Planetarium Shows

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Dawn of the Space Age

Re-live the excitement of space exploration's early days, from the launch of Sputnik to the Apollo lunar landings, and on to current voyages. Witness the drive, passion, and death-defying adventures of astronauts and cosmonauts, and their perseverance to explore space. This program is the first 3D stereo planetarium presentation in the world.

The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket

Special children's show in which two young adventurers turn a cardboard box into a rocket and blast off on an awesome adventure. They visit each planet in the solar system and find out what makes Earth a special place to live.

Legends of the Night Sky: Orion

A fun-filled, imaginative look at stories and legends about Orion, the great hunter of the winter sky. Narrated by animated characters, audiences follow Orion's adventures as he grows to manhood, battles mythical beasts, foils evil plots and wins the heart of the beautiful moon-goddess. The program concludes with a live look at the current night sky, including how to find Orion from your own backyard! Teacher Guide available.

Skies Over Hawai‘i

A live tour of the current night sky featuring stars, planets, and more! Your guide will share stories of constellations, look at the Moon's current phase, and reveal planets you can see from your own backyard. The program also highlights Hawaiian Star Lines that Polynesian voyagers used to navigate the oceans.

One Ocean, One Sky

Take a journey of discovery with Master Navigator Kalepa Baybayan. Learn about Hawaiian Star Lines and how they are used to navigate ocean voyaging canoes. Explore the legends of Makali‘i and Subaru and the historical connections of voyaging in Hawaii and Japan. Experience Hokulea's 2007 voyage from Hawaii to Japan. Maunakea: Between Earth and Sky (Grades 4 and up) Explore connections between Hawaiian culture and Maunakea astronomy. Become immersed in the story of Pele and Poliahu and the creation of the Hawaiian Islands. Gaze into the night sky, past planets, galaxies and swirling nebula—back to the beginning of the universe—and fly through an observatory atop Maunakea. 

Maunakea: Between Earth and Sky

Explore connections between Hawaiian culture and Maunakea astronomy. Become immersed in the story of Pele and Poliahu and the creation of the Hawaiian Islands. Gaze into the night sky, past planets, galaxies and swirling nebula—back to the beginning of the universe—and fly through an observatory atop Maunakea.

Sesame Street — One World, One Sky

One World, One Sky begins on Sesame Street when Elmo's friend, Hu Hu Zhu, visits from China. Together, Big Bird, Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu locate the Big Dipper, the North Star and the Moon in the night sky. Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu want to learn more about the Moon, so Big Bird suggests that they use their imagination to travel there. Once on the Moon, Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu quickly learn that the Moon has a very different environment than Earth. They discover there is no air on the Moon and learn that without air there can be no trees, animals, flowers or, to their disappointment, flying kites or playing soccer. Realizing this makes them homesick, so they use their imagination to take them back to Sesame Street. Back on Earth, Big Bird, Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu realize that even though they live in two different countries, they still share the same sky.

Tycho to the Moon

Meet Tycho, a dog who doesn't just howl at the moon, but wants to go there. Blast off on an amazing ride into space with Tycho and his young friends Ruby and Michael. Learn about night and day, space travel, the phases of the Moon and features of the lunar surface. Take a close-up look at the Sun, watch the effects of gravity, see the Earth from space and watch meteors shoot across the night sky.

Origins of Life

Origins of Life deals with some of the most profound questions of life science: the origins of life and the human search for life beyond Earth. Starting with the Big Bang, in chronological order, the show deals with the prebiotic chemistry in the Universe, the formation of stars, formation of solar systems, and the first life on Earth. Furthermore Origins of Life covers the great extinctions as well as our search for (primitive) life beyond planet Earth. Origins of Life is a inspirational journey through time and a celebration of life on Earth.

Seven Wonders

Seven Wonders explores the ancient wonders of the world as they have not been viewed for thousands of years. Using digital technology, we turn back Time to see them at the height of their majesty and glory. We will investigate the theories of how these wonders were created and compare them to of some of the universe's greatest wonders such as supernovae, black holes, and nebulae. Seven Wonders is narrated by British actor Sean Bean, who played the character Boromir in the feature film trilogy Lord of the Rings. It includes a guided tour of the night sky featuring stars, planets, constellations, and more!

Awesome Light I: Mirrors on the Mountain

A look at the most recent discoveries from the Maunakea observatories including the Canada France Hawaii Telescope, Gemini Observatory, and Subaru Observatory. Learn what makes these observatories unique and how they are helping us understand our place in the universe. We will explore discoveries of exo-planets, supernova, and galactic superstructures and the observatory technology which made these possible. The program also includes a live in-depth sky presentation featuring stars, constellations, and planets visible in the sky after sunset.

Grades 6 + up

Awesome Light II: Seeing the Invisible

How do we see the invisible?  By looking using different kinds of eyes!  Seeing the Invisible takes the audience to Maunakea and the radio and submillimeter observatories located there.  In this episode we see the remnants of a comet collision with Jupiter using the SMA, fly into the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy and see gas flows there from JCMT, study star formation in the Whirlpool Galaxy from CSO, and explore the largest black hole and jet in the Universe with the VLBA.  The program uses dramatic footage of each of these observatories and displays their science results in spectacular 3D. 

Two Small Pieces of Glass: 400 years of the Telescope

Explore 400 years of the telescope and its discoveries as seen by two students and their mentor as they attend a star party. Learn how Galileo, Newton and many others developed these instruments and how they have allowed humans to learn about the universe. Experience the view from the largest observatories in the world such as Maunakea, Cerra Telolo, and numerous other ones around the globe. This program celebrates the International year of Astronomy in 2009.

IBEX: Search for the Edge

Join scientists who are investigating the boundary between our Solar System and the rest of our galaxy. This show follows the creation of NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Students will get an in-depth look at the mission and how IBEX is collecting high-speed atoms to create a map of our Solar System's boundary. Narrated by two inquisitive teenagers, audiences will hear from the scientists and engineers that developed the IBEX mission and created the spacecraft, and get the latest updates on the mission's discoveries.

3D Sun (Available after April 1, 2010)

From Earth, the Sun cannot be looked at with human eyes. 3D SUN gives students a chance to see the Sun up close in startling 3D. Stand above the Arctic Circle and witness the most brilliant auroras on Earth; take a ride on a solar blast from Sun's surface to Earth's Magnetosphere, and come to a deeper understanding of what this vast sea of fire means to life here on Earth.