Celeste is a little girl who thinks she knows all the planets. But when a friendly bunch of celestial sprites arrives with news from beyond the Solar System, she soon learns that the Sun isn’t the only star with planets. There are ocean worlds, super-Earths, demi-Neptunes, and planets that orbit no star at all. Celeste will follow in the footsteps of exoplanet hunters and discover the wonders of the quest for new worlds.

Recommended for ages 8+; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Join us for Birth of Planet Earth, which tells the twisted tale of our planet’s origins. Scientists now believe that our galaxy is filled with solar systems, including up to one billion planets roughly the size of our own. This program employs advanced, data-driven visualizations to explore some of the greatest questions in science today: How did Earth become a living planet in the wake of our solar system’s violent birth? What does its history tell us about our chances of finding other worlds that are truly Earth-like?

Recommended for ages 8+; 24-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Photo: Spitz Creative Media

Explore the relationship between the Earth, Moon, and Sun with the help of Coyote, an amusing character adapted from Native American oral traditions who has many misconceptions about our home planet and its most familiar neighbors. His confusion about the universe makes viewers think about how the Earth, Moon, and Sun work together as a system. Native American stories are used throughout the show to help distinguish between myths and science.

Recommended for ages 5–10; 26-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Please note, this program will not be offered on Saturday, February 18. 

This is the tale of a girl who came to us one spring day, after a storm, walking upside down upon the rainbow. She has a unique way of looking at things, in particular the sky, and an affection for the Moon and stars. What would you notice, if you could walk upside down?

Recommended for ages 4–7; 33-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Living networks connect and support life forms large and small—from colonies of tiny microbes and populations of massive whales to ever-expanding human societies. Discover what it means to live in today’s connected world. Dive below the ocean’s surface, travel beneath the forest floor, and journey to new heights to witness the intricate intersection between human and ecological networks.

Recommended for ages 8-adult; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

The stars tell the story of beautiful Andromeda, who is punished by the gods for her mother’s bragging, sacrificed to a sea monster, and then rescued by Perseus.

Recommended for ages 8+; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Travel with Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House® best-selling children’s book series, as they search for answers to a mysterious riddle they discover in a written note signed “–M.” Viewers peek into the treehouse and follow Jack and Annie on an exciting adventure as they meet a helpful astronomer and an astronaut. As they travel to an observatory and beyond into space, Jack and Annie nearly get . . . well, we don’t want to give the surprise away! The planetarium show Magic TreeHouse® Space Mission features series author Mary Pope Osborne.

Recommended for ages 4–8; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Where are the moons? What do they do? Follow the astronauts to our silvery moon, then journey to the outer planets to discover more moons. Come back to earth with newfound wonder for the dynamic solar system where we live.

Recommended for ages 8–18; 35-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Explore constellations and the myths behind them in this live show.

On a trip from Sesame Street to the moon, Big Bird and Elmo with friend Hu Hu Zhu discover that planets are different from one another but people on Earth are often the same—they love to fly kites! Children can’t fly a kite on the moon because there is no wind but on Earth they can! More learning, too, about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the sun, and the moon.

Recommended for ages 4–8; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Survey the Solar System in this live show, exploring the planets, their major moons, and the collection of all objects gravitationally bound to the Sun.

Students explore sky motions and the relationships between objects, while surrounded by an accurate and richly detailed universe simulator.

Take an awe-inspiring tour of the night sky as seen from our area, with topics ranging from visible planets and bright stars, to periodic comets, seasonal constellations, upcoming rocket launches, and more!

As winter comes to an end in March, get a preview of the constellations and star clusters of spring. In recognition of Women’s History Month, visitors to the planetarium will be greeted by a panorama of women who have made outstanding contributions to science and space exploration.

In April, explore the spring skies in a live show with our science educators. Catch speedy Mercury, brilliant Venus, and familiar star figures like The Big Dipper and Leo. You’ll learn why midnight is a good time to chart a course for intergalactic space. Get your space questions addressed and catch up on the latest discoveries!

Recommended for ages 8+; 60-minute live and interactive show. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Sponsored by Domino Sugar Yonkers Refinery.

In celebration of Halloween, explore the scariest phenomena and creepiest sights the Universe has to offer. Bottomless black holes, ghostly nebulae, terrifying planets with rain made of liquid glass, and even some haunted-house worthy sites right here in the Solar System. But don’t worry, the full moon won’t turn you into a werewolf.

Recommended for ages 8+; 60-minute live and interactive show. Advance reservations are encouraged.

The Sky Tonight is sponsored by Domino Sugar Yonkers Refinery.

Join Tycho, a dog with a knack for getting into trouble, on his latest adventure as he discovers Mars up-close. See an ancient volcano, a gigantic canyon, and help Tycho search for water to power his kennel back home. But how will he find water on Mars when it looks so cold, dusty, and dry? Finding his way back home is not going to be easy. But if anyone can do it, Tycho can.

Recommended for ages 8+; 27-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.

Produced by the Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks.

An original show, The Victorian’s Guide to the Galaxy explores what nineteenth-century scientists understood about their universe through developments in the field of astronomy at the time.

Earth. It’s now a small world. The human race is connected better and faster than ever before, but what about elsewhere? Could we one day be part of a galactic community sharing our knowledge and ideas? Or is Earth the only planet with life? We Are Aliens! is narrated by Rupert Grint (from the Harry Potter films) that takes you on an epic ride in the hunt for the evidence of alien life.

Recommended for ages 8+; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

Discover how astronomers share knowledge and answer our questions about the universe. Narrated by David Tennant, the “Tenth Doctor” in the British sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Recommended for ages 8+; 25-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

Join the Time Master, narrated by Andy Serkis (Gollum in The Lord of the Rings), on a 13.8-billion year adventure through time and space.

Recommended for ages 8+; 26-minute show plus Q&A. Advance reservations are encouraged.