UW Planetarium Will Premiere Three New Full-Dome Movies During May

During May, the University of Wyoming Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium will premiere three brand-new science films that explore the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), supermassive black holes and the moon, respectively.

“Each film will be accompanied by a 30-minute live presentation and a question-and-answer session to substitute for our full one-hour live presentations on Fridays,” says Max Gilbraith, the planetarium’s coordinator. “We also will show the new films at 2 p.m. on Saturdays.”

During May, the Liquid Sky music series returns to Saturday evenings at 7 p.m.

To get tickets or receive more information about programs, email planetarium@uwyo.edu or leave a voicemail and a call-back phone number at (307) 766-6506. Tickets are $5 for the public and $3 for students, senior citizens, veterans, first responders and those under 18. Seating is free for children under 5.

Reservations or pre-purchase is not required, and walk-ins are welcome. Tickets can be purchased online with a credit card, reserved by email or voicemail, or purchased at the start of the show. Cash or check is accepted at the door. The planetarium, which seats 64, is in the basement of the Physical Sciences Building. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis outside of designated ADA/wheelchair seating.

To pay for tickets with a credit card, go to https://www.uwyo.edu/uwplanetarium/ticket.aspx. For a group larger than six, email the planetarium for a private show at https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bKuqIynOn7gFK2F. Tickets for private shows are the same as the public programs.

A film and special live talk for audiences will be featured each week. All programs are approximately an hour in length. As time allows, a portion of the show also may focus on a live sky tour or supporting information related to the film’s topic.

The May schedule is:

-- Tuesday, May 2, 7 p.m.: “Wyoming Skies.” The program provides an exploration of the stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena visible from Wyoming for the season.

-- Friday, May 5, 7 p.m.: “5,000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI,” a full-dome movie. DESI is creating the most detailed map of our nearby universe. Installed on the Mayall Telescope on Kitt Peak in southern Arizona, DESI’s 5,000 independently operated robots can measure the light from thousands of galaxies at once.

-- Saturday, May 6, 7 p.m.: “Liquid Sky: Retro Hits,” a music-based light show. 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 sound. The 4K-resolution planetarium sky will become a canvas of color, patterns and movement with cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent.

-- Friday, May 12, 7 p.m.: “Cosmic Mashups: Gravity, Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes,” a full-dome movie. Supermassive black holes are found in most galaxies, and scientists are beginning to uncover how the merging of galaxies activates galactic centers. This film is produced by Fiske Planetarium and a University of Colorado-Boulder professor and a former graduate student through a National Science Foundation grant. 

-- Saturday, May 13, 2 p.m.: “5,000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI,” a full-dome movie. DESI is creating the most detailed map of our nearby universe. Installed on the Mayall Telescope on Kitt Peak in southern Arizona, DESI’s 5,000 independently operated robots can measure the light from thousands of galaxies at once.

-- Saturday, May 13, 7 p.m.: “Liquid Sky: Indie Rock,” a music-based light show. 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 sound. The 4K-resolution planetarium sky will become a canvas of color, patterns and movement with cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent. 

-- Tuesday, May 16, 7 p.m.: “Wyoming Skies.” The program provides an exploration of the stars, constellations, planets, meteor showers and other celestial phenomena visible from Wyoming for the season.

-- Friday, May 19, 7 p.m.: “Forward! To the Moon,” a full-dome movie. Narrator Kari Byron, from “Crash Test World” and “MythBusters,” takes viewers on a journey beyond Earth toward a sustainable future in space. NASA’s 21st century Artemis program is the next step in the mission to explore the universe and land the first woman and person of color on the moon. This film is produced by Fiske Planetarium in collaboration with Tend Studio.

-- Saturday, May 20, 2 p.m.: “Cosmic Mashups: Gravity, Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes,” a full-dome movie. Supermassive black holes are found in most galaxies, and scientists are beginning to uncover how the merging of galaxies activates galactic centers.  

-- Saturday, May 20, 7 p.m.: “Liquid Sky: EDM,” a music-based light show. 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 sound. The 4K-resolution planetarium sky will become a canvas of color, patterns and movement with cutting-edge music visualization software and live VJ talent.

-- May 26-31: The planetarium will be closed for Memorial Day weekend.

For more detailed descriptions of these programs, go to www.uwyo.edu/physics/planetarium/schedule.html.