PORTLAND – The Southworth Planetarium will hold a number of shows during the month of January. The planetarium is located 70 Falmouth Street. For more go to www.usm.maine.edu/planet or call 207-780-4249. Admission is $6 per adult, $5.50 per child.
Monday, January 3
1:00 p.m. Dinosaurs at Dusk!
Tuesday, January 4
1:00 p.m. IBEX
Wednesday, January 5
1:00 p.m. Season of Light
Thursday, January 6
1:00 p.m. Season of Light
Friday, January 7
1:00 p.m. Earthquake
Saturday, January 8
1:00 p.m. Earthquake
Monday, January 10
1:00 p.m. Dinosaurs at Dusk!
Tuesday, January 11
1:00 p.m. IBEX
Wednesday, January 12
1:00 p.m. Natural Selection
Thursday, January 13
1:00 p.m. Hubble Vision 2
Friday, January 14
1:00 p.m. Hubble Vision 2
Saturday, January 15
1:00 p.m. Hubble Vision 2
Monday, January 17
1:00 p.m. Dinosaurs at Dusk!
Tuesday, January 18
1:00 p.m. Natural Selection
Wednesday, January 19
1:00 p.m. Destination Solar System
Thursday, January 20
1:00 p.m. Destination Solar System
Friday, January 21
1:00 p.m. Destination Solar System
Saturday, January 22
1:00 p.m. Rusty Rocket’s Last Blast!
Monday, January 24
1:00 p.m. Dinosaurs at Dusk!
Tuesday, January 25
1:00 p.m. IBEX
Wednesday, January 26
1:00 p.m. Mars Quest!
Thursday, January 27
1:00 p.m. Mars Quest!
Friday, January 28
1:00 p.m. Mars Quest!
Saturday, January 29
1:00 p.m. Dinosaurs at Dusk!
Monday, January 31
1:00 p.m. Dinosaurs at Dusk!
Show Summaries
Destination Solar System
Embark on a tour of the solar system in the year 2096! Join the Space Express and explore the sun, moon, planets, and even the asteroid belt!
Dinosaurs at Dusk!
A father and daughter travel through time to the epoch of the dinosaurs. During their journey, they encounter (sometimes run away from) all manner of flying and walking dinosaurs. During their excursions, they learn the origins of flight.
Earthquake
Earth trembles constantly as the planet’s continental plates move relative to each other. Learn the science of Earthquakes and how these tremblors have affected human history.
Hubble Vision 2
A celebration of the Hubble Space Telescope. This show includes some of the latest images the HST has captured during its 30 year orbit around the planet.
IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System
The IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer) probe’s sole mission is to study the heliosphere, the bubble enclosing the solar system. We discover how the probe was manufactured and what it has learned about the protective shell around the sun and planets.
MarsQuest
In the first section, “Homage,” we trace Mars through history – from the “incantation” of the various War God forms given by different cultures, to the early observations of Schiaparelli and Lowell, and the infamous “canals” which led to science-fiction stories about martians. We hear excerpts from H. G. Well’s “War of the Worlds” and Edgar Rice Burrough’s “Barsoom” novels. “Mars in Focus” details the Mars of our time – as seen in the night sky, through binoculars and telescopes, and from our Mars explorations. Mission findings from more than a quarter century of spacecraft missions feature reports on Mars weather, climate, and areology. We compare the climate and terrain of Earth and Mars, and present the current thinking about the areologic history of the planet, and a rationale for future exploration.
Natural Selection
Prepare for a full dome adventure unlike any other we’ve ever offered! Natural Selection is a celebration of life: watch as we follow Darwin’s journey to the Galapagos and transform the star dome into an ocean teeming with all manner of exquisitely beautiful and strangely exotic creatures.
Rusty Rocket’s Last Blast!
Join Rusty Rocket and his band of rocket rookies as they explore the solar system. This show combines humor, fun characters, and the latest planetary images to give you and your family a fun and informative solar system tour.
Season of Light
The annual holiday program that delves into the history and astronomy of the holiday season traditions. What are the origins of Santa Claus, the Hanukkah festival, New Year’s celebrations and Christmas? We also look into the “Star of Bethlehem.” If it had been a naturally occurring event, what might it have been? Narrated by NPR’s Noah Adams.
Two Small Pieces of Glass (FULL DOME)
An omni-dome program about the history and science of telescopes. How have astronomers used telescopes to discover the wonders of the Universe?
THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM IS LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT OF THE USM SCIENCE BUILDING