Show Descriptions

Ancient Sky Lore

In this live show, the presenter points out constellations and stars while sharing enchanting tales involving heroes and maidens, herdsmen and a harp, and real and imaginary animals. Star stories from ancient cultures come to life on the planetarium dome!

Big Bird's Adventure: One World, One Sky

Follow Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, from the Chinese co-production of Sesame Street. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth.

Click to See Trailer

Cosmic Colors

Cosmic Colors will take you on a wondrous journey across the electromagnetic spectrum. Discover the many reasons for color—like why the sky is blue and why Mars is red. Take a tour within a plant leaf and journey inside the human eye. Investigate x-rays at your doctor's office and at a monstrous black hole. Get ready for an amazing adventure under a rainbow of cosmic light!

Click to See Trailer - YouTube Video

Defying Gravity

Join host Apollo Aurora and her science reporters as they explore the science behind rocket power, gravity on other planets, and even monstrous black holes! Robot experts Apple 1-6-8-6 and EGR-1 will also lend a few circuits to explain the force that keeps us humans all grounded. Well, some of the time!

Digistar Special Effects Extravaganza

Join us for a fun-filled experience of sight and sound as we show off the special effects capabilities of Digistar. From a picture gallery of locations on the USCA Campus to fast-paced movements through a variety of shapes and objects, you will have great fun with our extravaganza. We will treat you to some interesting information about our night sky as well.

Appropriate for all ages

Note : Fast-paced motion makes a few people slightly queasy

Engineering the International Space Station

This interactive show describes how 15 nations worked together to create the International Space Station (ISS), a unique scientific laboratory and home in space. A rap and animations explain how weight, mass, gravity and speed are related, and why astronauts are weightless on the ISS even though there IS gravity in space. Benefits to humanity of the ISS are also discussed.

I Spy the Sky

Spy the daytime sky and people outside through the camera obscura, then spy the nighttime sky on the planetarium dome. Learn while you play "I Spy!"

In My Backyard

What can you see from your backyard? Join acclaimed family entertainer Fred Penner as he helps answer this question in an interactive program with three original songs (from his ninth album "What a Day"). This show begins with Fred greeting the audience and introducing his helper, Arnie the Arrow. Then it's off to explore things large and small in Fred's backyard -- from the colors of the rainbow to counting ladybugs on a rose. After looking at the reasons for the seasons, the stars begin to appear as Fred sings "We're Going to Shine." Arnie points out the Big Dipper -- but wait -- it's really a bear we're looking at!

Following a story about Callisto and Arcus, we snap our fingers to the beat of the planet poem, see some meteors whiz by, and sing along to "The Moon Song." The show ends with the song "In My Backyard" and Fred's goodbye to the audience. Children will enjoy story telling, poetry, and song as they learn about the seasons, constellations, planets, meteors and the Moon.

Magic Tree House: Space Mission

Travel with brother-sister duo, Jack and Annie, in their Magic Tree House as they discover a note that asks them to answer six questions about space. With the help of an astronomer, the Internet, an astronaut, books and the writer of the mysterious note, Jack and Annie go on a wondrous journey of adventure and learning. This beautifully produced show is based on the beloved Magic Tree House book series.

Click to See Trailer

Mystery of the Christmas Star

Journey back over 2000 years as we seek to discover a scientific explanation for the star that the wise men followed to Bethlehem. See incredible images of supernovae, comets, planetary conjunctions and other celestial phenomena. This show won five Telly Awards and is sure to charm and captivate audiences.

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Mission to Mars

Join us on a Mission to Mars in the comfort of our planetarium! Launch videos will propel us from Earth; then we'll zoom through space to Mars using NASA images and our Digistar projector. Learn about space travel; compare the surface features and rock types on Mars with Earth's geology; and view the Martian night sky! This show was created for our Digistar II system. We have been very pleased with this show and keep it in our listing for archival purposes.

Seven Wonders

Travel back thousands of years in time and witness spectacular marvels of the ancient world. Explore the Great Pyramid, stand in the shadow of the towering Colossus and experience the rest of the world's phenomenal SEVEN WONDERS. We will investigate the social forces and technologies leading to the creation of these incredible antiquities and glimpse other sensational spectacles of the universe. This show won four Telly Awards and is narrated by Sean Bean of The Lord of the Rings films.

Sponsored by Dr. Rose Lee Hayes & Family

Click to See Trailer

Sunstruck

Explore the sun in all its glory as you take a journey to the center of our solar system. This amazing, nuclear-powered "furnace" contains most of the mass of our solar system and is the source of its energy. Sunstruck will allow you to discover the wonders of our magnificent sun and investigate how our star supports life on Earth. This program includes information on the structure of our sun, the source of its energy, and how solar activity impacts our world.

Sponsored by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions

To the Moon and Beyond

Experience the exciting adventures of Apollo astronauts on the Moon with young Carol and her dad. Learn what prompted the Race to the Moon, and become better acquainted with the attributes of Earth's natural satellite. Then, discover how NASA plans to send humans back to the Moon, Mars, and beyond! You may be inspired to join this quest!

This program features the voices of Mary Morrison of WJBF in Augusta, GA (narrator), Tony Baughman of WKSK 92.7 FM (Dad), Moriah Melvin (young Carol), and Laura Melvin (Dr. Carol Bradford). This show was created for our Digistar II system. We have been very pleased with this show and keep it in our listing for archival purposes.

A show kit is still available for planetariums, and ideal for "traditional" systems.

Learn more about the show kit

Two Small Pieces of Glass

Celebrate the work of those who used telescopes during the past 400 years. The largest observatories in the world use these instruments to explore the mysteries of the universe.

Join two young people at a star party as they learn how telescopes continue to expand our understanding of the Universe. A local astronomer teaches them how telescopes work and how the telescope has changed from Galileo's modified spyglass - using two small pieces of glass - to the huge, space and land-based devices of today, like NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.