Programs
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3-2-1 Liftoff!
Elon the hamster loves science and doing experiments! One day Elon hears a crash. In his garden, he finds a crater with a damaged robot named 8 of 12 inside. How did it get here? Elon fixes the robot and finds out that it fell from a spaceship. Does Elon have the courage and wits you needed to go into space and back? Find out in 3-2-1 Liftoff!
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5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is creating the most detailed map of our nearby universe. Installed at Kitt Peak in Arizona, DESI’s 5000 independently operated robots can measure the light from thousands of galaxies at once. Dive into modern cosmology, and the scientific motivation for building a large map of galaxies. Join us as we explore the science, instrumentation, and people behind this global endeavor to map the universe. For ages 11 and up.
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Áróra: Tales of the Northern Lights
An immersive fulldome experience about the exquisite beauty of Auroras. Take a journey across time and space to understand the science behind the phenomena and to experience the stories of our ancestors. Guided by the lullaby of the Dawn Goddess, this cinematic adventure invites the audience to join the dance of these eerie lights over remote Icelandic landscapes, learn why they appear, and explore numerous legends of these incredible phenomena.
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Asteroid: Mission Extreme
Asteroid: Mission Extreme takes audiences on an epic journey to discover how asteroids are both a danger and an opportunity. The danger lies in the possibility of a cataclysmic collision with Earth; the opportunity is the fascinating idea that asteroids could be stepping stones to other worlds – veritable way stations in space – enabling us to cross the Solar System.
The challenges are enormous, but a mission so extreme could ultimately lead us to protect our planet and inhabit others.
Explore what it would take for astronauts to reach an asteroid and how such an adventure could benefit humankind.
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Astronaut
The exploration of space is the greatest endeavor that humankind has ever undertaken. What does it take to be part of this incredible journey? What does it take to become an astronaut?
Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut. Explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through microscopic regions of the human body. Discover the perils that lurk in space as we subject ‘Chad’, our test astronaut, to everything that space has to throw at him.
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Bébé Symphonique
Bébé Symphonique is an experience that draws on the richness and power of orchestral music to create special moments of connection between babies and their parents, while promoting infant neurological development. Consisting of seven instrumental pieces to soothe and stimulate young children, Bébé Symphonique is a wonderful way for parents to connect with their children and relaxing classical music.
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Big Astronomy – People, Places, and Discoveries!
Big Astronomy – People, Places, and Discoveries! will take audiences to cutting-edge telescopes in the remote mountains of Chile and introduce the people who make sure these instruments operate day and night, unlocking the secrets of the universe. Explore ALMA, VLT, and the new Vera Rubin Observatory (formerly LSST) and how these incredible facilities are changing our view of the cosmos.
Watch the trailer here!
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Black Hole – First Picture
Black Hole First Picture features the human attempt to create the very first picture of a black hole with the Event Horizon Telescope – a network of 8 Radio telescopes at remote locations in the world ranging from Europe, North and South America, Hawaii to Antarctica. For years, the Event Horizon Telescope has been staring into the hearts of the Milky Way and the galaxy Messier 87, trying to obtain a picture of the shadow of Sagittarius A*, our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, and the black hole M87*. Discover the story and science behind the first images of black holes!
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Black Holes
The attraction of Black Holes is more than just gravitational. These mysterious graveyards of dead stars have fascinated generations. “Black Holes” explores the history, physics, and mystery of these reality-bending phenomena. Experience the bending of light, the skewing of perception, and the dizzying descent into a black hole.
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Cell! Cell! Cell!
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 courtesy of the Cell-o-tron. Find out how cool cells really are!
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Chemistry of Life: The Invisible Inside
Sometimes it’s the smallest things that matter the most. Join us on a journey into a seemingly invisible world – the world of molecules and nanoparticles. What does the cell structure of a leaf look like? What might the neural network in our brain be like and how do cells communicate with each other?
Modern scientific visualizations provide an insight into how biochemical processes take place in our bodies, how they connect us with all other living things on Earth, and what their cosmic origin is. Embark on an extraordinary journey into our “inner universe”.
For ages 13 and up!
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Cosmic Colors
From northern lights to garden flowers, color fills our lives and “Cosmic Colors” explains how we use the rainbow to see, understand and explore our universe. Visitors learn more about the electromagnetic spectrum, the Northern Lights and get a tour of the night sky!
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Cosmic Mashups
What do you see when you look up into the night sky? Stars. Planets. The Milky Way galaxy. They’re all up there and have been enthralling humankind for our entire existence. But there is more to the night sky that we can’t see. Uncover the awe of imploding stars, galactic collisions and the monstrous blackholes found at the heart of galaxies.
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Cosmic Recipe
The famous astronomer Carl Sagan once said: “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” Though that may sound crazy, Sagan was onto something BIG! Want to know what? Pull up a chair at our Planetarium’s Periodic Table and learn the cosmic recipes that created everything in our world – even us! Discover how the Big Bang cooked up everyday elements such as the calcium in our teeth, the silicon in our smart phones, and even the carbon in our apple pies in The Cosmic Recipe.
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Dark Matter Mystery
What are the building blocks of our universe? Astronomers have been trying to answer this question for centuries, but haven’t found the ultimate answer. Approximately a quarter of the Universe consists of mysterious dark matter. We know it is there, but we don’t know what it is made of. Take the ultimate astrophysics quest by joining scientists on their observations out in space and deep underground. Will they be able to reveal dark matter’s mystery?
Ages 10 and up.
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Dawn of the Space Age
Experience the exciting beginnings of space travel, from the launch of Sputnik 1 to the Apollo landings on the Moon, and from the assembly of the International Space Station to the first private space flights. Trace the initial competition of political systems for supremacy in space, and the peaceful collaboration between nations today. Join in the vivid, historically accurate reconstruction of humans first steps into the cosmos. Learn about the men and women who braved the risks of space travel. Witness their courage, their passion and their perseverance in “Dawn of the Space Age”.
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Dream to Fly
Have you ever dreamt you were flying? Have you ever thought how wonderful would it be to fly free as a bird? Discover the mystery of flight with Leonardo da Vinci, Montgolfier brothers, Wright brothers and other inventors. Experience the adventure with powerful images and music, an immense and challenging dream, for which mankind has strived since the beginning of history. Dream to Fly explores the history of flight and its most important milestones on our route to conquering the skies—both in terms of technological breakthroughs, as well as our perceptions on flying itself. The dream to fly has raised the man even further – into the outer space.
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Dynamic Earth
Explore the inner workings of Earth’s climate system with visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations. This exciting program 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. We explore the relationship between Earth and the Sun, life and the carbon cycle, Earth’s climate control system, and how human activities are changing our planet. Come learn how dynamic planet Earth really is!
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Earth Moon, and Sun
Earth, Moon, & Sun is a fast-paced full dome demonstration of lunar phases, eclipses, day and night, the sun and other puzzling events with the help of a confused coyote. This program beautifully illustrates basic concepts like moon phases and seasons. Based on the trickster of Native American lore, Coyote is constantly corrected in his misunderstandings of how things work. A live tour of the Maine sky and its beautiful constellations completes this micro-unit of astronomy.
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ECLIPSE: The Moments of Wonder
Join us for an immersive view of eclipses, the most spectacular sights in the sky! Explore the nature of these special celestial alignments and get prepared to safely observe them. Experience the awe and wonder with stunning images of both solar and lunar eclipses captured by a world-renowned astro-photographer from locations around the globe. The program includes information on how to observe the April 2024 solar eclipse visible in Maine.
