The WVU Planetarium is open for in-person shows! All visitors must follow WVU Safety Guidelines and wear a mask. For your safety, planetarium staff will all be wearing masks as well. If you have any questions or concerns please email planetarium@mail.wvu.edu.
PUBLIC Shows
All shows are free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Our shows last approximately 45-60 minutes. This includes a 15-20 minute introduction simulating what's up in the sky tonight and/or discussion of a topic relevant to the film, then we play one of our 20-40 minute full dome feature films and answer your burning questions! After the show, our telescope assistants invite you to the rooftop telescope for live viewing of the night sky, weather permitting. Check out our Plan Your Visit page for information about parking and accessibility.
| Date | Show and Intended Audience | Time | Registration Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, October 13th *Mask Required* |
Diversity Week Show: Indigenous Connections to the Night Sky, Grades 5+ The night sky has long inspired humans around the world and throughout time. Indigenous peoples of the Americas have rich stories and important cultural connections to the motions of the sun, moon, and stars. Yet, mainstream astronomy presentations generally focus on Greek or Roman mythological star stories. With this show, we aim to amplify and feature the star stories of Indigenous groups. We’ll consider Indigenous worldviews and explore the wide variety of ways Native American cultural traditions are influenced by astronomical phenomena. We will share resources from the National Museum of the American Indian and the Native Skywatchers research and programming initiative, including star maps and story recordings shared by Ojibwe, Blackfoot, and Cheyenne peoples. Additionally, we will spotlight the Indigenous astrophysicists who are working at the forefront of astronomy research, and how they are revitalizing and sharing Indigenous star and Earth knowledge. We will follow the presentation with the "Tales of the Maya Skies" full-dome feature film. We are grateful to Bonnie Brown from the WVU Program for Native American Studies for advising on this presentation." See the accompanying WVU Libraries Resource List! |
7:00 PM | This show is full |
| Friday, October 22nd *Mask Required* |
Oasis in Space, Grades 3-7 (children's show) (Trailer) 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. |
6:30 PM | Register below 20/60 Seats Available |
| Friday, October 22nd *Mask Required* |
The Powerhouses of the Universe, Grades 4+ (Trailer) Every star has a story; some are as old as time, faint and almost forgotten while others burn bright and end their lives in powerful explosions. New stars are created every day, lighting the Universe. Journey to the furthest reaches of our galaxy and experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of stars. |
7:30 PM | Register below 8/60 Seats Available |
| Friday, November 5th *Mask Required* |
Einstein's Gravity Playlist, Grades 9+ (Information) 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.** |
6:30 PM | Register below 55/60 Seats Available |
| Friday, November 5th *Mask Required* |
Black Holes, Grades 5+ (Trailer) Few mysteries in the universe have the power and awe of the black hole. Where do they come from? How do we find them? Is there one on Earth's horizon? Black Holes takes you on a journey through one of the most mystifying, awe-inspiring phenomena in the universe: a black hole. |
7:30PM | Register below 55/60 Seats Available |
| Friday, November 19th *Mask Required* |
Earth Moon Sun, Grades K-6 (Trailer) Learn why the Sun rises and sets, examine the Moon’s orbit, craters, phases and eclipses, and explore past and future space travel to the Moon and beyond with the help of Coyote, an amusing character adapted from Native American oral traditions, who has many misconceptions about Earth and its neighbors. |
6:30PM | Register below 53/60 Seats Available |
| Friday, November 19th *Mask Required* |
To Space and Back, Grades 5+ (Trailer) Space exploration has enriched all of our lives. Not only has it enabled us to discover a universe of unimaginable scale and beauty, but the technology behind it is shaping our world and the way we live. From the devices we use every day to the tools that are breaking new ground in medicine and engineering, we can thank space exploration for making our modern lives possible. |
7:30PM | Register below 56/60 Seats Available |
| Friday, December 3rd *Mask Required* |
Supervolcanoes, Grades 5+ (Trailer) |
6:30PM | Register below 56/60 Seats Available |
| Friday, December 3rd *Mask Required* |
Dynamic Earth, Grades 9+ (Trailer) Now in 150 planetariums worldwide, Dynamic Earth explores the inner workings of Earth’s great life support system: the global climate. With visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations, this cutting-edge production follows a trail of energy that flows from the Sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and the biosphere. Audiences will ride along on swirling ocean and wind currents, dive into the heart of a monster hurricane, come face-to-face with sharks and gigantic whales, and fly into roiling volcanoes. |
7:30PM | Register below 56/60 Seats Available |
| Tuesday, December 14th *Mask Required* |
Season of Lights! "Season of Light" is about the coldest and darkest of seasons -- a time which holds some of the warmest and brightest celebration of the year, including the burning Yule log, sparking Christmas tree lights and candles in windows, the lighting of luminarias in the American Southwest, and the traditional ritual of the Hanukkah Menorah. The show also recounts the historical religious and cultural rituals practiced during the winter solstice -- not only Christian and Jewish, but also Celtic, Nordic, Roman, Irish, Mexican, and Hopi. It also takes a look at some of our more light-hearted seasonal traditions: from gift-giving and kissing under the mistletoe, to songs about lords a-leaping and ladies dancing, and the custom of decking the halls with greenery and candles. Astronomical concepts include winter constellations, why we have seasons, the motion of the Sun across the sky throughout the year, and Earth's tilt and orbit around the Sun. The program explores possible astronomical explanations for a "Star of Bethlehem," including comets, meteors, novae and supernovae, and planetary conjunctions. "Season of Light" is a visually rich, culturally inclusive, and musically satisfying. Please join us! |
6:30PM | Register below 56/60 Seats Available |
| Tuesday, December 14th *Mask Required* |
Season of Lights! "Season of Light" is about the coldest and darkest of seasons -- a time which holds some of the warmest and brightest celebration of the year, including the burning Yule log, sparking Christmas tree lights and candles in windows, the lighting of luminarias in the American Southwest, and the traditional ritual of the Hanukkah Menorah. The show also recounts the historical religious and cultural rituals practiced during the winter solstice -- not only Christian and Jewish, but also Celtic, Nordic, Roman, Irish, Mexican, and Hopi. It also takes a look at some of our more light-hearted seasonal traditions: from gift-giving and kissing under the mistletoe, to songs about lords a-leaping and ladies dancing, and the custom of decking the halls with greenery and candles. Astronomical concepts include winter constellations, why we have seasons, the motion of the Sun across the sky throughout the year, and Earth's tilt and orbit around the Sun. The program explores possible astronomical explanations for a "Star of Bethlehem," including comets, meteors, novae and supernovae, and planetary conjunctions. "Season of Light" is a visually rich, culturally inclusive, and musically satisfying. Please join us! |
7:30PM | Register below 54/60 Seats Available |
| Tuesday, December 14th *Mask Required* |
Season of Lights! "Season of Light" is about the coldest and darkest of seasons -- a time which holds some of the warmest and brightest celebration of the year, including the burning Yule log, sparking Christmas tree lights and candles in windows, the lighting of luminarias in the American Southwest, and the traditional ritual of the Hanukkah Menorah. The show also recounts the historical religious and cultural rituals practiced during the winter solstice -- not only Christian and Jewish, but also Celtic, Nordic, Roman, Irish, Mexican, and Hopi. It also takes a look at some of our more light-hearted seasonal traditions: from gift-giving and kissing under the mistletoe, to songs about lords a-leaping and ladies dancing, and the custom of decking the halls with greenery and candles. Astronomical concepts include winter constellations, why we have seasons, the motion of the Sun across the sky throughout the year, and Earth's tilt and orbit around the Sun. The program explores possible astronomical explanations for a "Star of Bethlehem," including comets, meteors, novae and supernovae, and planetary conjunctions. "Season of Light" is a visually rich, culturally inclusive, and musically satisfying. Please join us! |
8:30PM | Register below 60/60 Seats Available |