Fels Planetarium
Shows last 25-30 minutes. Minimum group size: 30 (fewer if other groups have reserved; maximum 200).
Reservations required.
Presented by Lockheed Martin
Cosmic Collisions—PREMIERE
Experience the most immersive simulation ever produced! An enormous meteorite impact heats the Earth’s atmosphere in a
flaming shroud and hastens the end of the Age of Dinosaurs 65 million years ago! Cosmic Collisions, produced by the American
Museum of Natural History in partnership with NASA, presents the science behind these explosive encounters—from catastrophic
planetary impacts and merging galaxies to solar eruptions in the Sun’s core—that have not only changed the course of life on Earth,
but also shaped our solar system and continue to transform our galaxy and the universe.
Bioworlds: Life Beyond Earth
In far-off star systems, heroes and villains chase each other in spaceships. If they only took a break for sightseeing, they might
find some fascinating life forms living in harsh, unlikely environments. Are there microscopic germs living in hidden streams of
water on Mars, or odd creatures floating in the oceans of Europa? We can find similar things on Earth’s ocean floor or deep
underground, but how can we find them on other worlds? What would different life forms need to survive on distant planets and moons?
Note: Bioworlds is part of the Galactic Adventure Experience. It will be available to classes not reserving those packages as space permits.
Far, Far Away: The Worlds of Star Wars
February 9-May 4 only
Narrated by Anthony Daniels, the voice of C-3PO, this planetarium show searches our solar system for evidence of the climatic and
geological extremes that characterize the landscapes of Star Wars. By examining the history (and possible futures) of Earth and nearby
planets, we can begin to imagine what alien worlds might be like. This show, only, lasts 45 minutes.
Note: Far, Far Away is part of the Star Wars Experience. It will be available to classes not reserving that package as space permits.
The All New Stearns Theater
Opening February 1
See it in 3D! The newly renovated Stearns Theater is re-opening February 1 with a state-of-the-art digital 3D projection system, cinema-style seating, new surround sound acoustic treatment, and a high contrast perforated screen for the sharpest projected images. This means that we can provide a greater variety of programming! The new theater will enable us to offer digital 3D films, live events with digital 3D content, as well as quality commercial offerings. Films run 20–25 minutes.
Bugs!
Get a bug’s eye-view of the fascinating universe of insects, the true caretakers of our environment. Bugs! focuses on the life cycles
of a praying mantis and a butterfly from their birth to their encounter with natural predators in the tropical rain forests of
Southeast Asia. Watch the birth of hundreds of praying mantis, and see a caterpillar hatch from a single tiny egg to metamorphose
into a butterfly. In all, more than 40 tropical insects are featured. Beautifully narrated by Dame Judith Dench. Presented in 3D!
3D Sun
The most violent explosions in our solar system are happening on the Sun. Billion mega-ton blasts shoot out solar prominences from the
Sun’s 11,000 degree Fahrenheit surface. They loop into space for thousands of miles. These solar blasts are responsible for the
colorful lights that appear over the north and south poles. Now imagine a blazing solar flare (or coronal mass ejection) spouting out
toward your lap. Suddenly it’s frozen in outer space and you are rotating around to study its incredible detail. These high resolution
images are the first space-born, high definition, 3D images of the Sun, captured by twin spacecraft launched from one rocket.
Students stand on the Arctic Circle to see the northern lights, just as the Inuit people have for hundreds of years. They will learn why modern day Inuits travel to digitally equipped “detective labs” to monitor the Earth’s magnetosphere, and why space weather forecasters provide real-time monitoring and forecasting of solar and geophysical activity. Why? Because large geomagnetic storms headed toward Earth can fry satellites, harm astronauts and zap power grids.