Planetarium Show Times and Descriptions

Each month we (usually) have Wyoming Skies constellation talks on even numbered Tuesdays, live science talks on Friday 7PM, educational films at 2PM on Saturdays, and music shows at 7PM on Saturdays. Check back here for next months shows! (We close for campus/federal holidays)

Purchase tickets online with credit card

4/19 7pm Earth Day  Learn about glaciers, atmospheric science, meteorology, extreme weather events, anthropogenic change, and climate history.

4/20 2pm The Sun: Our Living Star The Sun has shone on our world for four and a half billion years. The light that warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather and all life. The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky — day by day, month by month — was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilisations.

4/20 7pm Liquid Sky: Dark Side of the Moon Enjoy Pink Floyd's classic album as the planetarium sky melts and becomes a canvas of color, patterns, and movement with our cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent. 

4/25 4- 7pm Sandbox Discovery at the SciDIY Makerspace (BS37) in the basement of Physical Sciences next to the Planetarium. This meet-up will gather weekly from 4PM – 7PM to discuss, work on, develop, practice, learn, explore and hack immersive technologies for AR/VR/XR and Fulldome Development. Learn about the experimental fulldome computer we built for the planetarium and try technologies on it. Use one of our photogrammetry scanning stations to create 3D models you can use in your immersive content or 3D print in our lab. Use one of our development stations or our immersive corner cave to develop, learn or experiment with AR/VR and XR technologies. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring their own projects and technologies to test and demo. This activity takes place in SciDIY Makerspace part of the University of Wyoming Innovation Network and in partnership with Vaughan Planetarium. 

Contact Jane Crayton (jcrayton@uwyo.edu) for more information, or just show up and join the discovery.

4/26 7pm Aurora: Dancing Lights - For millennia our ancestors looked in awe at the "dawn in the north" or Aurora Borealis. What causes this display? where does it occur? Do other planets have aurorae also? We'll take a tour from the surface of the sun out to the magnetic poles of the solar system to find out!

4/27 2pm Dark Matter Mystery Dark Matter is a theoretical form of invisible mass, which is believed to be present in galaxies, but has never been seen or detected. You've probably heard of it before, as it makes up a large part of the physics you find in textbooks. But how can something that's never been seen have so much scientific confidence? Furthermore, why can't we see dark matter to begin with? And if we can't see it, how do we know that it is really there? And if it's not there, what are the alternative ideas?

4/27 7pm Cowboy Soundbox: Frontier Fusion

Saddle up for an extraordinary journey where old-west charm meets cutting-edge technology! Frontier Fusion presents Cowboy Sandbox, an immersive experience that transports you through time and space, all within the walls of the Harry C Vaughan Planetarium and SciDIY Makerspace, a collaborative venture with the University of Wyoming Innovation Network.

Discover the thrilling intersection of cowboy culture and immersive tech as you explore augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), and the captivating fulldome experience. Journey through the digital frontier, where narratives of the past blend seamlessly with the possibilities of tomorrow.

Engage in hands-on demonstrations and interactive experiences that showcase the transformative power of immersive technology. From virtual rodeos to AR-enhanced cowboy gear, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Whether you're a seasoned cowboy or a curious explorer, Frontier Fusion invites you to embark on an unforgettable adventure where imagination knows no bounds. Join us as we push the boundaries of innovation and celebrate the spirit of the wild west in a truly immersive setting.

4/30 7pm Wyoming Skies What’s up in the sky around Wyoming: stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers, and more.

5/2 4- 7pm Sandbox Discovery at the SciDIY Makerspace (BS37) in the basement of Physical Sciences next to the Planetarium. This meet-up will gather weekly from 4PM – 7PM to discuss, work on, develop, practice, learn, explore and hack immersive technologies for AR/VR/XR and Fulldome Development. Learn about the experimental fulldome computer we built for the planetarium and try technologies on it. Use one of our photogrammetry scanning stations to create 3D models you can use in your immersive content or 3D print in our lab. Use one of our development stations or our immersive corner cave to develop, learn or experiment with AR/VR and XR technologies. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring their own projects and technologies to test and demo. This activity takes place in SciDIY Makerspace part of the University of Wyoming Innovation Network and in partnership with Vaughan Planetarium. 

Contact Jane Crayton (jcrayton@uwyo.edu) for more information, or just show up and join the discovery.

5/3 7pm Yellowstone to Enceladus Wyoming's Yellowstone area was designated the first National Park over a hundred years ago, as a natural preserve and natural curiosity. Today millions flock to it's awesome displays of volcanic power as half the worlds known geysers lie within the park. A billion miles away on an icy moon of Saturn a similar power lies beneath the surface causing fantastic ice plumes to reach into space. Yellowstone's boiling and acidic hot pools harbor extreme forms of life, could Enceladus also? Despite the charm of Yellowstone National Park, is it really a ticking bomb? And what could we do to mitigate a super-volcano eruption? See Yellowstone park in full-dome and virtual reality photography!

5/4 2pm From Earth to the Universe - This stunning, 30-minute voyage through space and time conveys, through sparkling sights and sounds, the Universe revealed to us by science. Viewers can revel in the splendour of the worlds in the Solar System and our scorching Sun. From Earth to the Universe takes the audience out to the colourful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars, and still further out beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of myriad galaxies.

5/4 7pm Liquid Sky: Women Who Rock Enjoy a custom playlist of "out-of-this-world" music from top artists in genres of rock, indie, pop, electronic, and more in 5.1 surround as the 4k resolution planetarium sky melts and becomes a canvas of color, patterns, and movement with our cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent. You can submit and request your own playlists for private programs and parties.

5/9 4- 7pm Sandbox Discovery at the SciDIY Makerspace (BS37) in the basement of Physical Sciences next to the Planetarium. This meet-up will gather weekly from 4PM – 7PM to discuss, work on, develop, practice, learn, explore and hack immersive technologies for AR/VR/XR and Fulldome Development. Learn about the experimental fulldome computer we built for the planetarium and try technologies on it. Use one of our photogrammetry scanning stations to create 3D models you can use in your immersive content or 3D print in our lab. Use one of our development stations or our immersive corner cave to develop, learn or experiment with AR/VR and XR technologies. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring their own projects and technologies to test and demo. This activity takes place in SciDIY Makerspace part of the University of Wyoming Innovation Network and in partnership with Vaughan Planetarium. 

Contact Jane Crayton (jcrayton@uwyo.edu) for more information, or just show up and join the discovery.

5/10 7pm Stellar Graveyard - White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, Pulsars, Nova, Supernova, Planetary Nebulae ,and the other bizarre but beautiful objects that decorate the heavens.

5/11 2pm 5000 Eyes:DESI The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is creating the most detailed map of our nearby universe. Installed on the Mayall telescope on Kitt Peak in Southern Arizona, DESI's 5000 independently operated robots can measure the light from thousands of galaxies at once. Join us as we explore the science, instrument, and people behind this global endeavor.

5/11 7pm Liquid Sky: EDM Enjoy a custom playlist of "out-of-this-world" music from top artists in genres of rock, indie, pop, electronic, and more in 5.1 surround as the 4k resolution planetarium sky melts and becomes a canvas of color, patterns, and movement with our cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent. You can submit and request your own playlists for private programs and parties.

5/14 7pm Wyoming Skies What’s up in the sky around Wyoming: stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers, and more.

5/16 4- 7pm Sandbox Discovery at the SciDIY Makerspace (BS37) in the basement of Physical Sciences next to the Planetarium. This meet-up will gather weekly from 4PM – 7PM to discuss, work on, develop, practice, learn, explore and hack immersive technologies for AR/VR/XR and Fulldome Development. Learn about the experimental fulldome computer we built for the planetarium and try technologies on it. Use one of our photogrammetry scanning stations to create 3D models you can use in your immersive content or 3D print in our lab. Use one of our development stations or our immersive corner cave to develop, learn or experiment with AR/VR and XR technologies. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring their own projects and technologies to test and demo. This activity takes place in SciDIY Makerspace part of the University of Wyoming Innovation Network and in partnership with Vaughan Planetarium. 

Contact Jane Crayton (jcrayton@uwyo.edu) for more information, or just show up and join the discovery.

5/17 7pm Mars - The red planet is host to many questions, did it used to be like Earth? Did it once harbor life? Could it still support life today? And is it a future home for humans. Landers, rovers, probes, and satellites have returned data to us for decades, and we have more clues everyday.

5/18 2pm Seeing! Follow the journey of a single photon as it is produced in a distant star, before travelling across the vast expanse of space to land on someone's retina. This fulldome planetarium show explores some of the fascinating processes of the cosmos, from astrophysics to the biology of the eye and brain. Funded through a generous grant from ZEISS, the show is narrated by astronomer and science communicator, Neil deGrasse Tyson.

5/18 7pm Liquid Sky: R&B Enjoy a custom playlist of "out-of-this-world" music from top artists in genres of rock, indie, pop, electronic, and more in 5.1 surround as the 4k resolution planetarium sky melts and becomes a canvas of color, patterns, and movement with our cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent. You can submit and request your own playlists for private programs and parties.

5/23 4- 7pm Sandbox Discovery at the SciDIY Makerspace (BS37) in the basement of Physical Sciences next to the Planetarium. This meet-up will gather weekly from 4PM – 7PM to discuss, work on, develop, practice, learn, explore and hack immersive technologies for AR/VR/XR and Fulldome Development. Learn about the experimental fulldome computer we built for the planetarium and try technologies on it. Use one of our photogrammetry scanning stations to create 3D models you can use in your immersive content or 3D print in our lab. Use one of our development stations or our immersive corner cave to develop, learn or experiment with AR/VR and XR technologies. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring their own projects and technologies to test and demo. This activity takes place in SciDIY Makerspace part of the University of Wyoming Innovation Network and in partnership with Vaughan Planetarium. 

Contact Jane Crayton (jcrayton@uwyo.edu) for more information, or just show up and join the discovery.

Closed Memorial Weekend 5/24 - 5/27

5/28 7pm Wyoming Skies What’s up in the sky around Wyoming: stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers, and more.

5/30 4- 7pm Sandbox Discovery at the SciDIY Makerspace (BS37) in the basement of Physical Sciences next to the Planetarium. This meet-up will gather weekly from 4PM – 7PM to discuss, work on, develop, practice, learn, explore and hack immersive technologies for AR/VR/XR and Fulldome Development. Learn about the experimental fulldome computer we built for the planetarium and try technologies on it. Use one of our photogrammetry scanning stations to create 3D models you can use in your immersive content or 3D print in our lab. Use one of our development stations or our immersive corner cave to develop, learn or experiment with AR/VR and XR technologies. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring their own projects and technologies to test and demo. This activity takes place in SciDIY Makerspace part of the University of Wyoming Innovation Network and in partnership with Vaughan Planetarium. 

Contact Jane Crayton (jcrayton@uwyo.edu) for more information, or just show up and join the discovery.

5/31 7pm Aurora: Dancing Lights - For millennia our ancestors looked in awe at the "dawn in the north" or Aurora Borealis. What causes this display? where does it occur? Do other planets have aurorae also? We'll take a tour from the surface of the sun out to the magnetic poles of the solar system to find out!

June Schedule TBA.

Public Show and Tickets Information

All programs are approximately an hour in length. Doors open ~15 minutes ahead of the show time.

Seating is first-come first serve outside of designated ADA/wheelchair seating 

Tickets are $5 for the general public and all online sales.

Tickets $3 for UW students/staff/faculty, veterans, first responders, or children ONLY when purchased with cash in person.

Seating is free for children under 5.

Reservations or pre-purchase is not required, walk-ins are welcome.

You can purchase tickets online with credit card, reserve tickets over email or voicemail, or walk-in and purchase tickets at the start of the show.

Purchase tickets online with credit card.

You may need to disable your ad-blocker and/or enable pop-ups to complete your online ticket purchase.

Use the address associated with the billing of your card to make the reservation. Online ticket sales can occur upto the show time but be prepared to show your email receipt.

To reserve tickets or get more information contact us via email or voicemail Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 4:00PM 

email: planetarium@uwyo.edu

voicemail: 307-766-6506 (Please leave a voice message and it will forward to email, we will return your call ASAP.

If you don't leave a voicemail we won't be able to return your call.

If you have a large group or are unable to attend our public shows don't hesitate to contact us for a private show.

*Saturday Evening Liquid Sky music programs may occasionally contain explicit language, please use your discretion when bringing children to music shows. The holiday music playlists are family friendly.  CAUTION: Music shows contain visuals that may not be safe for those with photosensitive epilepsy or other conditions triggered by light.

Observatory Nights

Next Public Observing: TBD

       Please contact UW Planetarium with Ticket Questions: 307-766-6506 | planetarium@uwyo.edu