About the Shows

We have a number of professionally produced shows, with just a few of them described below. We are constantly working to update our show list. As we obtain new shows, we share them with the University and the general public, announcing these on the main web page.

The Violent Universe by Evans & Sutherland
The Violent Universe by Evans & Sutherland

The Violent Universe

Comets, asteroids, and meteors hurtling through space. Stars collapsing under their own gravity. Infernos of nuclear energy releasing their deadly radiation across the universe. Witness the raw power of the cosmos in this thrilling show that gives you a front-row seat to watch as worlds collide! Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films. This show is produced by Evans & Sutherland.

Seven Wonders by Evans & Sutherland
Seven Wonders by Evans & Sutherland

Seven Wonders

Turn back the pages of time and witness the ancient wonders of the world as they appeared thousands of years ago. Explore the Great Pyramid, stand in the shadow of the towering Colossus and experience the rest of the world's Seven Wonders. We will investigate the theories of how these wonders were created, and get a glimpse of some of the universe's greatest wonders. Winner of four Telly Awards and two Communicator Awards. Narrated by Sean Bean, of The Lord of the Rings films. This show is produced by Evans & Sutherland. 

Secret Lives of Stars by Evans & Sutherland
Secret Lives of Stars by Evans & Sutherland

 

Secret Lives of Stars 

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.

 

 

 

Produced by the Adler Planetarium, Sesame Workshop, Beijing Planetarium, and Liberty Science Center, with major support from the National Science Foundation
Produced by the Adler Planetarium, Sesame Workshop, Beijing Planetarium, and Liberty Science Center, with major support from the National Science Foundation

One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure

The show follows Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from Zhima Jie, the Chinese co-production of Sesame Street. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the Moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth. One World, One Sky is a brilliant spectacle of light and color as the furry friends watch the stars twinkle over Sesame Street. Children attending the show can interact as they watch, drawing constellations and counting the time it takes the sun to set. One, World, One Sky is a production of Adler Planetarium, Sesame Workshop, Beijing Planetarium, and Liberty Science Center and was produced with major support from the National Science Foundation.

 

 

solar system montage by NASA

solar system montage courtesy of NASA

Night Sky Tour

Come tour the nightime sky with our new fully-digital dome! See what stars and constellations are up at this time of the year so that you can go out and find them for yourself. Learn why we named the constellations in the first place. Learn if you really are a Gemini! Take a tour of our solar system or our broader universe. The sky is truly the limit!

 

 

image courtesy of the European Space Organization

image by the European Space Organization

FROM EARTH TO THE UNIVERSE

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." This stunning, 30-minute voyage through time and space conveys, through an arresting combination of sights and sounds, the Universe revealed to us by science. The show was produced for the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Supernova Planetarium and Visitor Centre.

 

Beyond the Sun-3
Beyond the sun is produced by Evans & Sutherland

BEYOND THE SUN

Fly through space and then enjoy the full-dome show "Beyond the Sun" in which our young heroine Celeste and her new friend Moon learn about life on our planet, and then the possibility of us living on other planets outside of our solar system. 

 

 

 

Worlds of Curiosity-6
Produced by the Fiske Planetarium, CU Boulder

WORLDS OF CURIOSITY

"Worlds of Curiosity" dives into the questions of "What it would be like to live on an Earth with no Moon?" or "What if the Earth was tilted on its side (like Uranus)?" Join our animated friend Mateo and Dr. Alicia Woods as they explore how our lives would be different on these Earths, talk about other hypothetical planets that could exist, and marvel at the even stranger worlds that astronomers have discovered beyond our solar system. 

 

 

Cosmic-Mashups-Marketing-1000x500-200dpi
Produced by the Fiske Planetarium, CU Boulder

Cosmic Mashups

 

Supermassive black holes are found in most galaxies and we're beginning to uncover how the merging of galaxies activate galactic centers. This engaging fulldome film was produced by Fiske Planetarium in collaboration with CU Boulder APS Professor, Dr. Julie Comerford and former graduate student Dr. Becky Nevin through support from an NSF award.

 

 

Totality_poster-5x6.7-200dpi

Totality!

Let's learn about eclipses! Two eclipses cross the US in 2023 and 2024 - an annular on October 14, 2023 and a total eclipse on April 8, 2024! Everyone in the continental US will experience at least a partial solar eclipse on April 8. Total solar eclipses are a rare and beautiful phenomena, and in this new planetarium show you will learn how eclipses happen, how to safely view one, and where these two eclipses take place. You will learn the history of eclipse watchers including some of the stories and legend that used to be associated with amazing and formerly-fear-inducing celestial events. You will learn about the 1919 eclipse and the observations that confirmed Einstein's world-changing Theory of General Relativity. 

This show is produced by the Houston Museum of Natural Science, is approx. 24 minutes long, and has something for all ages.

 

 

 

5000 Eyes 600square

5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument)

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is creating the most detailed map of our nearby universe. Installed on the Mayall telescope on Kitt Peak in Southern Arizona, DESI's 5000 independently operated robots can measure the light from thousands of galaxies at once. Join us as we explore the science, instrument, and people behind this global endeavor to learn about dark energy. This show was produced by the Fiske Planetarium, CU-Boulder.

 

 

Eyes on Island Earth-5

 

Eyes on Island Earth 

This show presents view of Earth that we have obtained from a fleet of NASA satellites. Learn how to find satellites in the night sky, and the types of information that they bring us. Using Hawaii as a big example, learn how our sun, the clouds in the sky, the water, and all things in Nature interact to create an environment. This show was produced by NASA.

 

 

 

Schedule your group for a show.

For questions about the planetarium, please contact Dr. Rhett Herman rherman@radford.edu, or (540) 831-5441 (office phone), or (540) 831-5652 (Department of Physics).