All Shows

5000 Eyes

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is creating the most detailed map of our nearby universe. Installed on the Mayall telescope on Kitt Peak in Southern Arizona, DESI's 5000 independently operated robots can measure the light from thousands of galaxies at once. Join us as we explore the science, instrument, and people behind this global endeavor.

Show Guide

Amazing Stargazing

Grades 1 – 4

Digital Remaster

Learn all the sky watching basics with the fun radio DJs from “Radio Aahs.” Meet Aahsie and the gang as they happily explain the causes for day & night, moon phases, and the difference between comets and meteors. A great introduction to the night sky!

Show Guide

Beyond the Sun

Grades: 3 – 7

Fulldome Presentation

Show Guide

Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

It takes many people with diverse backgrounds, talents, and skills to run a world-class observatory. Meet a few of these people as they share the wonder of the sky—and the excitement of discovery. Explore the world-class observatories nestled in northern Chile’s mountains and learn why Chile, with its beautiful mountain ranges and clear, cloudless skies create an ideal environment for studying the cosmos. This show is available in English and Spanish.

Show Guide

Cosmic Colors

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Take a journey across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Discover the many reasons for color— “why the sky is blue” and “why Mars is red.” Journey inside a plant leaf and the human eye. Investigate x-rays and see the actual color of a dinosaur. Get ready for an amazing adventure under a rainbow of cosmic light!

Show Guide

Cosmic Mashups

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Supermassive black holes are found in most galaxies and we're beginning to uncover how the merging of galaxies activate galactic centers. This engaging fulldome film was produced by Fiske Planetarium in collaboration with APS Professor, Dr. Julie Comerford and former graduate student Dr. Becky Nevin through support from an NSF award.

Show Guide

Coyote Explores the "Earth, Moon and Sun"

Grades: 2 – 6

Fulldome Presentation

Explore the relationships between the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun with the help of Coyote, an amusing character adapted from Native American oral traditions who has many misconceptions about our neighbors in space. His confusion makes us think about how the Earth, Moon and Sun work as a system as we distinguish between myth and science. Examine how the Sun rises and sets and how the Sun shines, then learn about craters on the Moon, phases and eclipses. Lastly, we look at past exploration of the Moon. Originally produced by the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in North Carolina. [Note: This is a different show from "Sun, Moon, and Stars" which is a live show for K-1.]

Show Guide

The Dark Matter Mystery

Grade: 8 and up

Fulldome Presentation

What keeps Galaxies together? What are the building blocks of the Universe? What makes the Universe appear the way it looks today? We know today that approximately a quarter of the Universe is filled with a mysterious glue: Dark Matter. We know that it is out there. But we have no idea what it is consists of. Join us on the biggest quest of contemporary astrophysics as we explore evidence for Dark Matter both in space and deep underground.

Show Guide

Dawn of the Space Age

Grades: 4 and up

Fulldome Presentation

From the launch of the satellite Sputnik to space flights and lunar landings, humans have wanted to travel to the stars. Witness the drive, passion, and perseverance of the men and women that took part in the death defying endeavor to explore space travel. You will be immersed and overwhelmed with this historic reconstruction of our first steps into space.

Show Guide

Did an Asteroid Really Kill the Dinosaurs?

Grades: 1 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Did a space rock six miles wide slam into the Earth 66 million years ago and wipe out 75% of all living species at that time, including the dinosaurs? Explore the impacts and cosmic collisions across the Solar System in this dynamic show. It includes footage from the first iridium layer found in Gubbio, Italy.

Show Guide

Einstein's Gravity Playlist

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of the ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves in 1916. In this show, viewers follow Lucia, a Ph.D. student in physics, on an exploration of how gravitational waves are formed, how they move through the universe, and how scientists like her work to hear them. Einstein’s Gravity Playlist was created through a collaboration between four Montana State University institutions: the eXtreme Gravity Institute, the Department of Physics, the School of Film and Photography, and the School of Music.

Show Guide

Europe to the Stars

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Discover the European Southern Observatory in a story of cosmic curiosity, courage, and perseverance; a story of observing a universe of deep mysteries and hidden secrets; and a story of designing, building, and operating the most powerful ground-based telescopes on the planet. The movie focuses on the essential aspects of an astronomical observatory, while offering a broader view of how astronomy is done. This show is available in English and Spanish.

Show Guide

Expanded View

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Expanded View introduces the electromagnetic spectrum and multi-wavelength observation with examples from Hubble, Spitzer, and Chandra. Audiences learn how images are captured and what the colors tell us about composition of deep sky objects. Expanded View is intended to illustrate the importance of multi-wavelength observation by describing how NASA’s Great Observatories work together.

Show Guide

Expedition Reef

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Learn the secrets of the “rainforests of the sea” as you embark on an oceanic safari of the world’s most vibrant—and endangered—marine ecosystems. Along the way, discover how corals grow, feed, reproduce, and support over 25% of all marine life on Earth, while facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat destruction, and overfishing. Produced by the California Academy of Sciences, narrated by Lea Salonga, and licensed thanks to support from the Friends of the Staerkel Planetarium.

Show Guide

Experience the Aurora

All Ages

Fulldome Presentation

The Northern Lights are one of nature's awesome sights.  But what are and what causes them?  Over seven months in the Arctic Circle, crew captured timelapse images of the Aurora Borealis with high resolution digital cameras outfitted with fisheye lenses.  The results are spectacular!  For the first time, the aurora has been captured as it was mean to be experienced, as a display that covers the entire sky.  The show shares the science behind the aurorae and tells the story of our quest to find and photograph this phenomena for fulldome theaters.  Winner of two Telly Awards.  

Show Guide

Flight Adventures

Grades: 3 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Discover the science of flight through the eyes of a young girl and her grandfather as they explore how birds, kites, planes, and models fly. Learn about the history and future of flight and how NASA is discovering new and safer ways to travel with the help of future engineers and aviators—like you!

Show Guide

Forward! to the Moon

Grades: 4 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Kari Byron from Crash Test World and MythBusters launches us on a journey beyond the Earth towards a sustainable future in space. NASA’s 21st century Artemis program, named after the Greek moon Goddess and twin of Apollo, is the next step in our mission to explore the universe. Produced by the Fiske Planetarium.

Show Guide

From Earth to the Universe

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

The night sky has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity’s oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes, we invite you to experience From Earth to the Universe, a new fulldome show from the European Southern Observatory. This show is available in English and Spanish.

Show Guide

Hot and Energetic Universe

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

The Hot and Energetic Universe presents the achievements of modern astronomy, the most advanced terrestrial and orbital observatories, the basic principles electromagnetic radiation and the natural phenomena related to high energy astrophysics.

Show Guide

IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

IBEX follows the creation of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer satellite and its search for the boundary of our solar system. Narrated by two inquisitive teenagers, the show focuses on the mission and the significance of this boundary. Along the way, we are treated to an amazing visual tour of the our planetary system. Produced by the Adler Planetarium.

Show Guide

In My Backyard

Grade: Pre-K to 2

Digital Remaster

Let's explore the night sky from our own backyards! Through the use of storytelling, poetry, and songs, children are encouraged to participate in the show while learning about the seasons, Ursa Major, planets, meteors, and the Moon. Narrated by Fred Penner.

Show Guide

The Little Star That Could

Grade: K to 3

Fulldome Presentation

Journey with Little Star, an average yellow star, in search of planets of his own to protect and warm. Along the way, he meets other stars, learns what makes each star special, why they are different colors and how they combine to form star clusters and galaxies.  Let’s hope a delightful cast of characters including Pearl and Big Daddy can help “Little Star” find some planets!  

Show Guide

Mayan Archaeoastronomy: Observers of the Universe

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

The viewer goes on a poetic journey through how the Mayans have viewed and understood the Universe throughout their history. The story is populated with vivid characters, including the Sun God Kin, who controls the cycle of life, Kukulcán, the feathered serpent who gives the Mayans time itself, and Balam, the jaguar who carries the stars on its skin. The visuals are stunning, giving the viewer the impression of being inside a beautifully stylistic painting. This artistic interpretation of the Universe makes for a journey that will not be forgotten. The show was produced by Frutos Digitales in collaboration with the European Southern Observatory and financed by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico, and is available in English and Spanish.

Show Guide

Messages of Starlight

Grades: 5 and up

Live-narrated

How can we discover the temperatures and compositions of the stars given their great distances? Students will analyze the spectra of several light sources in and hands-on activity, then try to unlock the secrets of starlight. The program also include the fulldome feature Expanded View.

Show Guide

Mexica Archaeoastronomy: Between Space and Time

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Mexica Archeoastronomy artfully intertwines science and mythology, delving into how the Mexicans used the calendrical and astronomical knowledge of previous cultures to found the capital of their empire, Tenochtitlan. Vibrant colors, shapes and sounds transport the viewer to a culture that, to this day, still lives on in the hearts of the Mexican people. The show was produced by Frutos Digitales in collaboration with the European Southern Observatory and financed by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico, and is available in English and Spanish.

Show Guide

Niyah and the Multiverse

5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Follow Niyah, an imaginative Chicago preteen, on a visually stunning Afrofuturist journey through the multiverse! If there are countless other universes out there, where does Niyah fit in? What about you? Find out what shape your shadow matter might take and get inspired to dream up multiverse theories of your own. Produced by the Adler Planetarium, and licensed thanks to support from the Friends of the Staerkel Planetarium.

Show Guide

One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure

Grade: Pre-K to 2

Fulldome Presentation

Explore the night sky with our friends from Sesame Street™. Join Big Bird, Elmo, and Hu Hu Zhu as they take a trip to the Moon. See how the Moon is different from the Earth and learn how to find the Big Dipper and North Star from your backyard. This interactive show was coproduced by the Adler Planetarium, Sesame Workshop, the Beijing Planetarium, and Liberty Science Center and comes to us through a grant from the PNC Foundation. This show is available in English and Spanish.

Show Guide

Our Place in Space

Grades: 4 and up

Live-narrated

This program covers the current sky as seen from your backyard (including star colors and apparent brightness) before moving on to the phases of the Moon, the importance of the North Star, and the apparent motions of the Earth. How do we really know the Earth is round?

Show Guide

Out There: The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

For thousands of years, humanity thought that Earth was the center of the universe. Thanks to our curiosity, imagination, and the urge to explore we now know that planets like ours are nothing are nothing special in the cosmos. The Sun is just one ordinary star among hundreds of billions in our galaxy. With powerful telescopes, we search the skies for other worlds. What we have found so far has surpassed even the wildest expectations of scientists as well as science fiction authors. Most stars have planets – it turns out there are more common than we thought! A huge diversity of worlds is out there, just waiting to be discovered. But the big question remains – is there other life out there?

Show Guide

Patterns of Earth and Sky

Grades: 5 and up

Live-narrated

This program shows how we can observe different stars throughout the year to tell time. Watching the constellations can help us set our calendars and aid in navigation. We will watch how the Sun, the Moon, and the planets have their own motions through the sky, and why the stars appear to be stuck in place on a celestial sphere.

Show Guide

Phantom of the Universe

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

From the journey of protons racing through the world’s largest particle collider in Europe to up-close views of the Big Bang and emergent universe, and the nearly mile-deep descent to an underground experiment in South Dakota, this planetarium show is designed to immerse audiences in the search for dark matter. The hunt is on! Narrated by Tilda Swinton.

Show Guide

The Planets

Grades: 5 and up

Digital Remaster

Take a breathtaking tour of our own planetary system, including some of the latest discoveries. See how our solar system may have formed and visit planets in other star systems. The show originally written and distributed by the Southeastern Planetarium Association and is narrated by Kate Mulgrew of Star Trek: Voyager fame.

Show Guide

Prairie Skies

All Ages

Live-narrated

Locate planets and constellations in our current night sky while hearing legendary stories of the heavens. What star groups and planets will we see tonight?

Show Guide

Reasons for the Seasons

Grades: 3 and up

Live-narrated

Examine why we have seasons by watching the apparent motion of the Sun throughout the year and how its changing altitude affects our climate. If time permits, we then travel to the North Pole and the equator to see how the climate is affected by the Sun.

Show Guide

Rising Star: A South African Astronomy Journey

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Rising Star takes you on an astronomical journey from our beginnings through the development of astronomy research in South Africa and looks at what the future of astronomy holds for the country. In addition to introducing multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy, it highlights the many remarkable facilities hosted in South Africa along with some of their latest results. This includes unrestricted views of the 10-metre class Southern African Large Telescope and the most powerful radio telescope in the Southern Hemisphere, MeerKAT.

Show Guide

Santa's Secret Star

Grade: Pre-K to 2

Fulldome Presentation

How will Santa find his way home? You, too, can find Santa's secret star in the sky in this holiday show about the winter sky. Learn about the North Star and how the sky changes as we travel northward.

Show Guide

Season of Light

All Ages

Digital Remaster

Season of Light traces the history and development of many of the world's December holiday customs, all of which involve lighting up the winter season. Season of Light also recounts the historical religious and cultural rituals practiced during the time of winter solstice - not only Christian and Jewish, but also Celtic, Nordic, Roman, Irish, Mexican, and Hopi. It also looks at some of our more light-hearted seasonal traditions.

Show Guide

Secrets of the Sun

Grades: 4 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Take an intimate look at the role the sun plays in our solar system. From the nuclear forces at the heart of the sun to the mass ejections of solar material in surrounding space, you will experience the power of the sun and its impact on the planets and life on Earth. Secrets of the Sun traces the life cycle of the sun itself, from beginning to its eventual death.

Show Guide

Seeing! A Photon's Journey Across Space, Time, and Mind

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Follow the journey of a single photon as it is produced in a distant star, before travelling across the vast expanse of space to land on someone's retina. This fulldome planetarium show explores some of the fascinating processes of the cosmos, from astrophysics to the biology of the eye and brain. Funded through a generous grant from ZEISS, the show is narrated by astronomer and science communicator, Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Show Guide

Shapes in the Sky

Grades: Pre-K to 2

Live-narrated

Our popular "Prairie Skies" show, featuring the current constellations, is now in a form for very young stargazers. First, we'll play a game, finding shapes in an image, then expand to find shapes among the stars in the night sky. The show finishes off with a new fulldome feature called "Space Shapes" where we look at the shape of the Sun, Moon and planets. "Is it round like a ball or round like a pancake?"

Show Guide

Sky Cycles

Grades: 5 and up

Live-narrated

From our backyards we notice cycles in the sky.After looking at the current night sky and noticing a few constellations and planets, the show examines the phases of the Moon through a model on the dome.We then venture to a morning sky and predict where the Sun will rise, then investigate the path of the Sun during our four seasons.If time permits, we’ll zoom away from the Earth to see the planets orbiting the Sun in our solar system, noting the flatness of the planetary system and how planets closer to the Sun orbit faster.This live show matches the Champaign Schools 8th grade curriculum in Space Science, though any group can reserve the show.

Show Guide

Skywatchers of Africa

Grades: 5 and up

Digital Remaster

Originally produced by the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Skywatchers of Africa is a celebration of many diverse African cultures and their observations and explanations of the yearly cycles of the heavens.  Africa has many vibrant cultures thriving today, as well as countless past civilizations that continue to speak to us through their sky lore across time.

Show Guide

Solar Superstorms

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

A fury is building on the surface of the Sun - high velocity jets, fiery tsunami waves reaching 100,000 km high, rising loops of electrified gas. What is driving this strange phenomena and will it affect Earth? Find out in this new production, featuring scientific visualizations from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) on the UIUC campus. Peer into the Sun using the latest scientific data.

Show Guide

Solar System Safari

Grades: 2 – 5

Digital Remaster

A jungle adventurer uses a magical camera to take visitors on an exciting safari through the Solar System. The Sun, Moon, planets, and dwarf planets come to life, taking on unique personalities and describing their own characteristics and eccentricities. Learn about the planets and the current status of Pluto. A great solar system show!

Show Guide

Spirits from the Sky, Thunder on the Land

Grades: 5 and up

Digital Remaster

Come with us on a never-before-seen journey into the culture of the Pawnee Native American Nation, who lived in what is now Nebraska and northern Kansas from the 1600’s to 1876. Their culture grew of out their legends and lore of skywatching. The program takes you inside a Pawnee earth lodge through the development of the agricultural calendar and the Pawnee creation legend.

Show Guide

Sun, Moon, and Stars

Grade: Pre-K to 2

Live-narrated

The youngest stargazers are introduced to the spinning Earth and the night sky, plus pay a visit to the Moon. "Sun, Moon, and Stars" was designed for first grade teachers in the Unit 4 district who use the unit of the same name. The program content can be altered to support your classroom instruction.

Show Guide

The Sun, Our Living Star

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

The Sun has shone on our world for four-and-a-half billion years. Our nearest star is the source of the energy that drives all life. The passage of the Sun across the sky each day, month, and year was the only way to keep track of time for past civilizations. This typical dwarf star consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined. Discover the secrets of our star in this planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive fulldome format.

Show Guide

Sunset Meditation

All Ages

Fulldome Presentation

Meditation is a powerful tool for maintaining psychological health and resilience. Since the planetarium offers a dark and quiet space for relaxation, it is the perfect place for meditation. Enjoy a free guided meditation experience from Ball State University with the program "Sunset Meditation." View an amazing sunset as you travel from the Grand Canyon to the North Pole. Then relax under a night sky filled with stars and glimpses of the Northern Lights.

Show Guide

Sunstruck

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

The Sun is humanity’s star! But what is it made of and how does it shine? Travel back to the beginning of the solar system and experience the birth of the Sun. Discover how it came to support life, how it also threatens life as we know it, and how its energy will one day fade away. Produced by the Michigan Science Center and NASA. 

Show Guide

The Stargazer

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Come along on a journey to the stars with University of Illinois Astronomer James B. Kaler in an exciting program written and produced by the Great Lakes Planetarium Association. Nichelle Nichols (from the original "Star Trek") and Dr. Kaler narrate this personal look at gravity, light, and the spectrum and how they help us decipher the lifestyles of the stars. The Stargazer has been updated and adapted for fulldome video!

Show Guide

Totality!

Grades 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Show Guide

Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope

Grades: 3 and up

Fulldome Presentation

While attending a star party, two teenage students learn from a female astronomer how telescopes have helped us understand our place in the universe. In their conversations, we hear about the history of the telescope and some of the discoveries that have been made using this device. Learn how telescopes work and how they reveal Jupiter's moons, the rings of Saturn and spiral galaxies. This show was produced for the International Year of Astronomy (2009) but we now have a fulldome version to share.

Show Guide

Unveiling the Invisible Universe

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Humans have long observed light coming from the night sky, and the invention of the telescope revolutionized our knowledge of the universe. Rockets allow us to go above Earth’s atmosphere and observe x-ray and gamma radiation which are marks of the hot and violent universe. Aside from light, neutrinos and cosmic rays also provide vital information about the cosmos. Finally, the detection of gravitational waves from two merging black holes opened a new window in astrophysics. This video presents images of the cosmos as revealed by all these different messengers.

Show Guide

Violent Universe

Grades: 5 and up

Fulldome Presentation

Comets, asteroids and meteoroids hurtling through space; stars collapsing under their own gravity; infernos of nuclear energy releasing their deadly radiation across the universe! Witness the raw power of the cosmos in this thrilling new show that gives you a front-row seat to watch as worlds collide.

Show Guide