We offer public shows most Friday evenings, except first Fridays of the month and during UAA holidays and closures.  Each of these presentations will last roughly 60 minutes, featuring a 25-40 minute show (described below) followed by a live tour of the night sky, the Solar System, or whatever you would like to see!  There will also be time for our expert presenters to answer questions from the audience.  We also rent out our theater for private shows of a similar format; schedule and pricing information are available upon request.

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Our current public show schedule is listed below.  Click on the links to jump to the show descriptions further down the page.

* Summer Schedule (2 Fridays per month)

Friday, May 31st

• 6:30pm - "Search for Life" with Dr. Andy Puckett
• 8:00pm - "Awesome Light" with Dr. Andy Puckett

Friday, June 14th

• 6:30pm - "IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System" with Michelle Wooten
• 8:00pm - "Dawn of the Space Age" with Michelle Wooten

Friday, June 28th - Andy's Final Shows

• 6:30pm - "Two Small Pieces of Glass" with Dr. Andy Puckett
• 8:00pm - "Scales of the Universe" with Dr. Andy Puckett
• These will be Andy's final public shows as a planetarium presenter. He is moving to Columbus, Georgia to take a tenure-track faculty position at Columbus State University in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences. The search is currently underway for his replacement as UAA's Planetarium Director.

Friday, July 12th

• 6:30pm - "Search for Life" with Dr. Travis Rector
• 8:00pm - "Black Holes" with Dr. Travis Rector

Friday, July 26th - Michelle's Final Shows

• 6:30pm - "Heart of the Sun" with Michelle Wooten
• 8:00pm - "Stars of the Alaskan Sky: Predicting Stellar Motions" with Michelle Wooten
• These will be Michelle's final public shows as a planetarium presenter. This has been her third year at UAA in a position funded by a three-year grant. She is moving to Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and plans to continue her career in science education research.

Please note that this schedule may need to change.  If the demand is high, we will work to offer additional shows.  To be notified when new public shows are scheduled or the schedule changes, please join our mailing list.

Because of the popularity of our public shows, we strongly recommend that you reserve seats in advance at UAATix.com.  Because the theater is dark and can be scary for young children, we do not recommend bringing children under the age of 4. More info regarding our public shows is at the bottom of this page.

The following programs are currently "in rotation" on our public show schedule, and most are also available for private group showings. If you don't see one of these shows on our current schedule, just wait! We now have so many great shows, it may take a few months to fit a given show back into the schedule. Most of these shows will continue to be available for years to come, so stay tuned for your favorites to return.

Origins of Life This fulldome program deals with some of the most profound questions in the field of life science. Starting with the Big Bang, Origins of Life deals with prebiotic chemistry in the Universe, the formation of stars and planets, and the first life on Earth. It covers the great extinctions as well as humanity's search for primitive life beyond the Earth. Featuring many recent discoveries related to life science, this motivational journey demonstrates that if there was ever a time when science was making its greatest advances, it's right now! (23 minutes) Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

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The Search for Life: Are We Alone? For as long as humans have contemplated the cosmos, we have wondered if we are alone.  Narrated by Harrison Ford and created in collaboration with NASA, the American Museum of Natural History's The Search for Life: Are We Alone? explores this intriguing question, taking visitors on a fascinating journey through time and space.  Breathtaking visualizations based on cutting-edge scientific data will transform your view of the Universe to reveal countless worlds that may harbor life.  From the depths of the oceans to the outer reaches of the cosmos, The Search for Life explores the links between life on Earth and the potential for life on other planets.  (24 minutes) Additional Languages: Japanese and Korean. Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows:  See show schedule above.

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Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity This fulldome show from Thomas Lucas Productions was developed in collaboration with Denver Museum of Nature & Science, NOVA and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Narrated by Academy-Award nominated actor Liam Neeson, this cutting-edge production features high-resolution visualizations to bring the current science of black holes onto the dome. Audiences will be dazzled with striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight into the super-massive black hole lurking at the center of our galaxy.  (23 minutes) Additional Languages: Spanish. Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

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Dynamic Earth Dynamic Earth is an immersive fulldome program that explores the inner workings of Earth's climate engine. With visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations, this cutting-edge production follows a trail of energy that flows from the Sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and the biosphere. Audiences will ride along on swirling ocean and wind currents, dive into the heart of a monster hurricane, come face-to-face with sharks and gigantic whales, and fly into roiling volcanoes. Brought to you by the creators of "Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity."  (24 minutes) Educator's Guide | Website Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

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Nanocam: a trip into biodiversity The show that shrinks you down to the size of an insect and flies you through the eye of a needle. Nanocam: a trip into biodiversity is a microscopic joyride into the five kingdoms of life. With the latest 3D animation technology and based on real electron microscope imagery, this show offers a unique, motivating, didactic and funny approach to biology that has never been seen like this before. Join Hugo and Marcos as they rush to finish an assignment before heading off to the big game.  But when they find the Nanocam microscope simulator online, their tedious task turns into a fascinating voyage of discovery into worlds they'd never dreamed of before.  (28 minutes) Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System This fulldome presentation follows the construction, launch, and early science results of NASA's Interstellar Boundary EXplorer mission (IBEX). The spacecraft never gets farther than the orbit of the Moon, but by collecting fast-moving particles that have traveled 10 billion miles to the heliosheath and back, IBEX is mapping where the Sun's influence ends and interstellar space begins. Created at Chicago's Adler Planetarium with visualizations from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), this program is narrated by two inquisitive teenagers and features interviews with the scientists and engineers who have put their creative energies into this fascinating mission. (28 minutes) Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

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Natural Selection In Victorian times many physical phenomena had already been discovered and described by natural laws, but life's most eloquent mechanism was still unknown. Join the young Charles Darwin on an adventurous voyage of exploration circumnavigating the world with the H.M.S. Beagle. Hear Darwin himself reveal the simple and beautiful mechanism that explains the evolution of all life on Earth: Natural Selection. This fulldome program was created by Mirage3D, the 3D animation and film studio that brought you the planetarium favorite, "Dawn of the Space Age." This meticulously produced presentation seamlessly brings together photo-realistic animation and real-world footage to immerse you in the wonder of Darwin's world.  (42 minutes) Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

Stars of the Alaskan Sky Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what you were seeing? What is that bright object on the horizon? And where is the Big Dipper? In a special all-live presentation, we'll take you on a tour of the night sky and show you what you can see during our long winter nights. You'll learn about what constellations are visible, how to look for the moon, and what planets you can see. And best of all, it will be a balmy 68 degrees inside the planetarium! Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

Scales of the Universe How big is the Universe? Does it go on forever? What is the most distant object we can see? We'll answer all of these questions and more in a special all-live presentation. Starting from the Earth, we will fly out of our Solar System, beyond our galaxy the Milky Way, and to the edge of the observable Universe! Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

AudioDome UAA's Planetarium, Student Activities, and Radio Station KRUA 88.1 FM are proud to bring you "AudioDome", an immersive audiovisual experience designed by UAA students and faculty. In this follow-up to last year's "SonicVision" series, KRUA DJs will supply a constantly evolving musical mix to accompany their own selection of dazzling fulldome visuals, including digital animation, timelapse photography, infinitely complex fractals, and more. Each show will be a unique creation, so you'll never see the same show twice! Warnings:  We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone who is intoxicated.  Ages 13 and up only, please.  This show will be LOUD! and may contain strong language. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

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Dawn of the Space Age Relive the excitement of the early days of space exploration, from the launch of the first artificial satellite to the magnificent lunar landings and privately operated space flights.  Be immersed and overwhelmed with this most accurate historic reconstruction of man's first steps into space.  Who were these men and women who took part in these death-defying endeavors?  Witness their drive, their passion, and their perseverance to explore in Dawn of the Space Age.  (30- and 41-minute versions) Additional Languages: Russian. Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

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Fractals Rock! Fractals are all around us in the natural world, spanning a huge range of scales. The same patterns repeat themselves again and again, from the tiny branching of our blood vessels and neurons to the branching of trees, lightning bolts, and river networks.  Fractals also serve as intricately beautiful representations of the otherwise abstract world of mathematics.  They're surprisingly simple to make, but the closer you look at them, the more complexities you find.  Fractals Rock! will take you on a visual tour of the endless fractal patterns of nature and magnify for you the infinite complexity of mathematical art.  (~40 minutes) Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

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Awesome Light Awesome Light, a fulldome show from the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i, shows discoveries from the giant telescopes of Maunakea.  With unique access to these telescopes, it showcases the latest discoveries from the major international observatories located in Hawai‘i. Learn about the "Big Mirrors" on the mountain! Voyage into Subaru, Gemini, Keck, and Canada-France-Hawai‘i observatories to explore exo-planets, supernovae, and stars orbiting around the black hole at the center of our galaxy.  (22 minutes) Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

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The Heart of the Sun This fulldome digital presentation by John Weiley shows the Sun as it has never been seen before. New space-based telescopes, along with a new generation of terrestrial instruments, capture both the fine surface detail and the vast eruptions of the corona with unprecedented clarity. These breathtaking new high-resolution motion pictures take us inside a living star for the first time. From the Neolithic sky watchers of Europe to the solar observatories and blood sacrifice of Mesoamerica to the sun gods of the Egyptians and Greeks and the dawning of Aristotelian science, see how the development of our whole cosmology has been informed by our struggle with this oldest of mysteries.  (22 minutes) Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

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Two Small Pieces of Glass Engaging and appealing to audiences of all ages, Two Small Pieces of Glass is a fulldome show that traces the history of the telescope from Galileo's modifications to a child's spyglass-using two small pieces of glass-to the launch of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the future of astronomy. It explores the wonder and discovery made by astronomers through out the last 400 years. While looking through the astronomer's telescope, the students, along with the planetarium audience, explore the Galilean Moons, Saturn's rings, and spiral structure of galaxies. During their conversation with the astronomer, they also learn about the discoveries of Galileo, Huygens, Newton, Hubble and many others.  (23 minutes) Educator's Guide | Glossary | Website Additional Languages: Russian. Private Shows: Now available for scheduling. Public Shows: See show schedule above.

Coming Attractions...

Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet A sweeping geological journey, Earthquake explores the forces that transform the surface of our planet.  After a stunning flight over the San Andreas Fault, audiences travel back in time to experience San Francisco's infamous 1906 earthquake.  Data-driven visualizations illustrate Earth's story, revealing how subtle motions and sudden ruptures have shaped our planet over eons - and how geological activity influences the course of human history.  Finally, see how scientists and engineers help society prepare for a safer future. (23 minutes) Premiering Fall 2013!

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Because of the popularity of our public shows, we strongly recommend that you reserve seats online in advance.  Individual and Student members may reserve one seat per show, while Family and Organizational members (and above) may reserve up to four seats per show.   Online reservations are free for members, and non-members can purchase tickets online with a credit card.  Seats may be reserved online until 3pm the day of the show (but the day before the show for Saturday Matinees).  All remaining tickets will be sold at the door on a first-come, first-served basis on the night of the show.  We will be only accepting cash at the door.  Even if a show is sold out, we typically have a few seats available on the night of the show.  The planetarium will open for seating 30 minutes before each show.  You must be in the theater 10 minutes before the show starts.  Unclaimed reserve seats will be released after this time to stand-by customers.  There is no entry after the show begins.

For questions about the planetarium or the shows, please contact Kathy Stevens Laba by phone at (907) 786-4940 or via email to kstevens4@uaa.alaska.edu. If you have difficulty accessing UAATix, please contact Ms. Stevens. Should you require to cancel your public show reservations please also contact Ms. Stevens and we will release your tickets for other customers. Unfortunately we are unable to give refunds for purchased tickets.  We are also now scheduling private group shows! To schedule a private show, please send an email to planetarium@uaa.alaska.edu or call the planetarium director, Dr. Andy Puckett, at (907) 786-1838.