Black Holes: Journey into the Unknown
Narrated by Academy Award winning actor Geoffrey Rush and presenting the latest scientific information this new planetarium show brings to life all that is fascinating and extreme in the world of black holes. Witness what would happen if you got too close to one and see how a black hole is able to warp time and space. No longer the stuff of science fiction, the discovery of the black hole has been a triumph of modern science; an incredible journey from imagination to reality.
Produced by Melbourne Planetarium, Museum Victoria
Approximate running time: 25 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English
Educational content: history of astronomy, Space exploration, Earth sciences and planetary sciences
STARS
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 furthest reaches of our galaxy and experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of STARS.
The stunning animation highlighted by astronauts, spacecraft, telescopes, nebulae, clusters, and more, was created by the talented team of the National Space Center (Leicester, UK). This dramatic program features the voice talent of Mark Hamill. The Nashville Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Albert-George Schram, resident conductor, performed part of the STARS soundtrack.
More than 225 planetariums have presented classic shows produced by the Sudekum Planetarium at the Adventure Science Center. Now, full-dome theaters can enjoy similar stellar experiences from the Sudekum Planetarium.
Produced by Sudekum Planetarium at the Adventure Science Center
Running time: 26 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Available in English and suitable for future translation
Educational content: stellar evolution, space exploration, electromagnetic spectrum, and history of astronomy
The Celestial Railroad
Get aboard this fantasy train in the stars. The Celestial Railroad is the fantastic journey of a boy, Giovanni, in the dreamscape created by colorful full-dome CG animation imagery and scored with exquisite music. Based on a story written in the early 20th century, artist KAGAYA has breathed new life into the unique imaginary world using all of his creative energy and precise astronomical knowledge. The starry sky is depicted full of color, yet with scientific accuracy as the Celestial Field made up of a river, silver grass fields, flowers, birds, survey towers, signals, and other figures. Across this amazing and beautiful scenery, the Celestial Railroad runs along the Milky Way. This unforgettable trip will be a feast to the eyes and ears of all audiences. Children can enjoy science and fantasy, and adults will be entertained with its elegant artistry and profound implications.
Produced by KAGAYA Studio
Running time: two versions, 28 or 38 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Available in English and suitable for future translation
Educational content: constellations
Infinity Express
Infinity Express takes the audience on an exciting journey of discovery, from the search of the solar system to the mapping of the Universe. Some of the best space visualization agencies from around the world including, the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University of Technology, contributed to the production, interpreting the script developed between the writer and experts from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
... and the universe is slowly offering up its secrets
Infinity Express is a 20-minute immersive experience for the full dome SkyVision system. Laurence Fishburne ("The Matrix") elegantly narrates the production, a remarkable blend of science, art and entertainment that dramatically communicates the latest breakthroughs in our quest to understand the Universe.
With truly stunning visual sequences and a Dolby 5.1 surround soundtrack that rumbles the theater, Infinity Express promises an unforgettable experience for audiences.
Available in English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese.
Produced by Sky-Skan, Inc.
Approximate running time: 23 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portugese,
Spanish
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: History
of astronomy, cosmology, Earth sciences, planetary sciences
For more information click here to visit the Infinity Express web site.
Secret of the Dragon
Come take a ride on the back of a dragon and explore the mysteries of the universe. This magical story whisks two youth through the universe at great speed. From their perch on the back of a secretive dragon, the youth learn about worlds beyond theirs and a bit about themselves in the process.
Secret of the Dragon touches on fundamental astronomical science while remaining entertaining enough for children and makes for a wonderful family-oriented show. This "magical ride through the universe" is a perfect length to accompany a presenter-led live star session or as an add-on to a feature session.
Available in the original Spanish and in a brand new English version.
Produced by Sky-Skan, Inc.
Approximate running time: 9 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, French, Spanish
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Planetary
sciences
Astronaut
The exploration of space is the greatest endeavour 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.
Produced by National Space Centre
Approximate running time: 23 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English
Astronaut website link: www.spacecentre.co.uk/astronaut
View the Astronaut script: Astronaut Script PDF
Additional images: Astronaut, Underwater, Bone, Living in space picture 1, Living in space picture 2, Neuron, Otoliths
The Problem with Pluto
On August 24, 2006, the IAU defined the term planet in a way that reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet. Reactions to the decision varied, but most agree that new material to explain the decision is required for planetariums to continue their mission of education the public about astronomy. Sky-Skan is pleased to have The Problem with Pluto as part of its extensive Full Dome show catalog.
The question “when is a planet not a planet?” is posed by teenager Lucy who, along with her scientist mother, Lillian, is on board a research craft heading to the outer limits of the Solar System. This trip (taken around the time of Lucy’s birthday) is to gain data to silence recent debate questioning Pluto’s status as a planet. While on board her craft, a bored and lonely Lucy chats with her friends on “see-mail” who are scattered among the planets of the Solar System. They discuss the mission to fix Pluto’s status, but all have different ideas on the outcome. To her surprise, Lucy is unexpectedly visited by the ghost of Percival Lowell, the astronomer who in the early 1900s first discussed the possibility of a 10th planet: “Planet X”. Percy and Lucy engage in a spirited debate about how Pluto is different to the other planets in the Solar System, and the difficulties of defining just what makes a planet. When Percy returns to the ether, he and Lucy have shared and swapped valuable information and viewpoints but the debate isn’t over. As Lucy and Lillian embark on the exciting journey to Pluto’s surface, they agree that “maybe looking for the answer is what’s important after all.”
Produced by Melbourne Planetarium, Scienceworks Museum, Museum Victoria
Approximate running time: 30 minutes
Suitable for ages 8 and up
Languages available: English
Educational content: Planets and Solar System
Kaluoka'hina, The Enchanted Reef
The vastness of our planet’s oceans guards unimaginable secrets. One of its most precious is “Kaluoka’hina”, the enchanted reef whose magic protects it against humans finding it. Kaluoka’hina’s colorful inhabitants have thus always lived in peace... until the volcano erupts, and the spell is broken.
Now it’s up to the young sawfish Jake and his paranoid pal Shorty to restore the magic of Kaluoka’hina. Their only lead: the ancient legend that tells of touching the moon…
But how is a fish supposed to touch the moon? This is just one of the intriguing puzzles that Jake and Shorty have to solve on their most exciting adventure ever: the quest to save their beloved reef.
See what many are hailing as "the most ambitious and professional production for the dome to date." In a production that sets a new standard for full dome shows, Kaluoka'hina is all that and more. As much a technological marvel as it is a wonderfully entertaining and visually captivating show.
Produced by Softmachine
Approximate running time: 35 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, German
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Earth
sciences and marine biology
View or download show trailer (QuickTime format, 14 MB)
For more information, audio and video clips, images, and details about this film and its producers, visit the Kaluoka'hina web site.
MARS
Share the Voyages of Discovery
What happened to Mars? What happened to the water? Was there once life? Could there still be life... somewhere? In spectacular high-definition 3D graphics, the awe-inspiring history of the planet unfolds to the space age and the dusty, cratered world we know today. Join in the latest discoveries from the Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey. Contemplate the potential of a new generation of space craft such as Mars Express and the landers Spirit and Opportunity, in the race to find liquid water and life. Finally, take a speculative look into the future – and the presence of humans on the planet. Take your seat for a 4.5 billion year story.
Produced by the National Space Centre
Approximate running time: 25 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Planetary
sciences
View show trailer (QuickTime format, 3.9 MB)
SonicVision
The American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with MTV2 and Moby, one of the world's best known musical artists, has created SonicVision, a groundbreaking, virtual-reality alternative music show. SonicVision takes audiences on a mind-warping musical rollercoaster ride through vivid 3-D graphic environments set to a high-energy music mix by Moby that features tracks from Radiohead, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Queens of the Stone Age, Prodigy, The Flaming Lips, Fischerspooner, Spirtualized, Audioslave, Stereolab, Boards of Canada, David Byrne and Brian Eno, Goldfrapp, Zwan, and White Zombie. Using next-generation technology to create this one-of-a-kind musical and visual experience, SonicVision fills the dome and surrounds the audinece with an unforgettable immersive experience.
Produced by the American Museum of Natural History
Approximate running time: 36 minutes
Suitable for general audiences
Entertainment show
Passport to the Universe
Every day, as new scientific discoveries reveal answers to cosmic mysteries, we wonder how we fit into this vast Universe. Taking audiences on an unforgettable voyage of billions of light years, Passport to the Universe, produced by the American Museum of Natural History and narrated by Tom Hanks, is an incredible journey from our home planet and the Milky Way galaxy to the edge of the Universe. Audiences fly beneath the rings of Saturn, into the heart of the Orion Nebula, to the edge of the observable Universe, and back to Earth through a black hole, experiencing these and other stunning cosmic destinations as never before possible.
Created in collaboration with NASA, Passport to the Universe relies on the AMNH's Digital Universe, an unprecedented database containing over three billion stars, and on data and visualizations from the world's top astrophysics and research institutions. The combination of these incredible resources results in an immersive experience that educates and inspires, taking audiences on a virtual tour to the limits of the Universe and back again.
Produced by the American Museum of Natural History
Approximate running time: 20 minutes
Languages available: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean,
Portuguese and Spanish
Suitable for family audiences
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: History
of astronomy, cosmology & Earth sciences, planetary sciences
The Search for Life: Are We Alone?
For as long as humans have contemplated the cosmos, we have wondered if we are alone in the universe. Ancient mythologies and contemporary science fiction have presented imaginative answers, but how does modern science approach this question? Narrated by Harrison Ford and created in collaboration with NASA, the American Museum of Natural History's The Search for Life: Are We Alone? explores this intriguing question, taking visitors on a fascinating journey through time and space. From the depths of the Earth's oceans to the outer reaches of the cosmos, The Search for Life explores the links between life on Earth and the potential for life on other planets.
The Search for Life uses breathtaking visualizations based on cutting-edge data from a multitude of astrophysicists, researchers, and institutions to create a real view of the science portrayed. Using the most advanced technology available, The Search for Life transforms our view of the cosmos to reveal countless worlds that may harbor life.
Produced by the American Museum of Natural History
Approximate running time: 20 minutes
Languages available: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean,
Portuguese and Spanish
Suitable for family audiences
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: History
of astronomy, cosmology & Earth sciences, planetary sciences
Dawn of the Space Age
Re-live the excitement of the early days of space exploration, from the launch of the first artificial satellite to the magnificant lunar landings and privately operated space flights.
Be immersed and overwhelmed with this most accurate historic recontruction of Man’s first steps into space.
Who were these Men and Women that took part in these death defying endeavours?
Witness their drive, their passion, and their perseverance to explore, in “Dawn of the Space Age”.
Full Dome Image Sample #1 Full Dome Image Sample #2 Full Dome Image Sample #3
Produced by Mirage3D
Available in 3D stereo for Definiti 3D
Approximate running time: two versions, 30 or 40 minutes
Languages available: English, Dutch, German
Suitable for family audiences
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Space Science and Planetary Science
R&J
An artistic show exploring the dome format as a medium for film and stories, which offers a modern and somewhat surrealistic version of the Shakespeare classic Romeo & Juliet performed by a group of young people amidst a party atmosphere.
Produced by LivinGlobe
Approximate running time: 20 minutes
Languages available: English, German
Suitable for general audiences
Entertainment show
HUBBLE Vision 2
A fascinating tour of the cosmos — from Earth orbit to the limits of the observable universe, featuring planets, star birth, supernovae, galaxy collisions, black holes, and more! Bring the Space Telescope's exciting discoveries to audiences of all ages. HUBBLE Vision 2 is a factual journey through the universe, as seen through the unblinking eye of one of the world's premier telescopes. Narrated by Wren Ross.
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 30 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, Korean, Portuguese
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Astronomy,
space exploration and planetary sciences
Origins of Life
Origins of Life deals with some of the most profound questions of life science: the origin of life and the human search for life beyond Earth.
Starting with the Big Bang, in chronological order, the show deals with prebiotic chemistry in the Universe, the formation of stars, formation of solar systems, and the first life on Earth. Furthermore Origins of Life covers the great extinctions as well as our search for (primitive) life beyond planet Earth.
Origins of Life is a motivational journey through time and a celebration of life on Earth. It features many recent discoveries related to life science, demonstrating to the youth that if there was ever a time that science made it greatest advances, it would be right now!
Produced by: Mirage3D
Approximate running time: 23 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, Dutch, German, Korean
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Astrobiology,
Earth sciences, planetary sciences
View or download or show trailer (QuickTime format, 11 MB). To download, right-click and select "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As..."
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 does so by taking the audience on an immersive journey to the far reaches of the Universe that we are currently able to observe. Along the way, the audience is introduced to the concept of the speed of light, and they meet a huge range of objects to spark their imagination.
Unlike any show you have seen before, BIG combines a light-hearted storytelling style (narration by Richard Attenborough) with computer animation, stop-motion character animation (claymation), laser graphics and a surround sound musical score to bring a really big subject down to Earth.
Produced by the National Space Centre
Approximate running time: Approximately 20 minutes
Suitable for ages 5 and above
Languages available: English
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: History
of astronomy, cosmology and planetary sciences
View show trailer (QuickTime format, 5.3 MB)
Seasonal STARGAZING
16 shows in one! Every planetarium theater needs a good basic stargazing program that teaches audience members how to find things in the night sky and gives them a taste of some of the most beautiful objects in astronomy. With Seasonal STARGAZING, you receive a flexible package of four seasonal shows, each with a short (7 min.) and full (14 min.) length version. Not only that, each variation is recorded with male or female narration, allowing for the ultimate in choices for your needs! Each of the 16 star talks acquaint viewers with the starry night, using simple-to-follow starhopping directions and descriptive constellation tours.
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 14 minutes for full versions, 7 minutes for short versions
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, Korean
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Seasonal astronomy
Larry Cat In Space
Take off on a lunar adventure with a curious stowaway cat! Larry Cat In Space 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 Cat In Space is primarily targeted at grades 1-3, although everyone loves an entertaining, fun story! Parents and children alike will enjoy the show, and learn something about the Moon, too!
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 30 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish (as Fito Gato En El Espacio)
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Earth
and space sciences, science as a human endeavor
Sky Quest
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. Narrated by Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres of "Star Trek: Voyager").
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 25 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, Korean
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Astronomy,
stargazing, Earth and space sciences
Earth's Wild Ride
Human's have colonized the moon. Looking down on Earth during a solar eclipse, a grandfather tells his two grandchildren, born on the Moon, about Earth. Stories about water, clouds, and ice – things they have never experienced – on the Moon with a historical perspective involving dinosaurs, mammoths, volcanoes and the forming of great canyons.
Produced for the Houston Museum of Natural History/Rice University Immersive
Earth Project by Carolyn Sumners and Home Run Pictures
Approximate running time: 20 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Earth
sciences
The Cowboy Astronomer
From way out West comes a unique planetarium show! The basic premise of The Cowboy Astronomer is simple: we're in the Western outdoors, listening to star legends and cowboy tales around the campfire. Our cowboy astronomer gives us his perspective of the night sky, and the things he's found out over a lifetime of stargazing. He talks about star colors and temperatures, we find the Andromeda Galaxy by hitting a first-base foul out of the park of the Great Baseball Diamond In The Sky, we learn about young stars and supernovae, what various cultures called the Pleiades, we hear two Native American star tales, see the Anasazi pictographs of the 1054 supernova, and Sirius rising over Wyoming's Medicine Wheel. The show ends on a thoughtful, philosophical manner, as our cowboy muses about the constellation where he wants to head when he departs this Earth. Narrated by cowboy poet and humorist Baxter Black.
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 37 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, Korean
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Astronomy,
stargazing, and history of science
Oceans In Space
Oceans In Space is a journey of exploration that seeks out places where conditions are favorable for life to exist. This original and thought-provoking presentation highlights the search for extrasolar planets and an understanding of the conditions necessary to form and sustain life. Inspired in part by the goals of NASA's Origins Program -- an effort to answer the enduring questions that spur space exploration -- this program introduces audiences to the diversity of life on our home planet even as humans embark on the search for life in the universe. Narrated by Avery Brooks (Captain Benjamin Sisko of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine").
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 30 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, Korean, Portuguese
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Astronomy,
Earth, planetary and marine sciences
Season of Light
(Previously titled 'Tis The Season)
An elegant, sophisticated non-denominational presentation for the winter holiday season. Naturally, there is some astronomy in Season of Light. We catch a few Northern winter constellations, and we illustrate why we even have seasons and explore the possible astronomical explanations for a "Star over Bethlehem" in the last quarter of the show. Narrated by National Public Radio's Noah Adams
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 35 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Stargazing
and astronomically-related cultural themes
The Heart of the Sun
The Heart of the Sun, a high-definition full dome digital presentation by John Weiley – maker of multi-award winning Imax films including “Antarctica”, “SolarMax” and the hit 3D production “Imagine!” – shows us the Sun as it has never been seen before.
New space-based telescopes along with a new generation of terrestrial instruments capture both the fine surface detail and the vast eruptions of the corona with unprecedented clarity and for the first time take us right inside a living star. Heart of the Sun delivers new breathtaking, high-resolution motion pictures never before seen in a full dome theater.
From the Neolithic sky watchers of Europe to the solar observatories and blood sacrifice of Mesoamerica to the sun gods of the Egyptians and Greeks and the dawning of Aristotelian science, The Heart of the Sun reveals how the development of our whole cosmology has been informed by our struggle with this oldest of mysteries. Experience the story that shows how that process continues today as the sheer strangeness of our nearest star continues to challenge our imagination.
Produced by Heliograph Productions
Approximate running time: Approximately 20 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Astronomy, Earth
and space sciences
S.E.T.I.
The prospect that we may not be alone in the Universe is taken as a fact by the movies, writers and a great many scientists. As yet, we have no hard evidence of another living thing outside Planet Earth.
S.E.T.I. - The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence - is a show that explores all sides of this topic, from the planets we are finding around other stars, to the feasibility of travelling to the stars, and what aliens might actually be like, to the possibility that UFOs have been visiting and the various methods that scientists are using to get in touch. Will we make contact in our lifetimes? This stunning immersive show guides you through the myriad of ideas to a surprising conclusion.
Produced by the National Space Centre
Approximate running time: 25 minutes
Suitable for ages 5 and above
Languages available: English
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: History
of astronomy, cosmology and planetary sciences
View show trailer (QuickTime format, 5.4 MB)
Molecularium Episode 1: Riding Snowflakes
Welcome to the Molecularium™, a magical, musical adventure into the world of molecules! Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Molecularium is an exciting new animation, in a planetarium setting, created to spark interest in the atoms and molecules that constitute our world. The show follows a cast of characters, based on atoms, as they move throughout the universe from the perspective of a magical ship, also called the Molecularium. The ship can view matter on both the human and molecular levels.
The Molecularium project is part of the educational and outreach program of RPI’s National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures.
Produced by Nanotoon for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Approximate running time: 25 minutes
Suitable for ages 5 and up
Languages available: English
Educational content: States of matter, atoms and molecules
The Planets
Presented in the style of a game show, The Planets tests people’s knowledge of the nine planets in our Solar System. The audience find themselves transported from planet to planet, immersed in spectacularly different environments. Great fun, the show also has enough facts and concepts to provide real educational value. Narrated by Ben Jackson.
Produced by the National Space Centre
Approximate running time: 35 minutes
Suitable for 5 years and above
Languages available: English
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: History of astronomy and
planetary sciences
MarsQuest
A tour of the Red Planet and humanity's fascination with it, presented in a theatrical style "three-act" form (with an epilogue). The show presents Mars through history, details the Mars of our time, and examines the subject of future colonization. The show ends with a view from a future perspective; tracing the efforts that led to our first footsteps on the Red Planet. Narrated by Patrick Stewart, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of "Star Trek" movies and TV.
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 40 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, Korean, Portuguese
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Astronomy,
planetary sciences, and history of science
The Voyager Encounters
The definitive summary, recapping all of Voyager's encounters with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in one convenient, thorough documentary. It can fill the niche for "basic Solar System show" in any planetarium's schedule as the real "meat and potatoes" of planetarium shows -- a factual yet entertaining trip to the outer planets. Narrated by Patrick Stewart, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of "Star Trek" movies and TV.
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 43 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English, Portuguese
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Planetary
science and space exploration
Light Years From Andromeda
Availability: 2009
A show about cosmic distances, light speed, history and evolution as a journey between two galaxies spans light years.
A beam of light leaves the Andromeda Galaxy and travels across the void of intergalactic space. On a planet located in a nearby galaxy, intelligent life evolves. As the light speeds across the light years, over the course of centuries, the primitives on the planet 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's 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. Narrated by Michael Dorn, Worf of "Star Trek" movies and TV.
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 30 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Astronomy,
light years, and science as a human endeavor
Magellan: Report From Venus
Availability: 2008
With a plethora of Magellan radar images, audiences will learn about the volcanism, tectonism, and cratering that shapes our nearest neighboring planet; a documentary look at the cloud-shrouded Venus and the Magellan radar mapping mission.
Produced by Loch Ness Productions
Approximate running time: 29 minutes
Suitable for family audiences
Languages available: English
For educational purposes, the production includes information about: Planetary
and space sciences, and the history of Venus exploration