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The Little
Star That
Could (Preschool - 3rd) 30 min
Little Star is just an
average star
in the Milky Way galaxy. He has no name and no planets. He decides to
go
on a journey through the galaxy to find some planets and a name for
himself.
During his quest, while learning the differences between stars, planets
and moons, he finds that he really is a very special star. Little Star
is an entertaining program for children and adults. |
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Larry Cat In Space (Preschool -
2nd) 30
min
is a playful, imaginative
cartoon presentation
about an inquisitive cat who takes a trip to the Moon. Through
Larry's
eyes, we observe his human family, a group of enthusiastic
sky-watchers.
Larry's master, Diana, takes a job on the Moon, and sadly leaves Larry
behind. Larry figures out a way to get to the Moon to be with
Diana.
Larry encounters weightlessness, lunar gravity, and even ventures out
on
the Moon wearing his Cat Spacesuit where he spots the Earth, looking a
lot like the Moon did from the porch at home. |
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Our Place In Space (1st - 3rd)
33 min
This is a wonderful
children's program
that features several colorful and lively animal characters (Scarlett
the
macaw, Paula the polar bear, Indy the elephant, Charlie the crocodile,
Sheba the cobra and Leo the lion). The story begins with a crossword
puzzle
book falling from the sky and landing on Scarlett's head. When she
opens
the book the first puzzle she comes to is called Our Place in Space.
For
some help in solving the puzzle clues, Scarlett travels all over the
world
to visit her friends. Each friend is able to teach her something new
and
exciting about the Earth and Space! The discussions center around the
following
themes: The Sun as a Star, What Makes the Sun Move, The Planet Earth, A
Weighty Subject - Gravity, The Shadow of Night, Constellations are Star
Pictures, Getting into Space. Scarlett's journey finally ends with an
imaginary
space trip as Captain Leo takes her to visit the planets and moons of
our
solar system and the stars beyond. |
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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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Star Of Wonder (family) 35 min
What was the Star of
Bethlehem? Was
the “star” a planet or maybe a supernova? Is there a scientific
explanation
for the “star?” In this program, the steps of the Magi are
retraced
in their 600-mile search for the Star of Bethlehem. Educational
and
entertaining, “Star of Wonder” uses scientific data, religious history,
beautiful imagery, and traditional music to explore the mystery that
has
puzzled astronomers and theologians for centuries. This production
offers
several possible explanations for the famous star-like object that,
according
to historical records, led the wise men and shepherds to the place of
Christ’s
birth. Was the Star of Bethlehem a planet, a comet, a meteor, a
supernova?
Or was it simply an unexplainable phenomenon? This show also
explores
how astronomers use historical records and scientific calculations to
determine
the time of Christ’s birth, and shows how planets move and meet with
stars
and how calendars have changed through the ages. |
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The Universe of Dr. Einstein
(7th - Adult)
55 min
What would the world look
like if we
rode on a beam of light? That is the immensely simple question
Albert
Einstein asked. The answer he found changed the world.
Einstein's
discoveries penetrated to the hearts of stars and to the farthermost
reaches
of the cosmos. This program reviews the life of Albert Einstein
and
explains in simple detail the concepts of his work in Special and
General
Relativity. It also describes the world's response to his work and the
problems he had with Nazi Germany. Enter this incredible realm
with
us: "The Universe of Dr. Einstein" - a new star program at the
SMSU
Planetarium. |
Click below for
other shows
that are
either archived or under
development
for future release.
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