Biology Night at the Planetarium - Oct. 12, 2012

'Nanocam: a trip into biodiversity' Friday, Oct. 12, 6:30-7:30 p.m. UAA Planetarium (ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building, Room 220)

The planetarium 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. Using the latest 3-D 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 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.

"Nanocam" is one hour in length, featuring a 28-minute show followed by a presentation on the biological uses of electron microscopes. Ticket reservations are available online only at UAATix.com. Remaining tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at the door on the day of the show. The planetarium will open for seating 30 minutes before the start of the show. You must be in the theater 10 minutes before the show starts. Reserved seats will be released after this time to stand-by customers. There is no entry after the show begins.

'Natural Selection' Friday, Oct. 12, 8-9 p.m. UAA Planetarium (ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building, Room 220)

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 full-dome program was created by Mirage3D, the 3-D 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.

"Natural Selection" is one hour in length, featuring a 42-minute show followed by a presentation on the modern biological understanding of the process of evolution. Ticket reservations are available online only at UAATix.com. Remaining tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at the door on the day of the show. The planetarium will open for seating 30 minutes before the start of the show. You must be in the theater 10 minutes before the show starts. Reserved seats will be released after this time to stand-by customers. There is no entry after the show begins.

For more information or to learn how to become a UAA Planetarium member, please visit the planetarium website.