Mobile Planetarium Programs
Our Discovery Dome mobile planetarium has programs for all ages, covering many of the TEKS for Earth and Space Science in grades K - 8 and for Astronomy and Biology in grades 9 - 12.
We have two types of programs: Interactive Educator-Led Star Tours and Full-Dome Immersive Planetarium Shows. Interactive Star Tours mostly use a free open source program called Stellarium. To download Stellarium onto your own computer, click here: http://stellarium.org. The Educator will use this program and others to display stars, constellations, planets, and the moon all around the inside surface of the Dome. He or she will ask the students questions and help them to explore and explain the workings of the universe around us. The Star Tours can vary in length from about 20 min to 60 min, depending on age of participants and what is requested. The
The Full-Dome Shows are videos that again are displayed all around the inner surface of the Dome. They are fixed length; the length of each show is noted below.
Note that you may request different programs, or combinations of programs, for each group in the dome.
For Pricing and Reservations, click HERE.
Interactive Educator-Led Star Tours
The Sky Tonight
Ages: Pre-K - 12
Our Short Sky Tonight program is usually used for public events and science nights where the preference is to have people in the dome for no more than 20-30 minutes so that as many people can experience the planetarium as possible.
Earth, Sun, Moon
Grades: 2-8
An interactive program led by the Astronomy Educator exploring motions of the Earth, Sun and Moon, physical differences between Earth and Moon, plus phases and motion of the Moon. May include hands-on activities to help the students visualize how the Earth-Sun-Moon system moves, plus information on eclipses.
Planets & Their Orbits
Grades: 2-12
School program begins with apparent daily motion of the Sun and rotation and revolution of the Earth. It may also include constellations visible tonight and daily star motion. Program content is geared toward students' grade level.
Full-Dome Immersive Planetarium Shows
Please click on the picture of each show and you'll be able to see a trailer/small movie of each one!
NEW!
Star of Bethlehem
Journey back in time to see the night sky 2000 years ago. What was it that brought the Magi from the East to a little town in Palestine? Who were the wise men? Did they follow a visible star to Jerusalem? STAR OF BETHLEHEM takes you to the time of mystery, in a show that answers these questions and more, in a search for a celestial object that could have led the wise men to the Christ child.
Produced by: Houston Museum of Natural Science. (23 min.)
Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope
Grades: 3-12 and Adult
While attending a local star party, two teenage students learn how the telescope has helped us understand our place in space and how telescopes continue to expand our understanding of the Universe.
Teacher Resources available: Download Teacher Guide in PDF format
All Ages
A planetarium show for audiences of all ages who dream of space and wonder about human spaceflight after Shuttle. It's a show filled with real adventures for the near frontier. Positive, possible, and exciting -- this is a promise we can make to our children, our future astronauts. Produced by: Houston Museum of Natural Science. (23 min.)
From the Earth to the Universe
Ages 9- Adult
This stunning, 30-minute voyage through space and time conveys, through sparkling sights and sounds, the Universe revealed to us by science. Viewers can revel in the splendor of the worlds in the Solar System and our scorching Sun. From Earth to the Universe takes the audience out to the colorful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars, and still further out beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of a myriad galaxies.
Ages: 10 and up
The planetarium documentary The Hot and Energetic Universe presents with the use of immersive visualizations and real images the achievements of the modern astronomy, the most advanced terrestrial and orbital observatories, the basic principles electromagnetic radiation and the natural phenomena related to the High Energy Astrophysics.
Ages: 8 and up
This beautiful show intertwines science and mythology to take the viewer on a poetic journey through how the Mayans viewed and understood the universe throughout their history. Explore 6 different Mayan archaeological sites and their connection to the universe. Produced by Frutos Digitales in collaboration with ESO and financed by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (20 min.)
Out There- The Quest for Extra-Solar Worlds
Ages: 6 - Adult
For thousands of years, mankind thought that the Earth was the center of the Universe. Thanks to our curiosity, imagination and urge to explore, we now know that planets like our Earth are nothing special in the cosmos. The Sun is just one ordinary star among hundreds of billions in our galaxy, the Milky Way.
Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt For Dark Matter
Ages: 7 - Adult
The show reveals the first hints of its existence through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term “dark matter.” It describes the astral choreography witnessed by Vera Rubin in the Andromeda galaxy and then plummets deep underground to see the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth, housed in a former gold mine.
Sunshine!
Ages 3 - 6 years
Sunshine is a lovable cartoon sun and he doesn’t care if children get loud or excited: in fact he wants them to look around, raise their hands, sing and play along with his tricks. During the fun and games, the stars of the night sky are revealed and Sunshine explores some simple colours and counting. Self-contained, but a live presenter is recommended to get the audience interacting fully. Produced by NSC Creative. (21 minutes)
Seeing
All Ages
A full-immersion planetarium program, which will use hemispheric 2D and 3D animations and video to teach how human vision works. Imagery from all over the world including humanity, landscapes, skyscrapers, wildlife and of space are the backdrop for photo-realistic animations, which are used to create a story of a photons' journey through the eye and its conversion to an electro-chemical impulse that then travels the neuro pathways of the brain to the various centers that create the image the brain sees. Produced by Koenig Films, Inc. (27 min.)
SunStruck
Ages 7 - adult
Heliophysics is the main component of the Sunstruck planetarium show. It includes information on the sun, parts/layers, space weather and its impact on Earth. We used several NASA heliophysics missions including SOHO, IRIS, and SDO. The audience should gain an enhanced understanding of the Sun and how it impacts our world. Produced by the Michigan Science Center under a NASA grant. (21 min.)
The Dark
Matter Mystery
Ages 10 - Adult
What are the building blocks of our universe? We’ve been trying to answer this question for centuries, but we haven’t found the ultimate answer. Approximately a quarter of the universe consists of mysterious dark matter. We know it is there, but we don’t know what it is made of.
This show takes you on the ultimate astrophysics quest. You’ll learn why dark matter exists. Join the scientists on their observations out in space and deep underground. Will they be able to reveal dark matter’s mystery? Produced by: Planetarium Laupheim. (39 min.)
The Nature Of Science
Ages 10 - Adult
The Nature of Science is intended to communicate what science is and how scientists work.
The show features interviews with Weber State University College of Science Faculty as they discuss their work. Planetarium adaptation produced by participants of the 2011 Blender Production Workshop. (21 min.)
Short Shows!
Journey to the Center of the Milky Way
All Ages
What lies at the heart of our galaxy? For twenty years, ESO's Very Large Telescope and the Keck telescopes have observed the center of the Galaxy, looking at the motion of more than a hundred stars and identifying the position of an otherwise invisible object — the super-massive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
Embark on a Journey to the Center of the Milky Way and during seven minutes travel faster than light, from the driest place on Earth, the Atacama Desert in Chile right to the center of our own galaxy, where a black hole is consuming anything that strays into its path. 84 million stars will appear in front of your eyes, each hiding mysteries waiting to be solved. Are there planets around them, perhaps with moons? Do they have water? Could they harbor life?. Produced by: European Southern Observatory – ESO Supernova Planetarium (7 min.)
The Incredible Sun
All Ages
Every second the Sun emits million times more energy than the world consumes every year. Where does such a huge amount of power come from? Discover our star through the breathtaking timelapses. Thanks to the real images taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory and processed by advanced mathematical methods, you will experience the true nature of the Sun and find out that it is far from being as calm as it seems at first glance.
The Sun’s activity, pronounced by terrific solar flares, sunspots and coronal mass ejections, influences our planet, by producing impressive auroras but also by damaging distribution networks and communication satellites. Is it a threat to us, then? Produced by: Brno Observatory and Planetarium (12 min.)
Sizing
Up
Space
Ages 9 - Adult
How big is the distance between the Earth and the Sun - or between the Sun and the other planets?
Discover the Light Year, the very large 'ruler' that scientists use to measure the size of Space.
Be amazed by the ever-increasing distances to the nearest stars, to the edge of the Milky Way and to the farthest galaxies in the Universe..Planetarium adaptation produced by participants of the 2011 Blender Production Workshop. (13 min.)
Space
Shapes
Ages 4 - Adult
There are many shapes in both the day and night sky. An examination of the Sun, Moon, and Earth will show that many things are round like a ball. However, not all things are round like a ball; some are round and like a pancake!
Within this short program aimed at young children, our narrator introduces his audience to the motions and shapes of objects that make up our Solar System.
Comparisons of these objects with questions like, "Is it round like a ball?" or, "Is it flat like a pancake?" are repeated to help children learn how to observe and group similar and unlike objects. Planetarium adaptation produced by participants of the 2011 Blender Production Workshop. (9 min.)
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Glorious
Dawn
Ages 10-Adult
John Boswell’s stirring remix of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos is featured in this planetarium adaptation of A Glorious Dawn.
Musical arrangement and remixed Cosmos video by John Boswell – The Symphony of Science (symphonyofscience.com).
Planetarium adaptation produced by participants of the 2011 Blender Production Workshop. ( 5 min.)
Clockwork
Skies
All Ages
Explore the motions of the stars, Sun, Moon and planets - are they moving or are we?
Learn about daily motion and the Earth's rotation; the Moon's monthly orbit of our planet and how the Earth takes a full year to travel around the Sun.
The Solar System is like a giant celestial clock powered by gravity.
Planetarium adaptation produced by participants of the 2011 Blender Production Workshop.
(5 min.)
Losing The Dark
All Ages
This Show Can Be Combined With Our Interactive Shows!
Starry skies are a vanishing treasure because light pollution is washing away our view of the cosmos. It not only threatens astronomy, it disrupts wildlife, and affects human health. The yellow glows over cities and towns - seen so clearly from space - are testament to the billions spent in wasted energy from lighting up the sky. Produced by: Loch Ness Productions. (6 minutes)
An Incredible
Introduction To the Solar System:
For Juniors
Ages 7 - 12 years
This featured length film talks about the Planets in the Solar System. From Mercury to Neptune! Produced by Aayushi Fulldome Films. (7 min. )
COMING SOON!
