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All programs are about one hour long
Recommended ages are based on program appeal and Educational content.
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2012: Prophecies of the Maya Ages 10 to adult
The carefully kept calendars of the ancient Maya were used to predict the movements of the Sun, Moon and even Venus to great accuracy. Did they also predict the end of time as claimed by some apocalypse proponents? This program examines what is the legacy of that lost civilization and some of the other predictions that doom-sayers are attaching to the date December 21, 2012. See this omnidome program and be prepared.
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Cosmic Colors: An Adventure
Along the Spectrum
Ages 8 to adult
The nature of color affects all of our perception of the universe from telescope images to invisible light that cooks our popcorn. Explore the source and qualities of color in this Omnidome show that takes visitors from inside the eye to the farthest reaches of space.
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Search for the
Edge of The Solar System
Ages10-Adult
In 2009 a new NASA probe called IBEX started collecting charged particles from distant space to map the extent of Sol's atmosphere beyond the planets. Join two tech-savvy students as they discover the many ways the sun protects and nurtures Earth's inhabitants. Its past and future are examined in dramatic Omnidome video.
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Earth, Moon & Sun
Ages 5-11
This first standards-based elementary show for Omnidome beautifully illustrates basic concepts like moon phases and seasons with the dubious help of Coyote. Based on the trickster of Native American lore, Coyote is constantly corrected in his misunderstandings of how things work. A live tour of the Maine sky and its beautiful constellations completes this micro-unit of astronomy.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 3-5: D1.a; D1.b; D1.c; D4.c
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It's About Time
Ages 9-Adult
Some day our children may travel to orbit in a Space Elevator. Some day we may use a Time Telescope to watch the Big Bang, the birth and death of a star, or an explosion on the Sun. Explore these wonderful inventions from the "science future" and discover the many clocks that keep time in the Universe.
It's About Time travels to an orbiting geosynchronous space station while viewing the changes that days and seasons cause on earth. In orbit the wonders of the universe are seen through a telescope, then see it as it really is today by capturing a wormhole that shortens the distance that light travels to earth.
This OmiDome adventure explains the cycles that rule our planet and our lives, and ends with the entire life of the universe compressed into a single day.
See distant galaxies as they appear today and escape from a lethal solar storm just in time. A tour of today's stars under the familiar backyard sky begins this incredible journey.
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Touching the Edge of the Universe Ages 8-Adult
Four hundred years after Galileo Galilei’s ground-breaking discoveries, two sophisticated scientific satellites are launched into the universe. These complex space telescopes will look at very distant events in space that our eyes cannot see. They will observe the birth of stars and planets and look back to the very beginning of time. Touching the Edge of the Universe brings the secrets of the distant cosmos direct to you.
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BLACK HOLES OD
Ages 10-Adult
The attraction of Black Holes is more than just gravitational. These mysterious graveyards of dead stars have fascinated generations. This OmniDome video will fill the dome to take you to and through the event horizons of black holes.
Black Holes explores the history, physics, and mystery of black holes. Narrated by actor John de Lancie (“Q” in the Star Trek TV series), this space adventure features rich, expansive panoramas and incorporates several of the latest scientific theories about how black holes are formed and where they are hiding now.
Witness the bending of light, the skewing of perception, and the dizzying descent into a black hole. This show incorporates some of the most visually stunning three-dimensional effects ever created for the OmniDome planetarium system.
Family and Grades 7 and up.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 6-8: D4.c; D4.e
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EARTH'S WILD RIDE OD
Ages 8-13
In this 30-minute OmniDome program a grandfather and his grandchildren watch a solar eclipse from the scenic cliffs overlooking their moon colony. Conversation leads to contrasts between the moon, the only home the grandchildren know, and the Earth where the grandfather has spent most of his life.
Through his stories the grandfather takes audiences on a dizzying wild canyon ride, to an ice age blizzard with a woolly mammoths, and back in time to where the dinosaurs lived. Each experience begins with a telescope view of the dynamic Earth in stark contrast with the unchanging lunar landscape.
Earth’s Wild Ride is like many tales shared by grandparents over the centuries, except “the old country” is really another planet – always visible from the moon base.
Produced in collaboration with Rice University, through NASA’s Immersive Earth Project.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 3-5: D1.a; D2.c; D2.d; D3.c; D4.b; D4.c
Grades 6-8: D1.b; D2.b; D2.c; D2.e; D2.f; D4.c
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SEASON OF LIGHT OD
Ages 9-Adult
This holiday season show is now supercharged in a full-dome video version that makes the traditions even brighter! The Season of Light examines origin of the bright and festive traditions still celebrated today. Since pre-history the darkest season of long nights and cold weather have prompted people to look for warmth and hope in the lights of the sky and fires that repel the cold. On the domed sky the reason for the seasons is unveiled and scenes of early cultures show solstice celebrations.
Have you wondered how Hanukkah became a holiday of candlelight? How did Romans treat themselves to a mood lift at the winter solstice? What was the famous “star” seen over Bethlehem? Find answers to all these questions and more in Seasons of Light!
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WILBEAR"S ADVENTURE OD
Ages 4-7
Follow a teddy bear’s discovery of flight in this delightful adventure especially for ages 4-7. Wilbear’s grandpa uses demonstrations exploring the nature of flight to build up to the story of the Wright Brother’s historic first airplane experience. Grandpa bear captivates audiences with tales of inventions over time from kites and gliders to today’s jet planes. Young Wilbear’s dream comes true when he gets to fly in a real airplane just like his hero Wilbur Wright.
Ages 4-7 Grades PK-2
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Origins of Life OD
Ages 10-Adult
With so many planets being discovered outside our solar system, the question on everybody’s mind is “is there life out there?” Life has been found in so many extreme environments on Earth that the idea of life in space is becoming more and more believable. This intriguing world of astrobiology is explored in “Origins of Life.”
In this omni-dome based show, join scientists as they search for extra-solar planets, planets that orbit around stars that are not our sun. Witness some of the most extreme environments in which life has been found, from the barren plains of the Antarctic to the depths of the ocean.
Origins of life is designed to work with the Maine Learning results, especially for the high school level, and to appeal to families.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 3-5: D1.c; D2.e
Grades 6-8: D1.a; D1.b; D2.f; D3.e
Grades 9-12: D2.a; D3.g; D3.i
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The Little Star That Could OD
Ages 6-9
It's hard to be a little star in a big universe! Join a medium sized, yellow star as he makes his way through space. In his travels he meets many different types of stars and learns about some of the other things that makes our universe so interesting. After meeting stars, nebulas, and galaxies, the little star takes a good look at himself and finds that he, too, is special. He has nine planets that depend on him for warmth and light. Along with the little star audiences learn the ways each planet is special.
Maine Learning Results:
Pre K-2: D1.a; D3.a
Grades 3-5: D1.a; D1.b; D1.c; D2.a
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Ice Worlds OD
Ages 8-Adult
Space is filled with cold places, including the arctic regions of our own planet. The amount of ice in Earth's polar regions affects life elsewhere on Earth. In celebration of the International Polar Year, the digital Omnidome show “Ice Worlds” is a spectacular exploration of icebergs in the Arctic, massive glaciers, the Antarctic wilderness and distant moons and planets.
Ice Worlds uses an innovative mix of data, satellite imagery, actual footage in the field and animated scenes to tell the story of ice on Earth and the changing climate. Precious water is also found on other worlds less hospitable than Earth that “Ice Worlds” explores as humans may one day venture.
A short tour of the night sky with the Planetarium host sets the stage for the adventure called “Ice Worlds”.
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Two Small Pieces of Glass:
The Amazing Telescope OD
Ages 8-Adult
From a starlit backyard to Italy and the invention of the telescope 400 years ago, follow the story of two students who learn how telescopes work and what wonders they can reveal. The added feature of a guided tour of the current night sky helsp bring the heavens down to earth. Two Small Pieces of Glass is a planetarium omnidome experience to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009 and the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s discoveries.
For the International Year of Astronomy
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 6-8: D1.a; D1.c
Grades 9-12: D1.b; D1.c; D3.d
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Some Classic Shows are now available as Omnidome versions of the same shows!
These updated shows use the same script but have their original stilll imagery arranged in the full-dome format.
Hubble Vision
Ring World
Season of Light
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What is a Classic Star Show? Shows using traditional multi-media projections and live or recorded narration |
DESTINATION PLUTO
Ages 9 - Adult
Destination Pluto is a journey of discovery for space travelers of all ages. Destination Pluto examines the wonders of the Sun's system, reviews the recent change in our understanding of how Pluto differs from the other planets, and introduces some of the early discoverers of the most distant worlds. Recently discovered moons and far flung mysterious ice worlds, rings around the largest planets, close-up views of alien landscapes and hazardous asteroids are all part of the adventure in Destination Pluto at the Jordan Planetarium.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 3-5: D1.a; D1.b
Grades 6-8:D4.e
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OUR SKY FAMILY
Ages 4 - 8
Cosmic Classroom Guide
In this delightful first visit to the planetarium we chat with Father Sun and each of the planets, who tell us about their best features and their place in Our Sky Family. The planetarium star projector, Franklin, is our guide, and the planetarium host helps everyone to see this season's constellations.
Maine Learning Results:
Pre K-2: D1.a; D3.a
Grades 3-5: D1.a; D1.c
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WORLDS OF WONDER
Ages 8 - Adult
Cosmic Classroom Guide
Our planetarium spaceship blasts off on a tour
that takes us to each member of the solar system. All nine planets,
some of their moons and minor members of the Solar System reveal
fascinating spacescapes. Their often-hostile environments and
similarities are explained by mission specialists on-board.
Then our focus turns to the stars while the planetarium host
points out the constellations of the season on the way home.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 3-5: D1.a
Grades 6-8: D3.f
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WORLDS IN MOTION
Ages 10 - Adult
From the atoms in our bodies to the galaxies beyond our sight, everything is moving. Discover the way the Earth and its neighbors move through space and the surprising speeds that they- and we ourselves- travel in Worlds of Motion. The motion of the sun and stars is slow and familiar but the stars themselves and the huge families of galaxies at the farthest reaches are moving like dancers across a universal ballroom. In a less shocking interlude, visitors will also explore some of the constellations and stars of the Maine sky in Worlds In Motion.
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STRANGE PLANETS
Ages 10 - Adult
Strange Planets explains extra solar planets, planets that astronomers have found living around stars other than our sun. In our planetarium adventure we use images, models and live demonstrations to understand why it is difficult to find an extra solar planet and to reveal the tricks astronomers use for finding them. The search is difficult, but in the end it could be very rewarding and it is the mission of NASA's Kepler space observatory now studying 100,000 stars.
Will we find a planet just like the Earth that is not too cold, not too hot, but just right? Can we identify life-giving water and oxygen on a distant planet? The Kepler mission and other exploration could lead to one of the most amazing discoveries ever made: extra-terrestrial life. All is discovered in this exploration called Strange Planets.
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RING WORLD
Ages 10 - Adult
Visited any big planets lately? Ring World will
take you on a journey to close-up views of the most elegant
of the sun's planets, Saturn. Under the dome, visitors travel
with the NASA Cassini-Huygens probe and follow its adventure
to the Saturnian system of graceful rings, bright storms, and
exotic moons. The forces at work there are just beginning to
reveal themselves to scientists on Earth and new data arrives
daily from the remote science instruments in orbit around Saturn.
A tour of the current night sky, a recreation of Cassini's journey,
and its most recent returns make Ring World a true space science
exploration.
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OUR PLACE IN SPACE
Ages 12 - Adult
Cosmic Classroom Guide
From the center of the Earth to the edge of the
universe, this planetarium perspective demonstrates where we
are. The Universe arranges itself into parts and clusters of
parts that can be seen from Earth. A survey of these and the
vast distances between them help us understand where we fit
as a living planet orbiting one average star. The planetarium
host also conducts a tour of the constellations in the sky this
season.
This program can include an optional star chart
activity for middle school to adult audiences.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 3-5: D1.a; D2.e
Grades 6-8: D1.a; D1.b; D1.c
Grades 9-12: D1.b; D1.c
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HUBBLE VISION II
Ages 10 - Adult
Hubble Vision combines the splendor of the cosmos,
brought into focus by the Hubble Space Telescope, with a spellbinding
narrative to take you on a journey through the universe. Using
the latest images from the orbiting observatory, we uncover
new views of the planets; peek into star birth nurseries; catch
visions of star death in its many forms; explore distant star
clusters and galaxies; and experience views of the universe
when the earliest galaxies were first coming into being.
We catch glimpses of solar system objects, including Comet Shoemaker-Levy
9's crash into Jupiter. We witness the cataclysmic aftermath
of supernovae in the Crab Nebula. We see breathtaking views
of colliding galaxies; jets shooting from active galactic nuclei,
powered by super massive black holes; the eerie effects of gravitational
lenses; and deep-field views of the most distant galaxies ever
seen.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 6-8: D1.b; D1.c; D3.b; D3.f; D3.i; D4.c
Grades 9-12: D1.a; D1.b; D1.c
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SKY ODYSSEY
Ages 12 - Adult
A portrait of the universe as it appears through
recent discoveries and modern technologies. A tour of the dark
Maine sky in this season opens the door to distant views through
telescopes both old and new. With stunning views of the heavens
these instruments have shaped our understanding of what is out
there and how it all began.
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THE X-TRA TERRESTRIAL FILES
Ages 10 - 14
Cosmic
Classroom Guide
Have you ever wondered if there could be intelligent
life on other planets? The X-Tra Terrestrial Files, a planetarium
show designed for Earthlings grades 5-8 explores these questions.
How many of those planets might be like ours? Our investigators,
Gully and Boulder, uncover a variety of mysteries in the X-Tra
Terrestrial Files.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 9-12: D1.a; D1.c
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FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
Ages 7-12
Cosmic Classroom Guide
Based on the book by Maine author, Jeannette Winter,
this children's program explains the movements of the sky and
the way slaves used the sky to escape to the North in the 1800's.
The puzzle of the sun's movement through the seasons is solved
and visitors learn a song that slaves used to follow a safe
route to freedom.
Maine Learning Results:
Pre K-2: D1.a
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MOON SHADOWS
Ages 9 - Adult
Cosmic Classroom Guide
For many centuries the moon has inspired a sense
of awe and mystery. Moon Shadows reveals some of its intriguing
secrets and recaptures the thrill of the NASA Apollo moon landing.
The human experience of the Moon includes eclipses, phases,
and legends, all rediscovered in Moon Shadows.
Maine Learning Results:
Grades 3-5: D1.a; D1.b; D4.c
Grades 6-8: D1.a; D1.b; D1.c; D2.f; D4.c
Grades 9-12: D1.a; D1.c; D4.a; D4.b; D4.c
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SEASON OF LIGHT
Ages 9 - Adult
(Omnidome version recommended)
The Season of Light examines origin of the bright and festive traditions still celebrated today. Since pre-history the darkest season of long nights and cold weather have prompted people to look for warmth and hope in the lights of the sky and fires that repel the cold. On the domed sky the reason for the seasons is unveiled and scenes of early cultures show solstice celebrations.
Have you wondered how Hanukkah became a holiday of candlelight? How did Romans treat themselves to a mood lift at the winter solstice? What was the famous “star” seen over Bethlehem?
More Info
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IN THE MAINE SKY
Ages 8-13
This completely 'live' presentation steps outward from the closest celestial objects like the Moon, to
galaxies so distant only a large telescope can bring them into focus.
Moon phases, star formation, and constellations are
just a few of the heavenly processes explained "In The Maine Sky".
Designed for school groups from grades 3 to 6,
the program was built around the Maine State Learning Results.
The show is in a 'live' format that brings together visitors
and our planetarium host. Students will discover what is out
there and get started learning the stars of the Maine sky.
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MARS INVASION
Ages 9 - Adult
The Mars invasion has begun. The little red planet
has attracted the attention of humans for decades, and this
program will follow the history and current events in our exploration of that
little red neighbor. Visitors will have the chance to find Mars in the sky, and use 3D glasses to view the stereo imagery from recent exploration on the surface of Mars. The planetarium host will add
an introduction to the Maine sky and its constellations. Mars Invasion traces the long tradition of human curiosity about Mars and our assault of technology from the Mariner missions in the 1970's to the orbiters and rovers of today. Perhaps the next machines we send there will be human.
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ZUBENELGENUBI'S MAGICAL SKY
Ages 4-7
In this lively participatory program, cartoon
characters talk to us as the daytime and nighttime sky are explored.
The planetarium host is Zubenelgenubi (Zubee for short), and
introduces visitors to the planetarium and the colorful characters
enjoying the sky.
During the show, the audience is introduced to
Tracy the telephone pole, Hydro the hydrant, and a talking Sun
and Moon. During the program a point-out of constellations is
followed by a story and stormy sky. Students pitch in to help
to blow the storm away and the program ends with a peaceful
sunrise and new day.
We say it like this: ZU-ben-ell-guh-NU-bee
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THE MAINE SKY
Ages 8-Adult
Discover new sights in your own backyard and look through a telescope when The Maine Sky tours the fall sky done Saturday each month at the Jordan Planetarium.
Planetarium director, Alan Davenport, presents sky legends, binocular and telescope targets of interest and planets within easy reach in a live talk forum under the dome.
Each month The Maine Sky features new information illustrated with colorful imagery and special effects while opening the door for visitors to ask questions and share their own observations.
See what is right there overhead in Maine’s night sky in this one-hour guided tour.
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