Screening: Citizen Sky Epsilon with Cosmic Castaways
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - Noon
A multi-year, citizen science project focusing on the bright variable star, epsilon Aurigae. We have developed a six-minute video presentation describing eclipsing binary stars, light curves, and the Citizen Sky project. Designed like a short movie trailer, the video can be shown at planetariums before their regular, feature shows or integrated into a longer presentation. The trailer is available in a wide range of formats for viewing on laptops all the way up to state-of-the-art planetariums. The show is narrated by Timothy Ferris and was produced by the Morrison Planetarium and Visualization Studio at the California Academy of Sciences. This project has been made possible by the National Science Foundation. (6 minutes)
Saturn, Jewel of the Heavens
Thursday, September 19, 2024 - 7:00 p.m.
The Cassini space craft has lifted the veil on this once mysterious giant of our solar system. Data has been collected, not only on the giant itself, but also on the many moons orbiting Saturn and the countless particles encircling the planet known to all as the rings of Saturn. This data will be studied for years to come. (36 min)
Screening: Dark the Movie
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 - Noon
DARK is a fulldome movie that explains and explores the nature of dark matter, the missing 80% of the mass of the Universe. The search for dark matter is the most pressing astrophysical problem of our time – the solution to which will help us understand why the Universe is as it is, where it came from, and how it has evolved over billions of years – the unimaginable depths of deep time, of which a human life is but a flickering instant. But in that instant, we can grasp its immensity and, through science, we can attempt to understand it. It sounds like Science Fiction, but it’s not. It’s the real stuff. Real Data, seen in this way for the very first time. (20 minutes)
Super Volcanoes
Thursday, October 24, 2024 - 7:00 p.m.
Super Volcanoes explores rare types of volcanic eruptions that marshal the energy that lurks, like a sleeping dragon, beneath the surface of the planet Earth. The story of these big blow-outs is a tale of havoc and mayhem: mass extinctions, climate collapses, and violence beyond anything humans have ever witnessed. In this unique immersive experience, audiences will explore the impact of volcanism on Earth and other worlds in our solar system. (24 minutes)
Expanded View
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - Noon
A journey through the heavens with emphasis on the electromagnetic spectrum. Hubble Space Telescope’s use of visible light and the beauty shown to the world. The Spitzer Space Telescope and its use of the infrared view. Finally, the Chandra X ray observatory. What wonders we can discover with the use of these different views from different parts of the EM Spectrum. (23 min)
The Great Space Race
Thursday, November 14, 2024 - 7:00 p.m.
A journey thru the early years of trial and error trying to be the first nation in space. Early footage of both the successes and failures of both the USSR and US, with attempts to get a man into space. (40 min)
Relaxation Show: Cosmic Immersion
Thursday, December 5, 2024 - 12:30 p.m.
Relax under the stars and images of space while enjoying Celtic music. (25 minutes)
Mystery of the Christmas Star
Thursday, December 12, 2024 - 7:00 p.m.
Journey back over 2000 years to Bethlehem as we seek to discover a scientific explanation for the star the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus. (31 min)