The Planetarium at UT Arlington

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Today's Events

1:30 pm	Unseen Universe: The Vision of SOFIA
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a 2.5 meter telescope carried aboard a Boeing 747 airplane. Fly with SOFIA in this UT Arlington Planetarium original production and discover the science that is expected from this amazing new telescope. Learn how stars and planets are formed as we explore all parts of the Electro-Magnetic Spectrum.
2:30 pm	Seven Wonders
Turn back the pages of time and witness the ancient wonders of the world as they have not been seen for thousands of years. We will investigate the theories of how these wonders were created and get a glimpse of some of the universe's greatest wonders.
3:30 pm	Microcosm: The Adventure Within
At the Center of Miniaturized Medicine in the year 2053, you'll shrink down to the size of a microbe and get injected into a patient who is suffering an infection from a mysterious virus. Produced in cooperation with the University of Utah Medical School, this high-speed immersive adventure is not only exciting, but educational as well. Traveling from the base of the eye to the interior of the heart, you'll explore exotic ports of call in CMM Probe Alpha with its robotic outboard scout vehicle. As you piece together the clues the virus has left behind, you'll race against time to save the patient on your roller-coaster ride through the body. Laser battles, genetic weapons, and lots of surprises along the way, make this a show audiences will want to experience again and again.
4:30 pm	Two Small Pieces of Glass
Follow two students as they interact with an astronomer at a local star party. Along the way the students learn how telescopes work, the history of telescopes, and major discoveries made by these instruments. Enjoy this beautiful show created just for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 by Imiloa Astronomy Center, Buhl Planetarium at the Carnegie Science Center, and Interstellar Studios. Animations by Mirage 3D. Music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

Today's Moon Phase

Closed for Thanksgiving

The Planetarium will be closed on Thursday, November 26th and Friday, November 27th in celebration of Thanksgiving.

We will re-open for regular public shows on Saturday, November 28th. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Digistar 4 is here!

The Digistar 4 state-of-the-art projection system will revolutionize the experience audiences have at The Planetarium.

Our exciting Fall schedule includes the following new shows:

• Unseen Universe: The Vision of SOFIA
• Two Small Pieces of Glass
• IBEX: The Search for the Edge of the Solar System
• Microcosm: The Adventure Within

See our schedule for show times.

• What is the best place and time to see a meteor shower?
• Meteors, sometimes called falling or shooting stars, are very common in the night sky. As Earth orbits around the Sun, it goes through debris fields, left behind by comets and other celestial objects and events. This debris falls towards the Earth, and burns up as it falls. That's what we see as a meteor. When the Earth goes through a large debris field, we can expect to see more meteors. Sometimes as many as 100 per hour. The Perseid meteor shower, which occurs every year in August, is one of the best meteor showers. To see the most meteors, go outside after midnight, when the sky is its darkest, and watch the show. Meteors will fall from all directions, but often they appear to start at one central point. In the case of the Perseid meteor showers, the meteors all appear to come from the constellation Perseus. If you can, get far away from the city to see the best possible show.
• What is a light year?
• A light year is a unit of distance. The distances to the stars are so great, it is inconvenient to use terms like miles or kilometers. So we use "light year." A light year is the distance a beam of light travels in a year. Light goes around 186,000 miles per second (in a vacuum) and in a year travels almost six trillion miles. Now, instead of saying Alpha Centauri is 25,000,000,000,000 miles away, it is much easier to say "around 4.3 light years" away. As a consequence, things we see in space are also removed from our own time. The light reaching Earth now from Alpha Centauri left 4.3 years ago. So we are actually seeing what the star looked like 4.3 years ago, even if we use a telescope. Other visible stars are dozens to hundreds of light years away, and the galaxies are millions and billions of light years away.
• Is a black hole a tunnel to another part of the Universe?
• Not sure. There is an idea that under extreme conditions you could tunnel in this way, but it is all theory at this point.

View more and submit your own questions to Ask the Astronomer

Now Showing

$2 Movie

See your favorite movies on a REALLY BIG SCREEN.

Wednesday	05:30 pm
Friday	05:30 pm
Saturday	02:30 pm

IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System

Join scientists who are investigating the boundary between our Solar System and the rest of our galaxy in IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System.

Thursday	05:30 pm
Saturday	07:00 pm

Microcosm: The Adventure Within

At the Center of Miniaturized Medicine in the year 2053, you'll shrink down to the size of a microbe and get injected into a patient who is suffering an infection from a mysterious virus.

Sunday	03:30 pm
Friday	12:30 pm

Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame I

If you are looking for a wild ride and thrill a minute entertainment, this show is for you. Stunning visuals are synchronized to the rhythm of some of your favorite classic rock songs.

Saturday

08:30 pm

Secret of the Cardboard Rocket

Join two children on a magical journey through the Solar System, aided by a talking astronomy book, a cardboard rocket, and a vivid imagination.

Monday	02:30 pm
Thursday	12:30 pm
Saturday	01:00 pm

Seven Wonders

Turn back the pages of time and witness the ancient wonders of the world as they have not been seen for thousands of years.

Sunday	02:30 pm
Monday	05:30 pm

Two Small Pieces of Glass

Follow two students as they interact with an astronomer at a local star party. Along the way the students learn how telescopes work, the history of telescopes, and major discoveries made by these instruments.

Sunday	04:30 pm
Tuesday	12:30 pm
Friday	02:30 pm
Saturday	05:30 pm

Unseen Universe: The Vision of SOFIA

Take a flight on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and discover the secrets of our unseen universe.

Sunday	01:30 pm
Tuesday	05:30 pm