Planetarium Program Library
The Star Theater offers programs designed for young children and planetarium shows for middle/high school students and adults. We have an extensive library of planetarium features on a wide range of astronomical subjects, including dark matter, stars, planets, galaxy formation, black holes, and the solar system. Browse our library and make a reservation for your school or community group.
The stars have been a source of mystery and wonder for people worldwide. Though lacking the tools for traveling into deep space and exploring the electromagnetic spectrum, Ancient cultures attempted to interpret and understand the movements and patterns of objects in the sky from Neolithic times. By studying their observations, some cultures developed calendars; others predicted future events, and still, others worshipped the magical objects in the sky. This show will look at these different interpretations of astronomical cycles and events and particularly explore Mayan predictions.
Duration: 27 minutes
This feature follows the creation of NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft, giving audiences an in-depth look at the mission and how IBEX is collecting high-speed atoms to create a map of the boundary of our Solar System. Narrated by two inquisitive teenagers, audiences will hear from the scientists and engineers who developed the IBEX mission and created the spacecraft and get the latest updates on the mission's discoveries.
Duration: 28 minutes
An immersive, historical documentary showcases the Apollo program's achievements and what it took to put the first human on the Moon. This feature will inspire the next generation of explorers, designers, engineers, scientists, thinkers and dreams to take that "one small step" to achieve "one giant leap" for all of us.
Duration: 26 minutes
This show for families takes us on a roller coaster ride from the moon through the universe, our galaxy and our Solar System. This unforgettable high-speed adventure will immerse you in some of the most amazing sites in the Universe. Narrated by Nancy Cartwright of TV's "The Simpsons."
Duration: 27 minutes
Discover the many reasons for color—like why the sky is blue, and Mars is red. Take a tour within a plant leaf and journey inside the human eye. Investigate x-rays by voyaging to a monstrous black hole and then back to your doctor's office. You will even see the actual color of a dinosaur—based on recent evidence. Get ready for an amazing adventure under a rainbow of cosmic light.
Duration: 42 minutes
A Solar System Adventure takes you on a voyage to the outer reaches of our Solar System in search of worlds that might support life. Especially popular with school-age children and teachers, Cosmic Journey: A Solar System Adventure is one of our most successful programs and is suitable for all ages.
Duration: 25 minutes
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 human life is but a flickering instant.
Duration: 38 minutes
Relive the excitement of the early days of space exploration, from the launch of the first artificial satellite to the magnificent lunar landings and privately operated space flights. Be immersed and overwhelmed with this most accurate historic reconstruction of man's first steps into space. Who were these men and women that took part in these death-defying endeavors? Witness their drive, passion, and perseverance to explore.
Duration: 41 minutes
A day in the life of the European Southern Observatory, the largest working observatory in the world, located in Paranal, Chile.
Duration: 1 hour
Earth, Moon, & Sun explores the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun with the help of Coyote, an amusing character from Native American oral traditions who has many misconceptions about our home planet and its most familiar neighbors. His confusion about the universe makes viewers think about how the Earth, Moon and Sun work together as a system. Native American stories are used throughout the show to help distinguish between myths and science. The program helps viewers understand why the Sun rises and sets and the basics of solar energy. The Moon's orbit, craters, phases and eclipses, along with past and future space exploration to the moon and beyond, are explored. While appropriate for general audiences, students in grades two through five will enjoy this look at the Earth, Moon and Sun system.
Duration: 26 minutes
Immerse yourself in ground-breaking discoveries from the past five years of space exploration, including a spectacular flight through the great cliffs on comet 67P, a front-row seat to the bright “lights” of Ceres, and the first ever close-ups of the dwarf binary planet Pluto/Charon and its moons.
Duration: 25 minutes
Expanded View explores some of the most beautiful deep space objects through the eyes of the Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra Space Telescopes. Each observing platform views the universe through a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum; Hubble in visible light, Spitzer in infrared and Chandra in X-ray. Expanded View focuses on how scientists use these telescopes to enhance our scientific understanding, including turning the images at each of these wavelengths into sound through the ‘sonification’ project.
Duration: 22 minutes
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Exploring New Horizons looks at the New Horizons spacecraft and its mission to dwarf planet Pluto and other Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs). The program reviews the history of planetary discovery from ancient times and focuses on Pluto and how it led to an amazing mission to explore the Kuiper Belt. This program also shows the importance of the scientific method and how it applies to our understanding of the Solar System. Exploring New Horizons is a production of the Bays Mountain Planetarium.
Duration: 30 minutes
Witness the awesome power and the unimaginable destruction of explosive volcanoes, ground-buckling earthquakes, and deadly tornadoes as you head into the field with scientists who risk their lives exploring the origins and behaviors of these fearsome natural disasters. During this program, students will venture to the brink of an erupting volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat; discover how the history of massive, city-leveling earthquakes in Turkey is helping scientists predict where and when the next quake will strike, and crisscross the Midwest's infamous "Tornado Alley" with storm chasers racing to unlock the secrets of monster twisters. Produced by National Geographic and Geographic Flims, Inc.
Duration: 40 minutes
The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, 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. Produced by: Theofanis Matsopoulos & European Southern Observatory (ESO).
Duration: 30 minutes
NASA sponsored exploration from the 20th to the 21st century. NASA's future will continue to be a story of human exploration, science, engineering and technology. This work has historically defined the future, achieved the impossible and discovered the unknown. This is a NASA-produced video and not a full-dome feature. As an alternative, you may request a series of NASA shorts, also videos but not a full-dome feature, on a range of space exploration topics.
Duration: 1 hour
Legends of the Night Sky: Orion takes a lighthearted and imaginative look at the myths and stories associated with the constellation Orion, the great hunter of the winter sky. The show brings the mythological Orion to life in a fun-filled, animated adventure. Accompanied by narrators Aesop the owl and Socrates, the mouse, we follow Orion's adventures as he grows to manhood, battles mythical beasts, foils the plot of an evil king and wins the heart of Artemis, the beautiful moon goddess. By the end of the story, we learn how the constellation Orion was placed in the sky, forever turning overhead throughout the seasons.
Duration: 24 minutes
Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda is 18 minutes of full-dome fun while also teaching children and adults the Greek mythological story about the constellations. "Perseus and Andromeda" engages the audience with a wonderful story filled with humorous and exciting characters.
Duration: 18 minutes
Losing the Dark is a collaboration between Loch Ness Productions and the International Dark-Sky Association. It introduces and illustrates some of the issues regarding light pollution and suggests three simple actions people can take to help mitigate it.
Duration: 6 minutes
The Nature of Science is designed to communicate what science is and how scientists work. Featuring interviews with Weber State University Science faculty as they discuss their work, The Nature of Science is intended to communicate "what science is, how science works and how you can get involved."
Duration: 23 minutes
For over two decades, Oasis in Space has remained one of Spitz’s most popular and evergreen productions, taking the audience on a rich and fascinating journey through our celestial neighborhood as we look for one of organic life’s key ingredients – liquid water. Why is Venus considered the hottest planet in the Solar System? Is Saturn the only Solar planet with rings? And what can possibly hide under the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon, Europa? These and more questions are answered as we visit the Sun in its cradle, the Earth as it used to be, the neighboring planets as they are today, and maybe even a yet undiscovered world that awaits our visit in the future.
Elmo and Big Bird live in the United States; their friend Hu Hu Zhu lives far away in China. Join the characters of Sesame Street as they discover that even though they live far apart, they still see the same stars at night.
Duration: 27 minutes
- Download the Teacher's Guide that includes pre - and post-visit activities accompanying the program.
- Curriculum Objectives
Origins of Life deals with some of the most profound questions of life science, the origin of life and the human search for life beyond Earth. Starting with the Big Bang, in chronological order, the show deals with pre-biotic chemistry in the universe, the formation of stars and solar systems, and the first life on Earth. Furthermore, Origins of Life covers the great extinctions and our search for (primitive) life beyond planet Earth. Origins of Life is a motivational journey through time and a celebration of life on Earth. It features many recent discoveries related to life science, demonstrating to the youth that if there were ever a time when science made its greatest advances, it would be right now. Narrated by Lord Robert Winston.
Duration: 23 minutes
An elegant, sophisticated non-denominational presentation for the winter holiday season. Naturally, there is some astronomy in Season of Light. We catch a few northern winter constellations, illustrate why we have seasons and explore the possible astronomical explanations for a “star over Bethlehem” in the last quarter of the show. Narrated by National Public Radio’s Noah Adams.
Duration: 35 minutes
The show takes you back to the little town of Bethlehem of long ago in the endeavor to investigate what was the “Star” that guided the Wise Men. The Star of Bethlehem presents all the historical and scientific facts we know today to unravel this 2.000-year-old enigma in a special audiovisual show that fills the audience with a sense of wonder and an air of innocence. Accompanied by the music of the best-known Christmas Carols of the Season, the narration guides the audience through the various historical and astronomical information of the Christmas story along with the various facts concerning our calendar and guides them to make their conclusions as to what this “wonder” star was all about.
Duration: 25 minutes
Every star has a story. Some are as old as time, faint and almost forgotten. Others burn bright and end their lives in powerful explosions. New stars are created daily, born of vast clouds of gas and dust. Through every phase of their existence, stars release the energy that powers the universe. Journey to the farthest reaches of our galaxy and experience the stars' awesome beauty and destructive power. The stunning animation highlighted by astronauts, spacecraft, telescopes, nebulas, clusters, and more, was created by the talented team of the National Space Centre (Leicester, UK). This dramatic program features the voice talent of Mark Hamill. The Nashville Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Albert-George Schram, resident conductor, performed part of the Stars soundtrack.
Duration: 26 minutes
Discover the wonders of our sun. Its incredible energy has supported life on Earth for millennia but is now threatening our technology and way of life. Travel to the distant future to discover our sun's connection to the universe's cosmic cycle of life and death! Produced by Michigan Science Center.
Duration: 20 minutes
Tour of the Universe is a live program that takes visitors on a trip from the surface of Planet Earth to the edge of the known universe and back. Along the way, the audience learns about our place in the solar system, the size and scale of the universe and what we have come to understand about its structure.
Duration: 45 minutes
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. Their conversation with a local female astronomer enlightens them on the history of the telescope and the discoveries these wonderful tools have made. 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 astronomer's telescope, the students and the planetarium audience explore the Galilean Moons, Saturn's rings and the spiral structure of galaxies. During their conversation with the astronomer, they also learn about the discoveries of Galileo, Huygens, Newton, Hubble and many others. Sky images and full-dome video will transport the planetarium audiences to some of the largest observatories in the world, as well as places of historical significance. The soundtrack was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra.
Duration: 30 minutes
Unseen Universe invites you to enter the wondrous new age of exploration and understanding. For millions of years, our view of the heavens was limited by our eyes, allowing us to see only a narrow band of electromagnetic radiation we call visible light. Now, we have the technology that allows us to look at the sky with superhuman sight and accuracy. The planetarium shows Unseen Universe and presents an exciting look at cutting-edge astronomy. Learn more about the supercomputers that link clusters of telescopes and continents apart. Follow the fleet of space-borne observatories that extend our senses across space and time. Find out how the new detectors, accompanied by software that merges different observations, transform what we can do from Earth. See the invisible made visible.
Duration: 25 minutes
Comets, asteroids, and meteors hurtling through space. Stars collapsing under their gravity. Infernos of nuclear energy release their deadly radiation across the universe. Witness the raw power of the cosmos as worlds collide in this thrilling show. Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films.
Duration: 25 minutes
This feature looks into the rare and magnificent celestial apparition called a Venus transit. The show covers what transit is, a famous transit viewing from the 18th century led by Captain Cook, and exciting information about the sun and Venus.
Duration: 27 minutes
Contact Information
Star Theater
Ronald G. Eaglin Space Science Center
235 Martindale Dr.
Morehead, KY 40351
EMAIL: star.theater@moreheadstate.edu
PHONE: 606-783-9593
