Greetings from the
Forestview Planetarium!
All of the following shows are available for your class. Read the descriptions or watch the trailers to choose what you think is best for your group. A planetarium visit is usually about one hour in length and these shows accompany a live presentation of the topic of your choice. From a lesson on why Earth has seasons to just plain star gazing we can customize any visit given enough lead time to prepare. See the "Lessons" tab above to see what already exists for your grade level to explore.
A Place Like No Other
28 Minutes; 6th Grade and up
Alaska is a place like no other. For many people a trip to Alaska is a life-long dream. For the people who live here, they depend on and protect an enduring way of life. But there are places in our state so remote, so wild, that few Alaskans have ever gone.
Here in the planetarium we’re going to take you to these places, to remote wilderness to see iconic animals and landscapes that define the Last Frontier, places that make Alaska… Alaska.
A Teenager's Guide to the Galaxy
28 Minutes; 8th Grade and up
A Full Dome Planetarium show produced by the Milwaukee Public Museum, but written and narrated by the CREATE students. CREATE = Creating Relevant Astronomy Through Experience! made possible by a grant from NASA.
Back to the Moon, For Good
24 Minutes; 5th Grade and up
Watch our cool movie about going back to the Moon. In case you haven’t heard, the Moon is trending again… and in a big way. Narrated by Tim Allen (voice of Buzz Lightyear), this is a complete behind-the-scenes feature on the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE, the largest incentivized prize in history. Adapted from the award-winning digital planetarium show, the 24-minute movie chronicles 18 teams from around the world looking to make history by landing a privately funded robotic spacecraft on the Moon. This global competition is designed to spark imagination and inspire a renewed commitment to space exploration, not by governments or countries – but by the citizens of the world. Learn more - http://lunar.xprize.org/education/dom...
Black Holes
40 Minutes; Grade 6-8
A full dome show to explore the depth of black holes! What are they? How do they survive? Are there any close to Earth? Learn the answers to these questions and many more as we dive into black holes to discover their deepest secrets!
Chasing the Ghost Particle
30 Minutes; 8th grade and up
A thrilling journey inside IceCube, looking for traces of neutrino collisions in the ice and including stunning simulations of the most energetic places in our universe. From one of the most remote locations on Earth to the unexplored regions of the cosmos, Chasing the Ghost Particle: From the South Pole to the Edge of the Universe will take you on a journey you won't forget.
Download the full-length show here https://wipac.wisc.edu/ghostparticle
Cleopatra's Universe
28 Minutes; Grade 7 and up
A great introduction to the world of Egypt’s legendary queen, Cleopatra’s Universe will explore the truths and mysteries of her fascinating time over 2,000 years ago. Using the Planetarium’s immersive full dome technology, you will experience Cleopatra in dramatic fashion. Travel back in time to see stunning re-creations of the Alexandria Library, Cleopatra’s Palace, the Parthenon in Athens, the Pompey Theater in Rome and the Pharos Lighthouse—one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Discover the powerful Greek and Roman influences on the world of Cleopatra.
Cosmic Recipe
23 minutes; 6th grade and up
This is a great show for Chemistry!
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 and the stars have cooked up the everyday elements we interact with every day—like the calcium in our teeth, the silicon in our smartphones, and even the carbon in our apple pies.
Explore the world of chemistry—the protons, neutrons and electrons! See how tiny atoms relate to the mammoth stars! Connect the physical worlds of the small and large in this engaging and inspiring show.
Cosmic Safari
21 minutes; 3rd grade and up
The search for life in the universe begins as we travel to yet undiscovered planets in the far reaches of space. In differing environmental conditions, you'll discover what living creatures might look like on worlds very different from our own. Cosmic Safari transforms scientific theory into exotic worlds filled with fantastic creatures never before imagined. Narrated by John de Lancie of TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Dark Side of Light
21 minutes; 3rd grade and up
Light pollution. Have you ever heard of this term? How can something as essential as light even be associated with pollution? And yet, there it is. For several centuries, we have become accustomed to lighting up artificial light sources after dark, considering them natural. But it’s not. Living organisms, both, plants and animals, have adapted to the natural cycle of day and night for tens of millions of years. Our biorhythms work in accordance with sunrise and sunset. The artificial disruption of this cycle has serious consequences, not only for our health but also for the environment and the economy. So why is the increasing level of artificial lighting dangerous for us? Let's take a look together at what is hidden under the term light pollution and what each of us can do about it.
Did an Asteroid Really Kill the Dinosaurs?
24 Minutes; 5th grade and up
Did a space rock six miles wide slam into the Earth 66 million years ago and wipe out 75 percent of all living species at that time, including the dinosaurs? Cosmic collisions are abundant in our solar system. See the numerous craters on worlds like the moon, Mars, and even distant Pluto. Explore the dinosaur disaster up close, supported by evidence from the museum’s own Geology Department in this MPM original planetarium production.
Earth, Moon and Sun
25 Minutes; Perfect for 3rd-5th Grade! REALLY a GREAT show!
Join Coyote in a fast-paced and fun fulldome show that explores lunar phases, eclipses and how humans learn through space exploration. For audiences age 5-11.
Edge of Darkness
25 minutes; 8th grade and up
The film features amazing scenes of places never before seen gathered by key space missions that culminated with groundbreaking discoveries in 2015. It features a spectacular flight though the great cliffs on comet 67P, a close look at the fascinating bright "lights" on Ceres, and the first ever close ups of dwarf binary planet Pluto/Charon and its moons. Narrated by Hayley Atwell, Agent Carter, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the ABC television series.
Experience the Aurora
27 minutes; 6th grade and up
Over seven months in the Arctic Circle, our crews captured timelapse images of the Aurora Borealis with high resolution digital SLR cameras outfitted with fisheye lenses. The results are spectacular. For the first time the aurora has been captured as it was meant to be experienced, as a display that covers the entire sky. This immersive show shares the science behind the aurora and tells the story of our quest to find and photograph the aurora for wraparound display in fulldome theaters. Winner of 2 Telly Awards.
Forward to the Moon
30 minutes; 6th grade and up
Kari Byron from Crash Test World and MythBusters launches us on a journey beyond the Earth towards a sustainable future in space.
NASA’s 21st century Artemis program, named after the Greek moon Goddess and twin of Apollo, is the next step in our mission to explore the universe and land the first woman and person of color on the surface of the Moon. Produced by Fiske Planetarium in collaboration with TEND Studio.
From Earth to the Universe
32 Minutes; General Audience; 6th or 8th grade
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 v2.
Galileo; The Power of the Telescope
30 Minutes; 8th Grade and up
Two eyes and two pieces of glass revolutionized human understanding 400 years ago. The eyes belonged to Galileo Galilei, and the curved pieces of glass were the lenses of his telescope. Explore Galileo’s personal and powerful story, and see how his discoveries displaced long-held views about the universe. Travel back in time to Pisa, Italy, to experience Galileo’s early experiments with gravity and the laws of motion, his advocacy of the idea that the Earth revolves around the sun, and his work with early telescopes. You see how his keen observations culminated in The Starry Messenger, an early masterpiece in which Galileo described all his dazzling discoveries in a straightforward, easy to understand way.
Hot Energetic Universe
29 Minutes; 8th Grade and up
The planetarium documentary “The Hot and Energetic Universe” presents with the use of Immersive Visualizations and real images the achievements of the modern astronomy, the most advanced terrestrial and orbital observatories, the basic principles electromagnetic radiation and the natural phenomena related to the High Energy Astrophysics. High Energy Astrophysics plays a key role in understanding the universe. These radiations reveal the processes in the hot and violent Universe. High Energy Astrophysics probes hot gas in clusters of galaxies, which are the most massive objects in the Universe. It also probes hot gas accreting around supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies.
Ice Worlds
25 minutes; General Audience; Middle School
The delicate balance between ice, water and the existence of life has been a topi c of scientific inquiry for generations. In travels to the Arctic and Antarctic regions of our planet, we'll examine the ecosystems that exist and thrive there and learn how their survival is connected with our own. Beyond Earth, we'll see how the existence of ice shapes the landscape and the natural systems on other planets and moons in our Solar System. Winner of five Telly Awards. Narrrated by Academy Award nominated actress, Emily Watson. Produced in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with the support of the National Science Foundation.
Mars - The Ultimate Voyage
25 minutes; General Audience; Middle School; High School
Ever wondered what it will take for astronauts to travel to the Moon, Mars and beyond? On this long journey, what challenges will astronauts face? How will they stay motivated and healthy on their spacecraft so far away from Earth? The new, Bell original planetarium show Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, explores these questions and more! On a two year journey to Mars astronauts will face extraordinary challenges—long distance, a closed environment, isolation, altered gravity, radiation. What will it take to get astronauts to Mars—and back—safely? This new, animated planetarium production highlights NASA research and training initiatives that are preparing the next generation of astronauts who will head to Mars. The film shows how creativity, collaboration, communication, and expertise in a diverse number of fields are key for the success of deep space travel—while also inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals! Witness what it takes to embark on the first human mission beyond Earth’s orbit.
Out There: The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds
30 Minutes; 8th Grade and up
With the world’s most powerful telescopes, we are able to explore the Universe surrounding us and start looking for planets around other stars. A fulldome show for planetariums and digital dome theatres.
Phantom of the Universe!
27 Minutes; General Audience; 8th grade to Adult
Phantom of the Universe is a new planetarium show that showcases an exciting exploration of dark matter, from the Big Bang to its anticipated discovery at the Large Hadron Collider.
The show reveals the first hints of its existence through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term “dark matter.” It describes the astral choreography witnessed by Vera Rubin in the Andromeda galaxy and then plummets deep underground to see the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth, housed in a former gold mine.
From there, it journeys across space and time to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, speeding alongside particles before they collide in visually stunning explosions of light and sound, while learning how scientists around the world are collaborating to track down the constituents of dark matter.
Sky Wars; Battles of Discovery
23 Minutes; Grades 5 and up
Explore epic battles of change in the sky above us! Follow the struggles as new discoveries alter our view of Earth and its place in the universe. Witness the connections, and conflicts, between astronomy and astrology. See how the Earth went from a flat place to a round world. From a static, motionless home to a spinning, orbiting planet! And lastly, voyage into the galaxy to glimpse how future discoveries might start new battles about the sky above!
Space Aliens; Looking for Life in the Universe
28 Minutes; 6th grade and up
Join our alien experts—“Hopeful” and “Skeptical”–as they examine eXtra-terrestrial files and try to convince each other whether or not life exists beyond the Earth. Follow their astrobiology arguments from the ocean floor to a journey across the galaxy!
Stars of the Pharaohs
36 Minutes; General Audience; 6th or 8th grade
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 experience some of the most spectacular temples and tombs of the ancient world recreated in all of their original splendor. Telly Award winner. Narrated by John Rhys-Davies, of the Indiana Jones films and The Lord of the Rings films.
Sunstruck
21 minutes; General Audience; Middle School
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.
The Sun: Our Living Star
23 minutes; 6th grade and up
The Sun, Our Living Star reveals the impact our star has on every aspect of our lives here on Earth. Explore the Sun’s role in allowing and maintaining life, from photosynthesis to humanity. Discover how the Sun dictates our days, seasons and years. Delve into the history of the Sun’s impact on human religion and culture. Learn about the Sun’s dynamic nature — what appears as a flat disk in the sky is in fact a violent and evolving celestial body, burning 600 million tons of hydrogen every second. The Sun, Our Living Star allows viewers to experience the Sun in a new way, with never-before-seen images of its turbulent surface in immersive fulldome format, revealing its power and variability in breathtaking detail.
The Cosmic Recipe
23 Minutes; 8th grade and up
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 our latest production, The Cosmic Recipe! Features Tom Lehrer's "The Element Song" in full dome!
The First Stargazers
24 Minutes; 6th grade and up
Journey back in time to explore how the first stargazers experience the sky above. Your guide is Nashira, a friendly time traveler who knows the amazing adventures for Earth’s first astronomers. Witness the very first stargazer making a Moon calendar out of animal bone 30,000 years ago. Discover the ancient pyramids of Giza and their alignment to the skies. See stunning digital re-creations of the Parthenon, Alexandria Library, Stonehenge and Abu Simbel Temple and be inspired by the first stargazers who laid down the foundations of modern-day astronomy.
Totality
25 Minutes; 5th Grade and up
“Totality” is a fascinating look at all the wonders of eclipses, especially total solar eclipses. An eclipse is described simply as when one celestial object blocks another from our view. This program, produced by Bays Mountain Planetarium, examines what eclipses are, how and when they occur, and what wonderful sights they create. We also look back to a fascinating period in scientific discovery when general relativity was proven with the photographic recording of a total solar eclipse. Our production includes a variety of wonderful styles – from spectacular space environments to humorous pop-up books. A very special part of the show relates, in a very human way, what happens when you are caught in the shadow of the Moon and the Sun is plunged into a total solar eclipse. You will love this program.
Two Small Pieces of Glass
43 Minutes; General Audience; 6th or 8th grade
Two Small Pieces of Glass – The Amazing Telescope fulldome show follows two students as they interact with a female astronomer at a local star party.
Along the way, the students learn the history of the telescope from Galileo’s modifications to a child’s spyglass — using two small pieces of glass — to the launch of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the future of astronomy.
Aiming to engage and appeal to audiences of all ages, the show explores the wonder and discovery made by astronomers throughout the last 400 years.
Wonders of the Universe
23 minutes; General audience; Middle School or High School
Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and travel back billions of years in time to witness the birth of the universe. On this breathtaking excursion, you'll witness the formation of galaxies and explore some of the most wondrous nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered. As your travels continue, you'll fly deep into our own Milky Way Galaxy and return home to Earth on a spectacular tour through the Solar System.
Dawn of the Space Age
41 minutes; General; 8th grade and up
Re-live 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 endeavours? Witness their drive, their passion, and their perseverance to explore, in “Dawn of the Space Age”.
The Secret Lives of Stars
27 Minutes; 6th grade and up
Not all stars are created equal. Some are massive. Others are tiny; almost insignificant. The specific characteristics of a star will determine what type of life it will lead, how long it might live and even the type of death it will die. We will witness the amazing variety of stars and peer into their secret lives. Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart of TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films. Winner of 4 Telly Awards.
It's About Time
25 Minutes; 3rd grade and up
Time impacts us everyday -- but what is it exactly? Where does time come from? Explore these mysteries and many more in the Planetarium’s newest creation. Join friendly robots Tortoise and Hare in their voyage around the Earth and beyond to discover the wild origins of time! Grades 3 and up.
Are We Alone?
36 Minutes; Grade 6-8
Have you ever looked up into the nighttime sky and wondered if there was anyone out there among the stars? Join us at the UNT Sky Theater as we examine the possibility of Life on another planet in our new immersive video and sound experience called, “Are We Alone?”
Planet Hunters
22 Minutes; Grade 3-5
Come experience the wonders of exploration and the myriad of new discoveries uncovered through today's bold efforts to find planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system. Learn how new planets are discovered - from broiling Jupiters to super Earths in a search for planets that may support life. An Arizona Science Center original production.