Our Shows

School and Private Shows

Edge on image of galaxy ESO 510-G13. A thin band of brown clouds that is brighter in the middle against a black background

Choose from our available presentations:

Sky Tonight

Taking a look at the night sky and all it has to offer. We'll pick out constellations, stars, planets, and deep space objects you can find on a clear night in your own backyard! Live presentation.

One Sky 

The sky connects us all. Experience One Sky, a series of captivating short films that highlight cultural and Indigenous perspectives of the night sky. Produced as an international collaboration, with culturally authentic storytellers, music, and stunning immersive visuals designed for the dome, One Sky will take you on an artistic and compelling journey exploring traditions around the world and showcasing the interconnectedness of humanity through our shared view of the cosmos. 

A One Sky show combines two or more 6 minute vignettes with a live presentation identifying how to find the star patterns highlighted in each vignette.  Recommended ages: 6+ Fulldome video*

Dream To Fly

Discover the mystery of flight with Leonardo da Vinci, the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright brothers and other inventors in this poetic story about the history of aviation. It presents the milestones on our route to conquering the skies—both in terms of technological breakthroughs, as well as our perceptions on flying itself. Rich visuals, an original soundtrack and a poetic narration make this show an exceptional experience. Recommended ages: 8+  Fulldome video.*

The First Stargazers

Journey back in time to explore how the first stargazers experienced the sky above. Your guide is Nashira, a friendly time traveler who has visited Earth many times before. 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. Recommended ages: 6+  Fulldome video.*

Big Astronomy

Big Astronomy shares the story of the people and places who make big astronomy and big science happen. The planetarium show transports viewers to Chile where the dark skies and dry, remote setting create ideal conditions to observe the Universe. Chile hosts much of the world’s leading ground-based observing infrastructure, and the US and other countries are investing billions of dollars in furthering astronomy partnerships in the country. Big Astronomy introduces audiences to a wide variety of people involved in advancing astronomical discovery, and is narrated by Barbara Rojas-Ayala, a Chilean astronomer. Recommended ages: 10+  Fulldome video.*

5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI

5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI is a full-dome planetarium show created in collaboration with a dedicated, international group of scientists and engineers who are producing the most complete map of our Universe.  This documentary highlights recent discoveries from the Department of Energy’s Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), an instrument on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at NOIRLab’s Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO). Recommended ages: 10+  Fulldome video.*

 

Our videos and graphics may contain sequences with imagery and sustained flashing/spinning lights that may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or have other photosensitivities.

*These video shows include a fifteen minute live guided tour of the night sky.

To schedule a show, please email planetarium@wwu.edu Please send in your request for a show two weeks in advance.

The planetarium office is staffed on a part-time basis, and scheduling requests can take up to a week to process.