous black hole and then back at your
doctor’s office. You will even see the actual color of a
dinosaur--based on recent evidence. Get ready for an amazing
adventure under a rainbow of cosmic light! FULLDOME
PRODUCTION
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Bad
Astronomy:
Myths
and Misconceptions (8th-Adult) 40 min
Were the Apollo visits to the
Moon actually a hoax? Have aliens landed on Earth? Can you tell your
future by the stars? Are movies like Star Wars and Star Trek realistic?
Prepare to debunk and tackle these misconceptions head-on with the
planetarium show Bad
Astronomy:
Myths and Misconceptions. Based on the popular book
and
website of the same name, Bad
Astronomy offers a unique
and fun approach to learning about the cosmos. Join the "Bad
Astronomer" Phil Plait as he takes a critical look at popular myths and
misconceptions to show audiences how science can be used to evaluate
questionable claims. |
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Black Holes (8th-Adult) 40 min
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? Using the latest in full-dome,
3D animation visualization technology.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Ring World (5th - Adult)
35 min
Stunning Saturn is visited
by the Cassini spacecraft. After its nearly seven year sojourn,
the
spacecraft will spend another four years investigating the alluring
planet,
its many moons, and spectacular system of rings. The Cassini
mission
also includes a probe that lands on Saturn's largest moon,
Titan.
Prepare yourself for exciting discoveries and new views of
Saturn. FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Mars
Update (5th-Adult) 16 min
The show begins with how our views
on Mars have changed over the years - from H.G. Wells and Percival
Lowell to Spirit and Opportunity. The show highlights Mars
missions up to and including the recent Mars Exploration Rovers.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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More Than Meets The Eye (5th -
Adult)
17 min/31 min
What can you see when you
look up in
the sky tonight? A planet, a constellation, a galaxy, or maybe a nebula
where stars are being born? There's "More Than Meets The Eye" in this
fascinating
new show. Come explore the wonders of Minnesota's beautiful night sky
as
we show you what you can see with just your unaided eyes. Then take a
deeper
look when the sky is revealed as seen through binoculars or a small
telescope.
Finally, compare all of that to the images taken from the big
observatories
or spacecraft. The show also briefly discusses the effects of
atmospheric
turbulence, that stars have different colors, how only time exposure
photos
produce brilliant colors in galaxies and nebulae. Students will also
learn
where to look in the sky at different seasons to see these objects for
themselves. You'll be amazed at what can be seen under
Minnesota
skies!
Featured celestial
objects (Short
version): Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Orion Nebula(M42),
Andromeda
Galaxy(M31), Milky Way, Butterfly [open] Cluster(M6) & Open
Cluster(M7),
Lagoon Nebula(M8) & Trifid Nebula (M20).
Long Version:
Includes
the short version plus the Moon, Pleiades [open] Cluster(M45),
Alcor/Mizar,
Ring [planetary] Nebula(M57), Crab Nebula(M1), Beehive [open]
Cluster(M44),
Albireo, Epsilon Lyrae, Hercules [globular] Cluster(M13). |
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Larry Cat In Space (Preschool -
2nd) 30
min
is a playful, imaginative
cartoon presentation
about an inquisitive cat who takes a trip to the Moon. Through
Larry's
eyes, we observe his human family, a group of enthusiastic
sky-watchers.
Larry's master, Diana, takes a job on the Moon, and sadly leaves Larry
behind. Larry figures out a way to get to the Moon to be with
Diana.
Larry encounters weightlessness, lunar gravity, and even ventures out
on
the Moon wearing his Cat Spacesuit where he spots the Earth, looking a
lot like the Moon did from the porch at home. |
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Magellan Report From Venus (5th
- adult)
29 min
The Magellan radar-mapping
mission
to Venus was extraordinarily successful; the spacecraft returned more
data
than all NASA's previous planetary missions combined. Now, MAGELLAN:
Report
from Venus brings Magellan's images to you at the SMSU
Planetarium!
In this show, we follow Magellan's progress, from its launch through
the
most significant discoveries. Included are spectacular images of
volcanoes,
impact craters and landslides. Important planetary science topics of
volcanism,
tectonism, impact cratering are covered; and we discuss radar imaging,
the history of Venus exploration, and compare Earth and its "sister
planet." |
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MarsQuest (5th -
Adult) 40 min
MarsQuest is a chronicle tracing our
centuries-long cultural and scientific fascination with the planet
Mars. Set in a theatrical style "three-act" form with an epilogue, it
weaves a satisfying narrative of what Mars means to humanity. In
the first section, "Homage," we trace Mars through history --
from an "incantation" of the various War God forms given by different
cultures, to the early observations of Schiaparelli and Lowell, and the
infamous "canals" which led to science-fiction stories about Martians.
We hear excerpts from H. G. Wells "War Of The Worlds" and Edgar
Rice Burroughs's "Barsoom" novels. "Mars In Focus"
details the Mars of our time -- as seen in the night sky, through
binoculars and telescopes, and from our Mars explorations. Mission
findings from more than a quarter century of spacecraft missions
feature reports on Mars weather, climate, and areology. We compare the
climate and terrain of Earth and Mars, and present the current thinking
about the areologic history of the planet, and a rationale for future
exploration. "Mars In The
Future" examines where on Earth we can prepare to live on Mars,
what will be needed to get crewed missions there, and what the first
landing may be like. The
show ends with "Rhapsody On A Red Planet," a
poetically-styled "ode to Mars", this time from a future perspective;
an eloquent soliloquy tracing the efforts that led to our first
footsteps onto the desolate and dusty Martian surface. |
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The Voyager Encounters (5th -
Adult) 43
min
This is the definitive
summary, recapping
all of Voyager's encounters with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in
one convenient, thorough documentary. The show discusses the functions
of Voyager's instrument packages; the highlights of each flyby; and
compares
and contrasts each of the planets atmospheres and magnetic fields,
their
moons and ring systems. |
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Hubble Vision 2 (5th - Adult) 30
min
Since its launch in 1990,
the Hubble
Space Telescope has provided incredible images in unprecedented detail
to astronomers, and made an astonishing array of discoveries — from
nearby
objects in the solar system to the most distant galaxies at the limits
of the observable universe. In this all-new production, major
themes
in current astronomy and cosmology are presented: new views of the
planets;
peeks into starbirth nurseries; visions of stardeath in its many forms;
explorations of star clusters and galaxies; and views of the universe
when
the earliest galaxies were first coming into being. We catch
glimpses
of solar system objects, including the Moon and Venus; clouds on dusty
Mars; Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's crash into Jupiter; storms on Saturn,
Uranus,
and Neptune; and the faraway worlds of Pluto and Quaoar. Beyond the
solar
system, we explore protoplanetary disks in the Orion Nebula, and
regions
of starbirth across the cosmos. We witness the deaths of stars like our
Sun; the cataclysmic aftermath of supernovae in the Crab Nebula; and
the
expanding rings around Supernova 1987a. We see breathtaking views of
colliding
galaxies; jets shooting from active galactic nuclei, powered by
supermassive
black holes; the eerie effects of gravitational lenses; and deep-field
views of the most distant galaxies ever seen. HUBBLE Vision 2 is
a factual journey through the universe, as seen through the unblinking
eye of one of the world's premier telescopes. |
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Light Years from Andromeda
(5th-Adult)
30 min
A beam of light leaves the
Andromeda
Galaxy and travels across the void of intergalactic space. As the
light speeds across the light years, over the course of centuries, the
early people on a planet located in a nearby galaxy form cultures and
civilizations
– and begin to wonder about the universe surrounding them. Their
awareness
of the night sky increases, as the beam of light draws nearer to their
planet. When the light reaches the Earth, some of the descendants of
the
early hunters have just escaped the bonds of their world, gravity, and
visited the Moon. In modern times, scientific study of space help the
planet’s
current inhabitants to understand the properties of light, and the ways
that understanding shapes our further knowledge of the universe. |
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The Stargazer (4th - Adult)
Come along on a journey to
the stars
with University of Illinois astronomer Jim Kaler in a brand new
planetarium
production. Nichelle Nichols (Chief Communications Officer Uhura
from the original Star Trek) and Dr. Kaler narrate this three-part
personal
look at astronomy. The show begins with a child's curiosity,
moves
on to the science of gravity, light, the spectrum, and how they help us
decipher the lifestyles of the stars, then ends with reflections on the
deeper meanings of astronomy in our own lives. |
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The Universe of Dr. Einstein
(7th - Adult)
55 min
What would the world look
like if we
rode on a beam of light? That is the immensely simple question
Albert
Einstein asked. The answer he found changed the world.
Einstein's
discoveries penetrated to the hearts of stars and to the farthermost
reaches
of the cosmos. This program reviews the life of Albert Einstein
and
explains in simple detail the concepts of his work in Special and
General
Relativity. It also describes the world's response to his work and the
problems he had with Nazi Germany. Enter this incredible realm
with
us: "The Universe of Dr. Einstein" - a new star program at the
SMSU
Planetarium. |
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Star Of Wonder (family) 35 min
What was the Star of
Bethlehem? Was
the “star” a planet or maybe a supernova? Is there a scientific
explanation
for the “star?” In this program, the steps of the Magi are
retraced
in their 600-mile search for the Star of Bethlehem. Educational
and
entertaining, “Star of Wonder” uses scientific data, religious history,
beautiful imagery, and traditional music to explore the mystery that
has
puzzled astronomers and theologians for centuries. This production
offers
several possible explanations for the famous star-like object that,
according
to historical records, led the wise men and shepherds to the place of
Christ’s
birth. Was the Star of Bethlehem a planet, a comet, a meteor, a
supernova?
Or was it simply an unexplainable phenomenon? This show also
explores
how astronomers use historical records and scientific calculations to
determine
the time of Christ’s birth, and shows how planets move and meet with
stars
and how calendars have changed through the ages. |
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Tis The Season
(family)
36 min
'Tis The Season recounts
the historical
religious and cultural rituals practiced during the time of winter
solstice
-- Christian, Jewish, Celtic, Pagan, Nordic, Roman, Egyptian and
Hopi traditions are looked at. It also takes a look at some of
our
more light-hearted seasonal traditions: from gift-giving and kissing
under
the mistletoe to songs about lords a-leaping and ladies dancing; and
the
custom of decking the halls with greenery and candles. St.
Nicholas,
Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus all drop
by
as well. Naturally, there is some astronomy in 'Tis The
Season.
We catch a few Northern winter constellations, and we illustrate why we
even have seasons -- demonstrating the Sun's path across the sky
throughout
the year, and the Earth's tilt and orbit around the Sun. And of
course,
we explore the possible astronomical explanations for a Star over
Bethlehem
-- comets, meteors, novae, supernovae, and planetary conjunctions. |
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Mystery
of
the
Christmas
Star (family) 30 min
Mystery of the Christmas
Star takes audiences on a journey back 2000 years to Bethlehem to discover a possible
scientific explanation for the star the wise men followed to find the Christ child. This
program investigates recorded sightings of significant astronomical events during the time of the
birth of Christ. Investigators will see which of these signs in the sky could have been remarkable
enough to cause the wise men to travel across the desert from Babylon just to see a newborn
King. This modern retelling of the Christmas story is sure to charm and captivate
audiences of all ages.
You
willbe
immersed
in spectacular images while this show offers a
scientific view of what the star of Bethlehem may have
been. The planetarium is a perfect place to study this because of
its ability to exactly reproduce the skies as seen from Bethlehem over
2,000 years ago.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION |
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