Tales of the Maya Skies

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Chichén Itzá, Mexico, the “seventh wonder of the modern world.” Listen to the story of the ancient Maya civilization. Experience Tales of the Maya Skies.

With unprecedented realism Tales of the Maya Skies immerses us in Maya science, art and mythology, using fulldome digital technology to transport us back into the world of the Maya.

Produced by Chabot Space & Science Center, Tales of the Maya Skies inspires and educates through its description of the Maya’s accurate astronomical achievements and how astronomy connected them to the Universe.

Grammy Award winner and Oscar nominee, Lila Downs, narrates, as Tales of the Maya Skies brings us back to the ancient jungles of Mexico, where the Maya built cities and temples aligned to movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets. Over many years they observed and documented astronomical events with great accuracy.

The Maya made sense of an ever-changing world by observing, recording and predicting natural events such as solstices, solar eclipses, weather patterns, and planetary movements. These observations, in combination with a sophisticated mathematical system, allowed them to develop a precise calendar system; their measurements of the length of the solar year were more accurate than measurements the Europeans used as the basis of the Gregorian calendar. The Maya also predicted eclipses, were able to forecast seasonal change and developed the concept of mathematical zero, enabling them to predict events into the future.

Recent deciphering of the Maya hieroglyphics is providing archeologists with new and exciting discoveries. Using three dimensional laser scanning and advanced graphic techniques, the virtual reconstruction of architecture in Tales of the Maya Skies also supports these archeologists in interpreting the ancient sites, and contributes to their conservation.

Funding for the production of Tales of the Maya Skies was provided by the National Science Foundation and the Instituto Politécnico Nacional. It is the first fulldome digital show highlighting a Latin American culture.

Produced by Chabot Space & Science Center

Awesome Light

With unique access to their facilities and in cooperation with the PIs, this first in a planetarium series for general audiences showcases the latest discoveries from three major international telescopes. Voyage into Subaru, Gemini, and Canada-France-Hawai‘i observatories to explore exoplanet TrES-1, real-time observations of the galaxy SN2008D, and the One Square Degree Survey. Featuring stunning time-lapse footage and astro simulations rendered in DigitalSky 2.

Available exclusively from Sky-Skan in both 3D stereo and standard 2D mono fulldome formats

Produced by Sky-Skan for ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i

Approximate running time: 15 minutes

Created in Definiti 3D

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, Scienceworks Museum, Museum Victoria

Approximate running time: 25 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

Our Living Climate

Our Living Climate is a planetarium show suitable for students from year 5 – 10, and general audiences. It looks at the climate of the Earth. In particular, the key themes are:

• The Earth’s climate is a complex system that has changed over time
• The Earth’s atmosphere sustains life and has been built by life
• There are important similarities and differences between Earth and other planets.

The show is a documentary style and uses a number of visual techniques to engage the audience and to support the learning themes. We start with a comparison between the Earth and its nearest neighbours – the Moon and the planet Venus, highlighting the delicate atmospheric balance that is required to support life.

We are then immersed in the story of the Earth’s climate, travelling through time to view the interactions between life and climate at various stages in the planet’s evolution. We experience a mass extinction event, an ice age and the industrial revolution.

We are left with an understanding of how scientists can study constant climate change and how we, as humans, have an opportunity to impact the climate for better or worse.

Our Living Climate – the greatest scientific challenge of our time.

Produced by Melbourne Planetarium, Scienceworks Museum, Museum Victoria

Approximate running time: 25 minutes

Suitable for ages 5-10 and general audiences

Fragile Planet

Travel 120 million light years to rediscover home

Earth, our only known haven for life, inhabits a special place in the cosmos. But how special?

Sigourney Weaver guides audiences on an immersive excursion that will inspire a new perspective on our home world.

After a close look at Earth, Fragile Planet visits the planets and moons in our solar system in search of hide-outs for life, and then takes in our ongoing exoplanetary exploration and extragalactic discoveries. The visually intense program uses the latest visualization techniques to weave together observed data, including high-resolution satellite and spacecraft imagery, terrain maps, and pinpoint positioning of stars, exoplanets, and galaxies.

Weaver’s sensitive narration provides a poetic counterpoint to the rich visuals, and renowned giant screen composer Michael Stearns creates a deeply evocative multi-dimensional sound environment. Produced by the Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and SCISS AB.

Produced by Morrison Planetarium with NSCA and SCISS AB

Solar Storms

A Tale of Twin Spacecraft

From Earth, the Sun cannot be looked at with human eyes. Solar Storms gives the audience the opportunity to see the Sun up close. Stand above the arctic circle and witness the most brilliant auroras on Earth; take a ride on a solar blast from Sun’s surface to Earth Magnetosphere, and come to a deeper understanding of what this vast sea of fire means to life here on Earth.

For Sky-Skan’s exclusive fulldome version, the original 3D animation files have been accessed, adding spherical stereo cameras and re-rendering each scene to take full advantage of the fulldome environment.

Solar Storms for fulldome is no mere spherical transform but a completely custom scene-by-scene reproduction.

Produced by Melrae Productions in association with K2 Communications

Developed with the assistance of NASA and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Fulldome version produced by Sky-Skan

Approximate running time 20 minutes

Forces of Nature

Closer Than You’d Ever Want To Be

Witness the awesome power and the unimaginable destruction of explosive volcanoes, ground-buckling earthquakes, and deadly tornadoes as you head into the field with scientists who risk their lives exploring the origins and behaviors of these fearsome natural diasasters.

• Venture to the brink of an erupting volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat.
• Crisscross the Midwest’s infamous “Tornado Alley” with storm-chasers racing to unlock the secrets of monster twisters.
• Discover how the history of massive, city-leveling earthquakes in Turkey is helping scientists predict where and when the next quake will strike.

It’s a spectacular, up close glimpse of the Earth’s most destructive forces! Narrated by Kevin Bacon.

Produced by National Geographic and Graphic Films, Inc.

Transformed from giant-sceen film by Sky-Skan

Approximate running time 40 minutes

The Heart of the Sun

The Heart of the Sun, a fulldome 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 fulldome 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

Running time 22 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

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 fulldome theaters. 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 5.1 surround soundtrack that rumbles the theater, Infinity Express promises an unforgettable experience for audiences.

Produced by Sky-Skan

Approximate running time 23 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

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 with computer animation, stop-motion character animation (clay animation), laser graphics, and a surround sound musical score to bring a really big subject down to Earth.

Narrated by Sir Richard Attenborough

Produced by NSC Creative

Approximate running time 20 minutes

Suitable for ages 5 and above and school groups

MARS

What happened to Mars? What happened to the water? Was there once life? Could there still be life…somewhere?

Featuring 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.

Narrated by Miriam Margolyes

Produced by NSC Creative

Approximate running time 25 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

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 NSC Creative

Approximate running time 25 mintues

Suitable for ages 5 and above and school groups

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.

Narrated by Hugh Laurie

Produced by NSC Creative

Approximate running time 25 minutes

Suitable for ages 5 and above.

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 farthest reaches of our galaxy and experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of STARS.

The stunning animation highlighted by astronauts, spacecraft, telescopes, nebulas, clusters, and more, was created by the talented team of the National Space Centre (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, fulldome theaters can enjoy similar Stellar Experiences from the Sudekum Planetarium.

Produced by Sudekum Planetarium and NSC Creative

Running time 26 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

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 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 maneuvering 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 fulldome video and explosive surround sound, Astronaut is an experience like nothing on Earth.

Produced by NSC Creative

Approximate running time 20 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

We Are Astronomers

Today’s astronomer is not the lone observer of past centuries. We Are Astronomers reveals the global collaboration, technology, and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the Universe.

Produced by NSC Creative

Approximate running time 25 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

In the Realm of Light

In the Realm of Light tells in breathtaking pictures the story of the genesis and the evolution of the universe and our world—from the big bang until today. A philosophical approach to the origins of space and our life.

Produced by Softmachine

Approximate running time 24 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

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 fulldome 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

Running time 32 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

Natural Selection

Join Charles Darwin on his voyage with the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos islands where he got inspired for his later theory of transmutation by Natural Selection.

From the comfort of Down House in Kent, Darwin himself will explain the mechanism of Natural Selection to the audience, and support it by showing many beautiful examples in nature.

The thrill of a scientific discovery, the adventure of science and the beauty of nature are central in this show.

Coming in 2009

Produced by Mirage3D

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! Narrated by Lord Robert Winston.

Produced by Mirage3D

Running time 24 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

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 magnificent lunar landings and privately operated space flights.

Be immersed and overwhelmed with this most accurate historic reconstruction 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.

Produced by Mirage3D

Approximate running time 30 or 40 minute versions

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

NEW version available in 3D stereo

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 fulldome 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

Approximate running time 28 or 38 minutes (two versions available)

Suitable for family audiences

TimeSpace

Join us for an adventure through Time, as we explore the past and imagine the future of the cosmos. Witness the birth of the Universe, the doom of the dinosaurs, and be there for the first landing on the moon! Each TimeSpace travel story is presented as a destination to be experienced as if you are there.

TimeSpace Travel Stories

The Big Bang: Back to the beginning of time and immersed within the Universe during the first minutes of its creation. Based on current research, the audience will watch the creation of all matter unfolding into the Cosmos, climaxing with the birth of the first stars.

Doom of the Dinosaurs: Evidence suggests that the age of the dinosaurs ended when a giant asteroid collided with the Earth. The impact plunged the Earth into chaos and life itself was challenged. For the dinosaurs, this visitor from outer space eventually doomed them to extinction 65 million years ago.

Comet in the Yucatán Sky: In 1222AD, on the Yucatán Peninsula, the Mayan civilization had reached its zenith. Chichén Itzá was a great cultural center that had thrived for centuries but, was now in decline. How would the population and the astronomer-priests react to the sudden appearance of “a star that smokes.” Why would the gods send so special a sight into the sky?

Apollo 11—One Small Step: In July of 1969, people in America and around the world watched this epic accomplishment “live” on television. TimeSpace will recreate the Moon landing experience from a unique perspective for a new generation.

IBEX—The Interstellar Boundary Explorer Mission: In 2508 The inhabitants of a busy space transportation outpost celebrate the 500th anniversary on NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer mission. IBEX was the first space craft to measure and map the edges of the solar system, defining for the first time exactly where the solar wind comes to a stop when it faces the interstellar medium.

To Boldly Go Forth: Imagine the future a thousand years from now. In the next millennium, humans may live and work in the outer solar system. Tomorrow’s pioneers will call an orbiting space-nation home and bold explorers might glimpse Saturn peeking through the methane clouds of Titan.

Narration by Laurie Anderson

Produced by Adler Planetarium

Approximate running time 28 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

Journey to the Stars

Our journey to the stars spans billions of years, beginning on Earth and extending beyond our galaxy and into the future before returning home. More than 13 billion years ago there was only an invisible substance called dark matter, along with hydrogen and helium gas. The stars that formed quickly exploded in supernovas, blasting out new elements, the raw materials for building new stars and planets. The gravity of dark matter collected gas into galaxies– including our own Milky Way. Moving forward to about 4.5 billion years ago, we see a tightly packed group of stars, called a star cluster, in which stars of many different masses and colors are formed, including our Sun. The most massive stars lived only briefly, and exploded in gigantic supernovas. Less massive stars were flung out of the cluster—some, like our Sun, with planets already formed and orbiting around them.

We move on our present day Sun to see how stars work – from its outer layer where a million-degree corona blasts out a solar wind, to its core where atomic nuclei fuse together to release immense amounts of energy. Jumping to the future, five billion years from now, our Sun at the end of its life expands into a red giant and sheds its outer layers, leaving a white dwarf, the hot dense remnant of the Sun’s core.

Returning to the present, we explore stars in our galactic backyard that are going through all these processes now—being born, ejected from star clusters, slowly dying, and shedding matter that may someday form other stars and planets. A short trip back home shows us the familiar night sky, and the morning light of the rising Sun reveals what stars have made possible.

Produced by American Museum of Natural History

Approximate running time 26 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

Cosmic Collisions

Produced by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and narrated by Robert Redford, AMNH’s third space show illustrates that cosmic collisions are a universal force of nature, both destructive and creative. Dynamic and dazzling, they have created many things we take for granted—the glowing Moon, the sun’s warmth and light, our changing seasons, waves washing up on a sandy shore. They’ve ended the age of the dinosaurs and changed the very map of the cosmos, reforming galaxies and giving birth to new stars and new worlds. Produced in partnership with NASA, Cosmic Collisions relies on AMNH’s Digital Universe, an unparalleled database containing over three billion stars, and on data and visualizations from the world’s top astrophysics and research institutions. Cosmic Collisions provides an unprecedented and extraordinary view of these catastrophic and constructive events that have shaped our world and universe.

Produced by American Museum of Natural History

Approximate running time 23 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

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 American Museum of Natural History

Approximate running time 20 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

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 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 American Museum of Natural History

Approximate running time 20 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

Secret of the Cardboard Rocket

One of the most popular space journeys for children and their families has been The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket. Thanks to new tools and talent at the Clark Planetarium, you’ll see and feel the highest levels of detail and animation of any planetarium in the world.

In the most dynamic fashion possible, the young star travelers are back to show you what could only be dreamed of before. From the boiling surface of the sun to the icy rings of Saturn, children of all ages will be mesmerized by the incredible scenery in motion. Discover the wonder of discovery in The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket.

Produced by Clark Planetarium

Running time 30 or 40 minutes

Black Holes

A completely original Clark Planetarium production, 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?

Clark Planetarium invites you to explore with us the science and mystery of Black Holes.

Produced by Clark Planetarium

Running time 23 or 37 minutes

Saturn

It’s one of the most beautiful and magnificent planets in the solar system...a symbol of all that is exotic and wonderful about the universe.

Once, it was the most distant planet we knew of...a mysterious world seemingly beyond our reach. But now, using sophisticated spacecraft, we have finally been able to reach out to this great ringed giant. We’ve sailed by the trillions of chunks of ice that make up its glorious rings...we’ve uncovered the bizarre faces of its unique moons...and we’ve peered down into its turbulent atmosphere through massive and violent hurricanes.

Thanks to new scientific information, we can present this planet, its moons and its rings in a 3-dimensional environment encompassing the entire dome.

Produced by Clark Planetarium

Running time 35 minutes

Extreme Planets

For centuries, humanity has wondered whether we are alone in the Universe.

Now, we are finally one step closer to knowing the answer. With the discovery in 1995 of the first planet orbiting another star, we now know that planets are not unique to our own Solar System. In fact, these “extrasolar” planets now appear to be quite common.

In our newest original production, we’ll explore what makes a planet “Earth-like” in the first place and take a fulldome tour of several worlds that just might fit the conditions we’re looking for. From water worlds to molten landscapes, inhabitable moons to planets with multiple suns, these exotic worlds aren’t just science fiction anymore!

Produced by Clark Planetarium

Running time 23, 31, or 38 minutes

LIMIT: Expedition to the Edge of the World

Seafaring was once one of the most dangerous adventures. Fear always sails with the seafarers: the fear of falling off the edge of the world!

The earth has an edge. We live on this edge and look out into boundless expanses! Boundless? Is the cosmos really boundless? Has the Universe no edge? Let’s start the search! Our take-off speed is 300 million times faster than a beam of light! The theater makes it possible!

4,000 times farther away than the galaxy of Andromeda, we detect still more galaxies with our telescope. The most distant light detected in the infrared region has been on its way to us for over 13 billion years. It shows galaxies in the process of formation—these are primeval gas clouds with young stars in their midst. The light from the edge of the world comes from the very first stars with no planets. We are looking into the most distant past. The power of imagination is the only suitable means of travel in space. Our brain brings us to the edge of the world with no loss of time. Let’s go there in our imagination!

Produced by Verkehrshaus der Schweiz

Approximate running time 30 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

Stella Nova

Stella Nova focuses on our origins and the evolution of matter. Stella Nova covers a fascinating topic, and takes visitors on a thrilling journey of discovery deep into space. Our destiny and our origins are intimately linked to the birth and death of the stars. But what is a star? How do stars “work?” How do they end? Stella Nova offers some very interesting answers to the questions surrounding our origins!

Produced by Verkehrshaus der Schweiz

Suitable for family audiences

Earth’s Wild Ride

Humans 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 and school groups

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.”

Produced by Loch Ness Productions

Running time 43 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

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

Running time 30 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

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.”

Produced by Loch Ness Productions

Running time 41 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

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 and 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 in 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

Running time 37 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

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

Running time 20 and 24 minute versions

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

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

Running time 30 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

Light Years From Andromeda

Light Years From Andromeda is a show about cosmic distances, light speed, history and evolution presented as a journey between two galaxies that 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.”

Produced by Loch Ness Productions

Running time 30 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

Magellan: Report From Venus

With a plethora of Magellan radar images, audiences will learn about the volcanism, tectonism, and cratering that shapes our nearest neighboring planet. Magellan: Report From Venus is a documentary look at the cloud-shrouded Venus and the Magellan radar mapping mission.

Produced by Loch Ness Productions

Running time 29 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

Earth, Moon & Sun

Coyote has a razor-sharp wit, but he’s a little confused about what he sees in the sky.

Join this amusing character (adapted from American Indian oral traditions) in a fast-paced and fun fulldome show that explores lunar phases, eclipses and other puzzles.

Engaging and immersive, Earth, Moon & Sun™ also examines how humans learn through space exploration. Audiences age 5-11.

Produced by UNC Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Running time 26 minutes

One World, One Sky

Elmo and Big Bird live in the United States and Hu Hu Zhu lives far away in China, but they discovered that they still see the same stars at night!

Produced by Sesame Workshop, the Beijing Planetarium, Adler Planetarium, and Liberty Science Center with major funding provided by the National Science Foundation

Approximate running time 27 minutes

Molecularium

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 and school groups

The Problem with Pluto

The IAU defined the term “planet” on August 24, 2006, creating a need for new material to explain the IAU’s decision. The Problem with Pluto is the most up-to-date educational resource for fulldome theaters to educate the public in an engaging and entertaining way about what defines a planet.

The Problem with Pluto is a fully immersive production that is enjoyable for all ages, but especially structured for 8-14 year olds. Through the experiences of the intrepid character Lucy Leavitt, we are taken on a journey to examine the question “When is a planet not a planet?”

This question is posed by 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. We examine some of the new information about our Solar System and discuss how Pluto is different to the other planets in the Solar System. We investigate where Pluto belongs in the overall structure of the Solar System and highlight the difficulties of defining what makes a planet.

Show Features

A fun comparison of the planets in the solar system, including major characteristics and orbits of each.

A voyage through Saturn’s rings, where chunks of rock and ice as large as houses whiz by, then to Neptune, where diamonds rain from the sky.

A look into the unique and amazing history of the discovery of Pluto.

An update of our traditional view of the Solar System to include the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud.

Spectacular journeys through the Asteroid Belt and the Kuiper Belt, including a comparison of these amazing regions.

A subtle reminder of the scientific method, including a respect for evidence and openness of mind, and information regarding how we know what we do about the universe.

Produced by Melbourne Planetarium, Scienceworks Museum, Museum Victoria

Running time 30 minutes

Suitable for ages 8 and up and school groups

Tycho to the Moon

Kids love Tycho! The dog that doesn’t just howl at the moon—he goes there!

See the planetarium’s favorite dog like never before with stunning new fulldome visuals. Blast off on an amazing ride with Tycho and his young American friends, Ruby and Michael.

Learn about night and day, space travel, phases of the Moon, and features of the lunar surface. Take a close-up look at the Sun, see Tycho play in zero gravity, witness Earth from space, and watch meteors shoot across the night sky. Includes the much-loved singalong song “Don’t Touch!”

Produced by Melbourne Planetarium, Scienceworks Museum, Museum Victoria

Running time 21 minutes

Suitable for ages 7 to 10

Tycho merchandise available

Sunshine!

Sunshine is a loveable cartoon Sun, and he doesn’t care if the children get loud or excited: in fact, he wants them to look around, raise their hands, sing, and play along with his tricks. Adults have to join in too!

During the fun and games, the stars of the night sky are gently revealed and Sunshine explores some simple colors and counting.

Sunshine is self contained, but a live presenter is recommended to get the audience interacting fully.

Produced by NSC Creative

Approximate running time 20 minutes

Suitable for ages 5 and under

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

Running time 30 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

Special Spanish version available as Fito Gato En El Espacio

Field Trip to the Moon

Field Trip to the Moon is a virtual journey created using NASA engineering models and scientific data. Like NASA’s astronauts, you will come face-to-face with the challenges and excitement of traveling through space to land on the Moon. Along the way, you'll discover some of the differences between the Earth and the Moon and what makes our planet unique and habitable.

Field Trip to the Moon was developed by the American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Produced by American Museum of Natural History and NASA

Approximate running time 30 minutes

Suitable for school groups

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 youths through the Universe at great speed. From their perch on the back of a secretive dragon, the youths 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.

Produced by Sky-Skan

Approximate running time 11 minutes

Suitable for family audiences and school groups

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 3D 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 audience with an unforgettable immersive experience.

Produced by American Museum of Natural History

Running time 36 minutes

Rock On Demand

This is a visual library used for choreography with classic rock music. The title reflects the way Clark Planetarium presents the show, letting the audience choose the music from an ever expanding library of great rock classics and original imagery. But it doesn’t have to be used that way! The selections can be mixed up or changed however your producers and presenters see fit.

The show also provides several opportunities for the infusion of auxiliary effects—laser beamwork, lighting effects projectors, or “real-time” effects for live performance elements. These are not required to make the show “work” but they will help offer variety and change for your audiences.

Music performance licenses (ASCAP and BMI) are the responsibility of the performing institution.

Produced by Clark Planetarium

Over 80 minutes of content to choose from

U2

In 2008 Clark Planetarium Productions launched a new, much-anticipated, music entertainment show featuring one of the greatest bands of the last two decades. U2 is the first ever fulldome production featuring U2’s timeless classics and modern hits. The latest original fulldome art and interpretation can be complemented by your own special effects to make this a one-of-a-kind experience, plus live performance real-time effects can make each show unique.

The library of digital dome animation is now available!

Music performance licenses such as ASCAP are the responsibility of the performing institution.

Produced by Clark Planetarium

Approximate running time 43 minutes

Suitable for ages 14 and up

Alien Action

Invasion! Terrifying Invadors from Space! A bitter struggle for existence! Alien Action is fifty minutes of thrilling excitement and stunning effects in 360°. Experience an exciting mixture of design, music, cartoon and science fiction as an artistic and ironic interpretation of the classic sci-fi theme “Invasion from space!” Pop art meets Science Fiction!

Produced by Tilt Design Studio

Approximate running time 46 minutes

Birthday Cake

An amazing fireworks display spreads out in the dome over the heads of the visitors.

A great short for birthdays and functions!

Produced by Verkehrshaus der Schweiz

Running time 2 minutes

Suitable for family audiences

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 and Juliet performed by a group of young people amidst a party atmosphere.

Produced by LivinGlobe

Running time 20 minutes

DomeFest

DomeFest is a juried show of some of the best and most innovative fulldome experiences ever created. From art to entertainment, from science visualization to educational show outtakes, DomeFest includes works by some of the most prestigious fulldome producers as well as excellent examples of individuals’ and students’ experimental work in fulldome. DomeFest is designed to demonstrate fulldome’s full potential and to entertain and inspire local audiences and producers to support the theaters that screen it. Each DomeFest year’s show reel is sold separately.

Produced by Lodestar Astronomy Center and the University of New Mexico

Available years: 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009

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 mini (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 acquaints 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 mini versions

Suitable for family audiences and school groups.

Season of Light

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, 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

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 fulldome 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

Approximate running time 28 or 38 minutes (two versions available)

Suitable for family audiences

The Christmas Story

The Planetarium brings the traditional Christmas Story to life for you and your family. You accompany Mary and Joseph from the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel in Nazareth to the search for a room in overcrowded Bethlehem. Stand before King Herod in his great palace, alongside the three Wise Men from the East. Visit the shepherds and their flocks in a field and, in a stable, find the child in a manger.

Produced by Verkehrshaus der Schweiz

Running time 30 minutes

Suitable for family audiences