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Eberly College of Arts & Sciences
WVU Planetarium and Observatory
Connecting you to the Universe
Reserve Your Free Show Directions & Parking

Showtimes

Free and open to the public — reservations are required!
 
 

We present Public Shows every other Friday. We generally have children's shows at 7pm (or 8pm in Summer) and advanced shows at 8pm (or 9pm in Summer) followed by rooftop telescope observing, weather permitting. Our dome capacity is 60 visitors total. 

Our shows last approximately 45-60 minutes. After the show, our telescope assistants invite you to the rooftop telescope for live viewing of the night sky. Check out the Plan Your Visit section of our website for information about What to Expect, FAQs, Parking and Directions, Accessibility and more. For questions or concerns please email planetarium@mail.wvu.edu.

Important!

  • To cancel your reservation, please contact us so we may open remaining seats.
  • Late visitors will not be admitted! Doors close promptly at the start of a show.

Upcoming Planetarium Shows

Select Book Now to make your reservation

Feb
28

Accidental Astronauts 👪

Friday, Feb 28, 2025
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Book Now

Follow the adventures of Sy and Annie and their dog Armstrong as they embark on an unexpected journey into space! Explore the Earth, Sun and Moon system with a wise-cracking starship computer. Follow an asteroid as it crashes into the Moon. Bounce along with them on the lunar surface. Get up close and personal with a solar storm. "The Accidental Astronauts" is a space adventure for all ages.

WVU Planetarium shows are always free of charge to the public, but we gladly accept donations. If donating interests you, please do so here: https://give.wvu.edu/campaign/wvu-planetarium-project/c428289. Donations support outreach events and the maintenance of our publically available 14” diameter Schmidt-Cassegrian telescope. They also help us achieve our goal of licensing a new and exciting show every year!

Feb
28

The Dark Matter Mystery

Friday, Feb 28, 2025
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Book Now

What keeps Galaxies together? What are the building blocks of the Universe? What makes the Universe look the way it looks today? Researchers all around the world try to answer these questions. We know today that approximately a quarter of the Universe is filled with a mysterious glue: Dark Matter. We know that it is out there. But we have no idea what it is made out of.This planetarium show takes you on the biggest quest of contemporary astrophysics. You will see why we know that Dark Matter exists, and how this search is one of the most challenging and exciting searches science has to offer. Join the scientists on their hunt for Dark Matter with experiments in space and deep underground. Will they be able to solve the Dark Matter Mystery?

WVU Planetarium shows are always free of charge to the public, but we gladly accept donations. If donating interests you, please do so here: https://give.wvu.edu/campaign/wvu-planetarium-project/c428289. Donations support outreach events and the maintenance of our publically available 14” diameter Schmidt-Cassegrian telescope. They also help us achieve our goal of licensing a new and exciting show every year!

Mar
14

Einstein's Gravity Playlist 👪

Friday, Mar 14, 2025
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Coming soon!
Available Friday, Feb 28 at 7:00 PM

Einstein's Gravity Playlist  is an original planetarium show that explores the ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves. Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916, and a century later, scientists detected these waves using incredibly precise laser technology here on Earth.  In honor of this long-anticipated detection, the scientists who created the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2017.  In this show, viewers follow Lucia, a PhD student in physics, on an exploration of how gravitational waves are formed, how they move through the universe, and how scientists like her work to hear them.

WVU Planetarium shows are always free of charge to the public, but we gladly accept donations. If donating interests you, please do so here: https://give.wvu.edu/campaign/wvu-planetarium-project/c428289. Donations support outreach events and the maintenance of our publically available 14” diameter Schmidt-Cassegrian telescope. They also help us achieve our goal of licensing a new and exciting show every year!

Mar
14

From Earth to the Universe

Friday, Mar 14, 2025
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Coming soon!
Available Friday, Feb 28 at 7:00 PM

The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity’s oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes, we invite you to experience From Earth to the Universe.

WVU Planetarium shows are always free of charge to the public, but we gladly accept donations. If donating interests you, please do so here: https://give.wvu.edu/campaign/wvu-planetarium-project/c428289. Donations support outreach events and the maintenance of our publically available 14” diameter Schmidt-Cassegrian telescope. They also help us achieve our goal of licensing a new and exciting show every year!

Mar
28

Larry Cat in Space 👪

Friday, Mar 28, 2025
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Coming soon!
Available Friday, Mar 14 at 7:00 PM

This is one of our most popular shows! Larry Cat In Space is a playful, imaginative cartoon presentation about an inquisitive cat who takes a trip to the Moon. The educational focus of Larry Cat In Space is the Moon and its relationship to Earth. The first-person narrative style allows audience members to identify with the main character and share in his adventures. His experiences teach important facts about the Moon and Earth. Multidisciplinary themes in lunar geography, earth/space sciences, physical science, and science as a human endeavor are woven throughout the program, and help relate the information presented in the show to the lives of students, families, and the general public.

Mar
28

Oasis in Space

Friday, Mar 28, 2025
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Coming soon!
Available Friday, Mar 14 at 7:00 PM

Oasis in Space transports the audience on a startling and beautiful voyage through our universe, galaxy and solar system in search of  liquid water - a key ingredient for life on Earth. 

Apr
25

The Secrets of Gravity 👪

Friday, Apr 25, 2025
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Coming soon!
Available Friday, Apr 11 at 7:00 PM

Why do things fall to the ground without magic? The young magician’s apprentice Limbradur is far more interested in the universe and its secrets than boring magic spells. He is fascinated by the stars, the universe and the laws of nature. So, one night he sneaks into the Albert Einstein Museum, where he meets ALBYX3, a small, clever but rather quirky robot who knows all about Albert Einstein and his theories. Alby takes Limbradur on a magical journey of discovery through time and space, during which they not only uncover the secrets of gravity but also learn much about friendship and imagination. For Limbradur and Alby both have secrets of their own. 

Apr
25

Tales of the Maya Skies

Friday, Apr 25, 2025
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Coming soon!
Available Friday, Apr 11 at 7:00 PM

Tales of the Maya Skies takes you on an exciting journey back in time to the beautiful jungle city of Chichén Itzá and the world of the ancient Maya. Here we discover how this ancient civilization learned to interpret the world around them to develop a sophisticated understanding of astronomy, mathematics and science - knowledge that has influenced much of our present day learning.