Michael and Kimthanh Lê PlanetariumPublic Shows
Public Planetarium Shows
Weekly Planetarium Shows
$4 per ticket - Tickets available at the door starting at 6:30 pm.
Love space? Enjoy gazing at the stars at night? Ever wonder what it would be like to fall into a black hole? Find out at our planetarium shows. As always, shows are family friendly and open to anyone. You do not need to be and ODU student to attend.
Our shows typically last about an hour and start with a full-dome movie (schedule listed below). Each movie lasts about 20-25 minutes. Afterwards, we'll show the night sky including planets & constellations, fly through our solar system and visit other planets, traverse the Milkyway, and tour the Universe.
Recommended for ages 4 and up as you never quite know how infants and toddlers will react to a dark planetarium. Some love it. Some do not.
Cash, credit, or debit accepted at the door. Doors open at approximately 6:30 pm.
Shows start at 7:00 pm and last approximately 1-hour.
No early reservations. Seating is first-come, first-serve.
Check our Location & Parking section for more info.
March 6
5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with 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 millions of galaxies at once. It is currently mapping our Universe at a rate of ~1 million galaxies per month.
Join us as we explore the science, instrument, and people behind this global endeavor and reveal the most detailed galaxy map of our Universe!
Ages 8+
March 13
Capcom, Go! The Apollo Story
An immersive, historical documentary that showcases the achievements of the Apollo program and what it took to put the first human on the Moon.
It introduces a new generation to the immense challenges they overcame and will inspire them to become the explorers, designers, engineers, thinkers and dreamers of the future.
Ages 8+
March 20
Forward! To the Moon
Kari Byron from Crash Test World and MythBusters launches us on a journey beyond the Earth towards a sustainable future in space.
NASA's 21st century Artemis program, named after the Greek moon Goddess and twin of Apollo, is the next step in our mission to explore the universe and land the first woman and person of color on the surface of the Moon. Produced by Fiske Planetarium in collaboration with TEND Studio.
Ages 8+
March 27
The Great American Eclipse
Another solar eclipse is on its way! Get ready for The Great American Eclipse occurring Monday, April 8. While Hampton Roads will not see a total eclipse in April, we'll still have a spectacular view with the Moon covering almost 80% of the Sun. We'll discuss what causes eclipses, what to expect on April 8, and how to safely observe a solar eclipse.
Oh, and did we mention, everyone in the audience will receive a FREE pair of eclipse glasses!
Ages 4+
April 3
The Great American Eclipse
Another solar eclipse is on its way! Get ready for The Great American Eclipse occurring Monday, April 8. While Hampton Roads will not see a total eclipse in April, we'll still have a spectacular view with the Moon covering almost 80% of the Sun. We'll discuss what causes eclipses, what to expect on April 8, and how to safely observe a solar eclipse.
Oh, and did we mention, everyone in the audience will receive a FREE pair of eclipse glasses!
Ages 4+
April 10
Supervolcanoes
Supervolcanoes is an immersive planetarium show that looks back at rare classes of eruptions that have marshaled the energy that lurks, like a sleeping dragon, beneath the surface of planet Earth. The program moves beyond Earth to explore the impact of giant volcanic eruptions around our solar system. Audiences will fly down to Neptune's frigid moon Triton, and onto the ultimate volcanic world: Jupiter's moon Io. On a visit to a legendary North American hot spot, Yellowstone National Park, the film asks: can a supervolcano erupt in our time?
Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch
Ages 10+
April 17
Climate Change in Our Backyard
As we develop a much larger picture about our Earth as a whole, we are coming to see it as a complex, interconnected, remarkable world, and one that humans have impacted directly. Explore the role of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, the natural temperature variations that the Earth has experienced over millions of years, and how humans are affecting our planet today. How are scientists learning about our changing climate, and what strategies are people from all across the world taking to protect our future?
Climate Change in Our Backyard illuminates the story of how and why our climate is changing. From the remote mountain shack in the Colorado Rockies, through ancient bubbles in Antarctic ice, and into our own homes. Produced by Fiske Planetarium.
Ages 12+
April 24
Phantom of the Universe
From the journey of protons racing through the world's largest particle collider in Europe to up-close views of the Big Bang and emergent cosmos, Phantom of the Universe is a new fulldome planetarium show designed to immerse audiences in the search for dark matter. A collaboration of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, University of Texas at Arlington, Michigan State University, IFIC at University of Valencia, as well as other institutions.
Narrated by: Tilda Swinton
Ages 10+