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The Little Star That Could (K-4th) 35 min
"The Little Star That Could" has been reproduced for digital
fulldome projection with new computer graphic animation. This popular
and well-loved story which has been shown at the SMSU planetarium
for 20 years has been updated with accurate astronomical
information. Have no fear; the story basically remains the same with
all of your favorite stars! For those of you who are not familiar
with the show, "The Little Star That Could" is a story about Little
Star, an average yellow star in search for planets of his own to
protect and warm. Along the way, he meets other stars, learns what
makes each star special, and discovers that stars combine to form star
clusters and galaxies. Eventually, Little Star finds his planets. Each
planet is introduced to your audiences with basic information about our
Solar System. FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Two Small Pieces of Glass (3rd-Adult) 25 min
Join two students as they learn how the telescope has helped us
understand our place in space and how telescopes continue to expand our
understanding of the Universe. The students see how telescopes work and
how the largest observatories in the world use these instruments to
explore the mysteries of the universe. While looking through the
telescope, the students, along with the planetarium audience, explore
the Galilean Moons, Saturn’s rings, and spiral structure of the
galaxies.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Seasonal
Stargazing (4th-Adult) 30 min
Find out more about "what's up
tonight" in just a few minutes than some people do in a lifetime! Hop
through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to
planetarium space music in this fulldome audiovisual experience.
The content of this show changes throughout the year to reflect the
night sky at the appropriate time of year.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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The Cowboy
Astronomer (3rd-8th) 37 min
A skillfully woven
tapestry of star tales and Native American legends, combined with
constellation identification, star-hopping, and astronomy tidbits — all
told from the unique viewpoint of a cowboy astronomer who has traveled
the world plying his trade and learning the sky along the way.
Explore the stars from a cowboy's point of view! Narrated by
cowboy poet and humorist Baxter Black. FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Sky Quest
(3rd-8th) 25 min
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.
Sky Quest is an entertaining and educational
exploration of the night sky that appeals to family members of all
ages. Grade-school children may identify most with the main character
depicted as an 8-year-old "astronaut" in the 5-minute live-action video
shown before the rest of the planetarium projectors are
introduced. FULLDOME PRODUCTION.
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IBEX:
Search for the Edge of the Solar System
A new NASA mission that explores the outer edges of our solar system is
featured at the Adler Planetarium and Science Museum in Chicago. NASA
launched the Interstellar Boundary Explorer mission, or IBEX, October
19, 2008. This is the first NASA spacecraft to image and map the
dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into
the cold expanse of space. This program details the IBEX
spacecraft's exploration of the outer solar system using energetic
neutral atom (ENA) imaging to create the first global maps of
interactions between the million mile-per-hour solar wind and the
low-density material between the stars, known as the interstellar
medium. Using these data, researchers will examine the structures and
dynamics of the outer heliosphere and address a serious challenge
facing human exploration by studying the region that shields Earth from
the majority of galactic cosmic ray radiation. The planetarium
show also moves behind the scenes of the mission to
spotlight a few of the countless tasks involved in developing a NASA
mission and the hundreds of national and international collaborators
and contributors that make them happen. IBEX's unique and relatively
inexpensive launch method — dropping from an aircraft and launching
aboard a Pegasus rocket, and then using its own solid rocket motor and
hydrazine propulsion system to move into an orbit nearly out to the
Moon — is also shown. FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Black Holes (8th-Adult) 40 min
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? Using the latest in full-dome,
3D animation visualization technology.
Clark Planetarium invites you to explore with us the science and
mystery of"Black Holes"
Narrated: by John de Lancie.
Produced: Clark Planetarium Productions.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Ring World (5th - Adult)
35 min
Stunning Saturn is visited
by the Cassini spacecraft. After its nearly seven year sojourn,
the
spacecraft will spend another four years investigating the alluring
planet,
its many moons, and spectacular system of rings. The Cassini
mission
also includes a probe that lands on Saturn's largest moon,
Titan.
Prepare yourself for exciting discoveries and new views of
Saturn. FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Mystery
of the Christmas Star (family) 30 min
Mystery of the Christmas
Star takes audiences on a journey back 2000 years to Bethlehem to discover a possible
scientific explanation for the star the wise men followed to find the Christ child. This
program investigates recorded sightings of significant astronomical events during the time of the
birth of Christ. Investigators will see which of these signs in the sky could have been remarkable
enough to cause the wise men to travel across the desert from Babylon just to see a newborn
King. This modern retelling of the Christmas story is sure to charm and captivate
audiences of all ages.
You willbe immersed in spectacular images while this show offers a
scientific view of what the star of Bethlehem may have
been. The planetarium is a perfect place to study this because of
its ability to exactly reproduce the skies as seen from Bethlehem over
2,000 years ago.
FULLDOME PRODUCTION
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Star of
Bethlehem (family) 25 min
Who were the wise men? Were there
just three? Did
they come from Persia, Babylon or Ethiopia? Did they follow a visible star to
Jerusalem? Was
Jesus born 2005 years ago? Is December 25th his real birthday? Star of Bethlehem is a new
planetarium show at the SMSU Planetarium that answers these questions
and more, as audiences search for a celestial object that could have
led the wise men to the Christ child. A planet was called a "wandering
star." A meteor was a "shooting star." And a comet was a "hairy star"
because its tail looked like a beard. These are all candidates in our
search. The
SMSU Planetarium has been telling the story of the Christmas Star for
thirty five years. Discover what this event might have
been and how it could have guided the wise men to Jerusalem and on to
Bethlehem. Using
the Planetarium's digital star-field simulator, we will recreate the
night sky at the date and time of Christ's birth to see what the wise
men could have seen and to discover if the Star of Bethlehem was a
celestial event or a miracle. FULLDOME PRODUCTION |
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Honey, I Shrunk The Solar System
(4th-8th)
35 min
Honey, I Shrunk The
Solar System
is story about a girl named Abby, who decides to build a model of
the Solar System for the Science Fair. Abby quickly learns that even a
shrunken solar system will not fit in the school gymnasium. In
fact,
it is still so large that Abby's dad must explore it by bicycle! Honey,
I Shrunk the Solar System explores the sizes and distances of
objects
in our solar system. Join us on a voyage of discovery with Mr.
Phelps
(Dad) as he goes on a mission to explore the wonders of Saturn's
rings, the bizarre moons of Jupiter, the canyons and dead volcanoes of
Mars, and much, much more! |
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The Planets Show (4th - Adult)
28 min
This program takes its
audience on
a virtual tour of the solar system starting with the Sun and working
outward
to Pluto and beyond. Each stop along the way includes several
images
and features the uniqueness of each planet. Other stops include
the
Moon, Mars' moons, the Asteroid belt, Jupiter's 4 largest moons, a
Brown
Dwarf, and an entire Galaxy. We also spot a comet, wittness
a
meteor shower, and spot a tumbling asteroid that gets dangerously
close.
(Written by Roger Reede). |
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More Than Meets The Eye (5th -
Adult)
17 min/31 min
What can you see when you
look up in
the sky tonight? A planet, a constellation, a galaxy, or maybe a nebula
where stars are being born? There's "More Than Meets The Eye" in this
fascinating
new show. Come explore the wonders of Minnesota's beautiful night sky
as
we show you what you can see with just your unaided eyes. Then take a
deeper
look when the sky is revealed as seen through binoculars or a small
telescope.
Finally, compare all of that to the images taken from the big
observatories
or spacecraft. The show also briefly discusses the effects of
atmospheric
turbulence, that stars have different colors, how only time exposure
photos
produce brilliant colors in galaxies and nebulae. Students will also
learn
where to look in the sky at different seasons to see these objects for
themselves. You'll be amazed at what can be seen under
Minnesota
skies!
Featured celestial
objects (Short
version): Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Orion Nebula(M42),
Andromeda
Galaxy(M31), Milky Way, Butterfly [open] Cluster(M6) & Open
Cluster(M7),
Lagoon Nebula(M8) & Trifid Nebula (M20).
Long Version:
Includes
the short version plus the Moon, Pleiades [open] Cluster(M45),
Alcor/Mizar,
Ring [planetary] Nebula(M57), Crab Nebula(M1), Beehive [open]
Cluster(M44),
Albireo, Epsilon Lyrae, Hercules [globular] Cluster(M13). |
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Magellan Report From Venus (5th
- adult)
29 min
The Magellan radar-mapping
mission
to Venus was extraordinarily successful; the spacecraft returned more
data
than all NASA's previous planetary missions combined. Now, MAGELLAN:
Report
from Venus brings Magellan's images to you at the SMSU
Planetarium!
In this show, we follow Magellan's progress, from its launch through
the
most significant discoveries. Included are spectacular images of
volcanoes,
impact craters and landslides. Important planetary science topics of
volcanism,
tectonism, impact cratering are covered; and we discuss radar imaging,
the history of Venus exploration, and compare Earth and its "sister
planet." |
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The Mars Show
(5th
- Adult) 41 min
ACT I: "Mars In The
Mind's Eye":
The show begins with an "incantation" of the various names of Mars
given
by different cultures. As our knowledge grows, our perception of Mars
evolves
from god to planet. Schiaparelli's telescopic observations and sketches
are described. We discuss Lowell's observatory and fascination with
"Martians";
the appearance of Martians in popular literature; and we hear excerpts
from Wells and Welles versions of "War Of The Worlds."
ACT II: "Mars In
Focus":
Mars as we know it today: as seen in the night sky, and through
binoculars
and telescopes. A lap-dissolve sequence of the planet's appearance as
it
nears perihelic opposition is pictured. The climate and terrain
of
Earth and Mars are compared. We feature Mariner, Viking, and Phobos
mission
results, and explore Valles Marineris, Olympus Mons and the moons
Phobos
and Deimos. The probable geologic history of the planet and a rationale
for future exploration are presented.
ACT III: "Mars In
The Future":
Focuses on current and proposed missions by the United States and
Russia,
including ongoing Hubble Space Telescope observations, and plans for
manned
Mars missions. The show ends with a poetically-styled "ode to Mars"
epilogue,
this time from a future perspective; tracing the first steps to our
eventual
civilization on the Red Planet. |
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The Voyager Encounters (5th -
Adult) 43
min
This is the definitive
summary, recapping
all of Voyager's encounters with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in
one convenient, thorough documentary. The show discusses the functions
of Voyager's instrument packages; the highlights of each flyby; and
compares
and contrasts each of the planets atmospheres and magnetic fields,
their
moons and ring systems. |
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Hubble Vision 2 (5th - Adult) 30
min
Since its launch in 1990,
the Hubble
Space Telescope has provided incredible images in unprecedented detail
to astronomers, and made an astonishing array of discoveries — from
nearby
objects in the solar system to the most distant galaxies at the limits
of the observable universe. In this all-new production, major
themes
in current astronomy and cosmology are presented: new views of the
planets;
peeks into starbirth nurseries; visions of stardeath in its many forms;
explorations of star clusters and galaxies; and views of the universe
when
the earliest galaxies were first coming into being. We catch
glimpses
of solar system objects, including the Moon and Venus; clouds on dusty
Mars; Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's crash into Jupiter; storms on Saturn,
Uranus,
and Neptune; and the faraway worlds of Pluto and Quaoar. Beyond the
solar
system, we explore protoplanetary disks in the Orion Nebula, and
regions
of starbirth across the cosmos. We witness the deaths of stars like our
Sun; the cataclysmic aftermath of supernovae in the Crab Nebula; and
the
expanding rings around Supernova 1987a. We see breathtaking views of
colliding
galaxies; jets shooting from active galactic nuclei, powered by
supermassive
black holes; the eerie effects of gravitational lenses; and deep-field
views of the most distant galaxies ever seen. HUBBLE Vision 2 is
a factual journey through the universe, as seen through the unblinking
eye of one of the world's premier telescopes. |
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Light Years from Andromeda
(5th-Adult)
30 min
A beam of light leaves the
Andromeda
Galaxy and travels across the void of intergalactic space. As the
light speeds across the light years, over the course of centuries, the
early people on a planet located in a nearby galaxy 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, 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. |
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The Stargazer (4th - Adult)
Come along on a journey to
the stars
with University of Illinois astronomer Jim Kaler in a brand new
planetarium
production. Nichelle Nichols (Chief Communications Officer Uhura
from the original Star Trek) and Dr. Kaler narrate this three-part
personal
look at astronomy. The show begins with a child's curiosity,
moves
on to the science of gravity, light, the spectrum, and how they help us
decipher the lifestyles of the stars, then ends with reflections on the
deeper meanings of astronomy in our own lives. |
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Tis The Season
(family)
36 min
'Tis The Season recounts
the historical
religious and cultural rituals practiced during the time of winter
solstice
-- Christian, Jewish, Celtic, Pagan, Nordic, Roman, Egyptian and
Hopi traditions are looked at. It also takes a look at some of
our
more light-hearted seasonal traditions: from gift-giving and kissing
under
the mistletoe to songs about lords a-leaping and ladies dancing; and
the
custom of decking the halls with greenery and candles. St.
Nicholas,
Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus all drop
by
as well. Naturally, there is some astronomy in 'Tis The
Season.
We catch a few Northern winter constellations, and we illustrate why we
even have seasons -- demonstrating the Sun's path across the sky
throughout
the year, and the Earth's tilt and orbit around the Sun. And of
course,
we explore the possible astronomical explanations for a Star over
Bethlehem
-- comets, meteors, novae, supernovae, and planetary conjunctions. |
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