Apollo 11: Man's First Step onto the Moon
July 20th, 1969… After lagging behind in the decade-long race with the Soviet Union, the United States puts humanity’s first vehicle carrying two astronauts onto the surface of the Moon. These two men later spent over 2 hours walking across the lunar terrain. Experience the events of Apollo 11 unfold as this show retells the story of that historic day! 30 minutes.
Bad Astronomy: Myths and Misconceptions
Click to watch the preview
Were the Apollo visits to the Moon actually a hoax? Have aliens landed on Earth? Can you tell your future by the stars? Prepare to debunk and tackle pseduoscience head-on with the planetarium show Bad Astronomy: Myths and Misconceptions. Based on the popular book and website of the same name, Bad Astronomy offers a unique and fun approach to learning about the cosmos. Join the "Bad Astronomer" Phil Plait as he takes a critical look at popular myths and misconceptions to show audiences how science can be used to evaluate questionable claims. Bad Astronomy is produced by the Detroit Science Center in collaboration with Cranbrook Institute of Science and narrated by WJR-AM's radio personality Rachel Nevada. 46 minutes. (Educators' guide)
Black Holes: the Other Side of Infinity
Click to watch the preview
Narrated by Academy-Award nominated actor Liam Neeson, this cutting-edge fulldome production features high-resolution, animated visualizations of cosmic phenomena, working with data generated by computer simulations. Audiences will be dazzled with striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to a supermassive black hole lurking at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy. Recommended for middle school age and up. 24 minutes. (Educators' guide)
Cell! Cell! Cell!
Click to watch the preview
You are made of 70 trillion living cells. They work. They talk. They think. They are what make you alive.This is the story of the trillions of cells that form our bodies, from our beginnings as a single cell to the complexity of a whole body: it’s the story of who we are. Join Raj and Sooki on a totally ex-CELL-ent immersive journey. Get shrunk down by the Shrink-a-tron, go back in time with the Retroscope and see an exploded view of all the body systems (including nerves, bones, and reproductive cells) courtesy of the Cell-o-tron. Recommended for elementary and up. 24 minutes. (Educational resources)
Dynamic Earth
Click to watch the preview
Dynamic Earth explores the inner workings of Earth's climate system. With visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations, this cutting-edge production follows a trail of energy that flows from the sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and the biosphere. Audiences will ride along on swirling ocean and wind currents, dive into the heart of a monster hurricane, come face-to-face with sharks and gigantic whales, and fly into roiling volcanoes. Narrated by Academy-Award nominated actor Liam Neeson. 24 minutes. (Educators' Guide)
*For private showings, this film is available in Spanish upon request.
Fractal Explorations
Click to watch the preview.
Fractal Explorations is an original production of Dr. Robert Astalos and Zacheis Planetarium. Produced using only free software available to everyone on the internet, it describes what fractals are, how they are made, where they can be found in nature, and what they have to do with infinity. Filled with original fractal images and sequences, it is a feast for the eyes as well as a workout for the brain. Recommended for high school and up. 35 minutes.
IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System
Click to watch the preview
Investigate the boundary between our Solar System and the rest of our galaxy in IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System. Designed for visitors who want to learn more about science research, the show follows the creation of NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Audiences will get an in-depth look at the mission, and how IBEX is mapping our Solar System’s boundary. Recommended for middle school ages and up. 27 minutes.(Educational resources)
Kaluoka'hina: the Enchanted Reef
Click to watch the preview
The vastness of our planet's oceans guards unimaginable secrets. One of its most precious is Kaluoka'hina, the enchanted reef whose magic protects it against humans finding it. Kaluoka'hina's colorful inhabitants have thus always lived in peace... until the volcano erupts, and the spell is broken. Now it's up to the young sawfish Jake and his paranoid pal Shorty to restore the magic of Kaluoka'hina. Their only lead: the ancient legend that tells of touching the moon. But how is a fish supposed to touch the moon? This is just one of the intriguing puzzles that Jake and Shorty have to solve on their most exciting adventure ever: the quest to save their beloved reef. Recommended for elementary school ages and up. 32 minutes. (Educators' guide)
The Life of Trees
Click to watch the preview
An entertaining and educational experience that tells about the fascinating world of trees. The story is presented by a ladybug called Dolores and a firefly called Mike. The Life of Trees shows the importance of plants for life on Earth, how trees grow, how they transport water against gravity to the top of the crown, how photosynthesis works and how trees have enabled diverse life on Earth by producing oxygen. Softmachine GmbH. Recommended for elementary school ages and up. 25 minutes. (Educators' guide)
The Little Star That Could
Click to watch the preview
The Little Star That Could is a story about an average yellow star on a search for planets of his own to warm and protect. Along his way, he encounters other stars, learns what makes each star special, and discovers that stars can combine to form clusters and galaxies. Eventually, Little Star finds his planets and each is introduced to audiences along with basic information about the Solar System. Loch Ness Productions. Recommended for preschool-2nd grade. 35 minutes. (Educators' guides: K-2 and 3-6.)
*For private showings, this film is available in Spanish upon request.
My House Has Stars
People all over the world live in many different styles of houses. Some live in houseboats. Some in huts of mud. Others still in tall skyscrapers. No matter where you live though, your house has stars! Adapted into a full-dome presentation by the Jenks Planetarium, and based on the book by the same name, this story introduces both houses and stars from places and cultures all over the planet. The book, and this show, truly celebrates the uniqueness of each culture and the ties that bind humans together. Recommended for preschool and up. 30 minutes.
Oasis In Space
Click to watch the preview
Embark on a startling and beautiful voyage through our solar system, galaxy, and universe in search of water - a key ingredient for life on Earth. Your exploration starts on Earth, with its vast oceans that make life possible. Along the way, you’ll fly by the other planets and their moons, learning about their characteristics such as atmosphere, temperature, and composition. Learn where water comes from in the cosmos and the conditions necessary for it to exist as a precious, life-giving liquid. Recommended for third grade children and up. 24 minutes. (Educators' guide)
Planet Nine
Click to watch the preview
In July 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft gave us our first close look at Pluto, the most famous dwarf planet in the outskirts of our Solar System. The New Horizons flyby was big news, and the pictures it continues to send back to Earth reveal a world far more complex than anyone realized. Using nothing but their wits (and high-powered telescopes and a thorough understanding of orbital mechanics), these intrepid explorers are making new discoveries about how our Solar System formed—and what it may be hiding. Recommended for middle school age and up. 30 minutes.
Secret Lives of the Stars
Click to watch the preview
Some stars are massive. Others are tiny; almost insignificant. The specific characteristics of a star will determine what type of life it will lead and how long it might live. We will witness the amazing variety of stars and peer into their secret lives. Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart. Recommended for third grade children and up. 25 minutes.
Secrets of the Sun
Click to watch the preview
An intimate look at the role the sun plays in the life of our solar system. From the nuclear forces churning at the heart of the sun, to the mass ejections of solar material into surrounding space, we will experience the power of the sun and its impact on the planets. We will trace the life cycle of the sun itself, going back to its beginnings and moving forward in time to its eventual death. E&S Digital Theater. Recommended for middle school ages and up. 20 minutes.
Stars of the Pharaohs
Click to watch the preview
Travel to ancient Egypt to see how science was used to tell time, make a workable calendar, and align huge buildings. You’ll learn about the connection the ancient Egyptians felt with the stars and various astronomical phenomena and see some of the most spectacular temples and tombs of the ancient world recreated in their original splendor. Recommended for fourth grade children and up. 35 minutes.
Supervolcanoes
Click to watch the preview
The award-winning Supervolcanoes is an immersive planetarium show that looks back at rare classes of eruptions that have marshaled the energy that lurks, like a sleeping dragon, beneath the surface of planet Earth. The program moves beyond Earth to explore the impact of giant volcanic eruptions around our solar system. Audiences will fly down to Neptune's frigid moon Triton, and onto the ultimate volcanic world: Jupiter's moon Io. On a visit to a legendary North American hot spot, Yellowstone National Park, the film asks: can a supervolcano erupt in our time? Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. Recommended for fourth grade children and up. 24 minutes. (Educators' Guide)
Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope
Click to watch the preview
Two Small Pieces of Glass traces the history of the telescope from Galileo’s modifications to a child’s spyglass—using two small pieces of glass—to the launch of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the future of astronomy. It explores the wonder and discovery made by astronomers throughout the last 400 years. Interstellar Studios. Recommended for third grade children and up. 23 minutes. (Educators' guide)
The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather
Click to watch the preview
From the far reaches of outer space, from the bright orange planet Zula, comes the Zula Patrol! Based on the highly-acclaimed Zula Patrol TV series, this is a must-see for audiences of all ages. The story: the stalwart heroes of the Zula Patrol are on an expedition collecting samples of weather on planet Zula for scientist Multo's research, using their loyal pet Gorga's ability to collect and bottle all kinds of weather. But when the Zula gang inadvertently hurts Gorga's feelings, he decides to leave Zula and find another planet to live on. Interplanetary villain Dark Truder tricks Gorga into stealing the weather from other planets - part of his latest nefarious scheme to rule the Universe. The Zula Patrol find out and go after him, in the process learning all about weather, both terrestrial and interplanetary. Recommended for preschool-2nd grade. (Educators' guide)
