Planetarium Show Descriptions

30 min

5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI is a full dome film about the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) which is creating the most detailed map of our nearby universe using a unique instrument which can measure the spectra of many galaxies at once. Experience the largest structures in the universe as never seen before by flying through a portion of DESI’s initial data. Dive into modern cosmology, plus the scientific background and motivation for building a Fiske Planetarium large map of galaxies. And, take a trip to Kitt Peak to see footage of the telescope in action while getting to know the amazing people from all over the world making this research possible.

Big Astronomy

26 min
Ages 8 and up

Big Astronomy explores three observatories located in Chile, at extreme and remote places. It gives examples of the multitude of STEM careers needed to keep the great observatories working. The show is narrated by Barbara Rojas-Ayala, a Chilean astronomer.

California Academy of Sciences

Einstein’s Gravity Playlist

23 min
Ages 8 and up

Einstein’s Gravity Playlist is an original planetarium show that explores the ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves. Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916, and a century later, scientists detected these waves using incredibly precise laser technology here on Earth. In this show, viewers follow Lucia, a PhD student in physics, on an exploration of how gravitational waves are formed, how they move through the universe, and how scientists like her work to hear them. 

Forward To The Moon

Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt For Dark Matter

25 min
Ages 8 and up 

An exciting exploration of dark matter, from the Big Bangto its anticipated discovery at the Large Hadron Collider. The show will reveal the first hints ofits existence through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term “dark matter”. This show is narrated by Tilda Swinton, a British actress. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Sunstruck

21 min
All ages

Explore the sun in all its glory in this fulldome show. Sunstruck takes us on a journey to discover the wonders of our magnificent sun and investigate how our star has supported life on Earth for millennia. This program includes information on the structure of our sun, the source of its energy, and how solar activity impacts our world.

Michigan Science Center

Tales of the Maya Skies

35 min
All ages

Through the magic of technology and imagination, you are about to take a trip across time and space to visit a world as it no longer exists today: the world of the ancient Maya civilization! The great pyramid and other stone observatories and structures in the ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula have been laser-scanned and recreated digitally to enable your journey. You will see Chichen Itza perhaps as it looked a thousand years ago when the Maya civilization of the ancient world was at its peak. You will also learn about Maya culture’s advanced understanding of space, time, and mathematics that allowed them to understand the world as few ancient cultures have.

Chabot Space & Science Center

Waiting Far Away

10 min 

An explorer of the cosmos has traveled too far…and can’t findhome. Become lost on a journey through the majestic, humbling, and solitary beauty of spaceand time reimagined. All ages. 

Charles Hayden Planetarium

Bay Aerial

12 min
All ages 

Take a supersonic spin around Bay Area skies! This ten-minute flight of fancy begins at our home port, Chabot, and covers a lot of ground……from the sky above! ToMount Diablo in the east, the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south, Point Reyes up north, and backhome again across the East Bay. 

Cosmic Dance

35 min

Got restless feet? You’re in good company: the Sun, Moon, planets and stars also have those ants in their pants and can’t keep their feet moving to the beat of their ageless cosmic dance. Two-step, tango, break dance, and dosey-doe your way across the solar system in this live immersive show! We’ll cover a few basics of the dance of the planets, whose motions across the sky puzzled and bewildered Earthly onlookers for millennia.

Inspired by Space

35 min

Astronomy discoveries and art often go hand in hand. See through the eyes of pioneers in space exploration: astronomers who’ve dared to draw what they saw. We’ll take a look at how art inspires future scientific discovery, and how scientific discovery inspires art. With an expert guide and cutting-edge astronomical visuals, the Cosmos 360 series reveals the workings of the Universe from new perspectives.

Lunaverse

16 min
All ages

“Lunaverse” explores the nature of Earth’s moon: its motion and phases, lunar and solar eclipses, tides, and the Moon’s origin. The story unfolds as a conversation between a curious young child and the Moon—Luna—over the course of a night, from moonrise to moonset. 

The Home Galaxy

35 min

It’s been called a river in the sky, a tree of life, a celestial spine, and even a spray of mother’s milk, but since Galileo made the telescopic discovery that is made up of countless hosts of stars and mysterious, dark, brooding clouds, we have come to know The Milky Way as our galactic home among the cosmos. Come and explore Via Lactea, The Milky Way, from its sprawling spiral arms to the ultimate heart of darkness-the supermassive black hole that resides at its center.

Universal

12 min
All ages

Fly through the heart of an ancient cluster of stars, and take a swing around the luminous remains of a dying star. Cruise by alien planets that orbit a nearby star, surf past the brilliant rings of Saturn, and more. ‘Universal’ is a quick un-narrated voyage through the universe that carries the viewer from the vast realm of intergalactic space to several stellar wonders of the Milky Way Galaxy through an intriguing and nearby extraterrestrial planetary system, and onward to home, to Earth. This show’s dialogue is all textual and is preferred for those hard of hearing.

When Things Collide

31 min

Movies, mythology, and popular culture paint many pictures of the ways that our world might end. How does science shed light on world-ending planetary disruptions past and future? We’ll fly to celestial sites of devastation and disaster, exploring how these events shape our Universe, and could even threaten life on Earth.

Year of the Dwarf Planet

35 min

Everyone’s favorite underdog among the planets, Pluto has been an icon of dark mystery and murky expectation…until now. In July 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made a historic encounter with the dwarf planet, giving us our first close look at its face and its entourage of moons. Come and join us as we witness this epic journey of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.

Zodiac Tours

38 min

Come on a tour of the Zodiac, the group of ancient constellations visited by the Sun and planets as they wander along their roadway in the sky. Be dazzled by fabulous facts and fantastic fables of these notable star patterns, and discover what hidden celestial treasures they hold.