Planetarium Shows

Private Show Reservation Information

The planetarium seats 60 people. Private programs are offered by reservation any day. School/Summer Camp groups can schedule during school hours Monday through Friday. The cost of a 45 minute program is $40, an additional hour is $30 ($70 total). There are some shows with a surcharge of $32 because they are streamed from a vendor. Payment for the program can be made at the door with cash, check (made out to YCAS) or credit/debit card. The money raised from these programs goes towards the cost of using the planetarium and developing other astronomy programs for the community. Groups are encouraged to join together to fill the planetarium with other scouts or family members. Write to info@astroyork.com for more information or to make a reservation.

The planetarium is not available during school hours to protects the school children from Covid.

The planetarium is closed May 15th to September 1st for summer school cleaning.

Groups using the planetarium during school hours are required to provide a list of the names of everyone attending. This list can be emailed the day of the reservation.

There is no longer a room available for groups to eat lunch.

Live programs

StarWatch

Planetarium Show Spotlights Tonight’s Constellations and Tour of the Solar System

Learn how to find the planets and constellations that are visible in York’s night sky. Become a star watcher by exploring the current night sky, locate visible planets and constellations, and enjoy some sky lore. Receive a star map and get answers to questions such as:

What can be seen with a telescope tonight?
*How do I find the North Star?
*Is there really a bear in the sky?
*Why do stars have different colors?
*What are the names of the brightest stars?
*Why does Jupiter have different colored clouds?

Girl Scout Programs

Level	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Daisey	One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure, StarWatch	45 min
Brownie	Rusty Rocket’s Last Blast, StarWatch	100 min
Junior	Rusty Rocket’s Last Blast, StarWatch	100 min
Cadette	Two Small Pieces Of Glass, StarWatch	100 min
Senior	From Earth To The Universe, StarWatch	100 min
Ambassador	From Earth To The Universe, StarWatch	100 min

While programs are geared toward families they may not be appropriate for very young children who are not able to sit through 35-minute presentations.

New Telescope Clinic

Did you get a new telescope recently or discover an unused one in your attic? Experience has shown that the first night out with a new telescope can be daunting as you try to perform all the initial setup work required. Consequently, many new telescopes are used once or twice, then never again due to frustration. To help get you started properly, the York County Astronomical Society is offering a New Telescope Clinic to help you set up your telescope the first time and learn how to use and enjoy it.

Bring your telescope and all the items that came with it (including batteries, if required, and the instruction manual). We will check out your telescope, help you align the finder scope, show you how your telescope works, and help you with some initial observations of the sky (clear skies permitting). Afterwards, take home a free Star Chart to help you continue your exploration of the nighttime sky.

Recorded programs

A Part of the Sky Called Orion

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Night sky, astronomy, cultures	general audiences, grades 5+	26 min

A fantastic sky lore program covering the Greek, Egyptian, and Inupiaq cultures. We learn how each of these rich cultures viewed the same stars, but had different stories and images. Told in first-person in the context of the teller’s life, we experience their ancient star lore and imagery. This show is best for 2nd grade and above, but even younger ones will enjoy the storytelling imagery and theme. This is storytelling at its best. A wonderful blend of imagery, music, and word; it’s a treat for all.

Back to the Moon For Good

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Moon, space travel, space science	general audiences, grades 2+	25 min

Back To The Moon For Good, an exciting, educational fulldome show narrated by award-winning actor Tim Allen. The 25-minute digital film highlights the history of exploring the moon and provides an insider’s look at the teams vying for the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE, the largest incentivized prize in history. The contest has ended with no winners. Back To The Moon For Good begins with a tour through the history of lunar exploration, tracing back to the 1960s and 1970s. We hear from some of the teams racing to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon and win the Google Lunar XPRIZE. The audience is taken on a successful launch, landing and tour of the lunar surface. The show ends with an enticing visualization of a future settlement on the moon.

Chasing the Ghost Particle: From the South Pole to the Edge of the Universe

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Neutrinos, space science	general audiences, grades 7+	30 min

Deep in the ice at the heart of Antarctica, the biggest and strangest detector in the world waits for mysterious messengers from the cosmos. The detector is Ice Cube! The messengers are neutrinos, ghostly particles that give us tantalizing looks into world of exploding stars and black holes. This show tells the incredible story of how an international team of scientists and engineers transformed one billion tons of Antarctic ice into a telescope. Building Ice Cube was a titanic endeavor driven by our human passion for discovery. Witness stunning views of the South Pole, captivating animations of the Ice Cube detectors capturing a neutrino collision-and eye-catching views of the cosmos. Chasing the Ghost Particle: From the South Pole to the Edge of the Universe will take you on a journey you will never forget.

Comets & Discovery

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Comets, space science, astronomy	general audiences, grades 3+	30 min

In “Comets & Discovery” we follow two intrepid comet hunters in first-person. One, a modern explorer. The other, Caroline Herschel. The famous 18th century comet huntress that ruled the skies for many generations. With both, we learn how they each searched the skies, made their discoveries, and reported them for other astronomers to bear out. We also learn about, depending on the century of the observer, what people thought comets were and their importance to them.

Cosmic Castaways

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Galactic collisions, space science	general audiences, grades 7+	23 min

When you look into the sky, the background not-quite-blackness is filled with the diffuse light of stars lost in the space between galaxies, these are the Cosmic Castaways. When galaxies pass in the night they gravitationally twist and turn one another. Sometimes the interactions are nothing more than a cosmic side-swipe; two galaxies cross and both come out a little bit damaged. Sometimes the interactions merge and where once two shiny galaxies orbited now only once bursts with the light of a billion stars. No matter what happens, these events leave stellar orphans. As the galaxies tear into one another, stars get gravitationally trapped in a tug-a-war between the two systems. Eventually, both galaxies will give up their pulling and let the stars drop. These stars are left abandoned in the space between the galaxies and scattered around the newly formed systems.

Cosmic Origins Spectrograph

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Hubble, space science	general audiences, grades 7+	30 min

A 30 minute film highlighting the current research of C.O.S. aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, the last instrument installed by the NASA astronauts. The Cosmic Origin Spectrograph is allowing us an unprecedented view into the vast spaces between galaxies which surrounds our own Milky Way and helping us discover the structure of the Universe.

Dark

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Dark Matter, Cosmology	general audiences, grades 11+	20 min

DARK is a fulldome movie that explains and explores the nature of Dark Matter, the missing 80% of the mass of the Universe. The search for Dark Matter is the most pressing astrophysical problem of our time - the solution to which will help us understand why the Universe is as it is, where it came from, and how it has evolved over billions of years - the unimaginable depths of deep time, of which a human life is but a flickering instant. But in that instant, we can grasp its immensity and, through science, we can attempt to understand it.

Defying Gravity: It is Rocket Science!

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Black Holes, Gravity, General Physics	general audiences, grades 4+	24 min

Meet Apollo Aurora, host of the Planetarium Channel’s universally loved gravity news source, Defying Gravity, It Is Rocket Science! With special robot correspondents Apple 1-6-8-6 and EGR-1, Apollo and her team will explore rocket power, gravity on other planets, monstrous black holes and even what keeps us grounded on Earth! Tune into this brand new planetarium show and uncover the mysteries of gravity.

Distant Worlds - Alien Life?

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Extrasolar planets	general audiences, grades 7+	53 min

Do you ever wonder if extraterrestrial life actually exists? Come enjoy a fulldome viewing of Distant Worlds - Alien Life. Not only does the film investigate the conditions required for life, beginning with the planets and moons in our Solar System, but it also ventures out to some of the newly-discovered exoplanets orbiting other stars. Potentially habitable exoplanets are being discovered regularly - worlds that are not only very far away, but also strange and unfamiliar. What could life on these worlds look like? What are the chances of encountering intelligent life in the future, and how might we detect it? Don’t miss this unique opportunity to surpass the confines of Earth and delve into unfathomable cosmic spaces, all from the comfort of our planetarium.

Flight Adventures

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Aeronautics, space science, astronomy	general audiences, grades 3+	21 min

In Flight Adventures, dreams of flying, model aircraft and a young girl and her grandfather come together in this multimedia planetarium show about the science of aeronautics. Learn about famous inventors and aviators of the past and the pioneers who first revealed the 4 forces of flight. See images of aircraft past, present and future and imagine where flight might take us. Presented in high-definition full-dome digital video, “Flight Adventures” is unlike anything you’ve ever encountered.

Forward! To the Moon

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Aeronautics, space science, astronomy	general audiences, grades 4+	26 min

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.

From the Blue Planet to the Red Planet

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Solar System	general audiences, grades 4-7	32 min

Journey to the year 2132 and follow a young woman named Carina as she studies geology on a future mars base. Her younger brother, Aidan, is back on earth preparing for an internship on the Lunar Base. Experience living on Earth and Mars from the perspective of these siblings of the future in From the Blue Planet to the Red Planet.

From Earth to the Universe

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
General Astronomy	general audiences, grades 4+	30 min

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.

Hot and Energetic Universe

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
High Energy Astronomy	general audiences, grades 4+	29 min

“The Hot and Energetic Universe” presents the fascinating world of high energy astrophysics. High energy astrophysics plays a key role in understanding the universe, as these radiations reveal the processes in the hot and violent universe. High energy astrophysics probes hot gas in clusters of galaxies, which are the most massive objects in the universe. It also probes hot gas accreting around supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies. Finally, high energy radiation provides important information about our own galaxy, neutron stars, supernova remnants and stars like our Sun which emit copious amounts of high-energy radiation. Come and learn about your hot and energetic universe!

Max Goes to the Moon

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
space exploration	grades K-3	35 min

In this children’s planetarium program, Max (the dog) and a young girl named Tori take the first trip to the Moon since the Apollo era. Along the way, the story sets the stage for the topics including “Phases of the Moon,” “Wings in Space?”, and “Frisbees and Curve Balls on the Moon” - all thoughtfully explained so that grownups and children can learn together about science. Toward the end, Max and Tori’s trip proves so inspiring to people back on Earth that all the nations of the world come together to build a great Moon colony from which “the beautiful views of Earth from the Moon made everyone realize that we all share a small and precious planet.”

Mayan Archaeoastronomy: Observers of the Universe

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Mayan Astronomy	general audiences, grades 4+	20 min

In a feast of colours and sounds, Mayan Archaeoastronomy: Observers of the Universe makes a tour of 6 Mayan temples: San Gervasio, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Edzna, Palenque and Bonampak where the spectator dives into a Mayan world of knowledge about the importance of the orientations of its temples in relation to the movement of some stars like the Sun, the Moon and Venus.

One World, One Sky

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Basic observation of sky	Pre-K to Grade 2	24 min

Elmo and Big Bird live in the United States and Hu Hu Zhu lives far away in China, but they discovered that they still see the same stars at night! The word for star in Chinese is “xing xing” (pronounced sing sing). How many “xing xing” do you see in this sky? When Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu “travel” to the moon, they discover some basic but surprising scientific facts. For example, they can’t fly a kite there because there is no wind. The fuzzy friends then excitedly realize that children like to fly kites in both China and the United States!

Out There: The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Astronomers, Exoplanets	general audiences, grades 4+	30 min

Out There - The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds will transport viewers from this world to entirely new and foreign ones. The show features the primitive science fiction of early civilisations, to the future space missions that will observe the Universe in greater-than-ever detail and travel to the surfaces and oceans of moons in our Solar System.

Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt for Dark Matter

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Dark Matter	general audiences, grades 7+	38 min

Phantom of the Universe is an exciting exploration of dark matter, from the Big Bang to its anticipated discovery at the Large Hadron Collider. The show reveals the first hints of its existence through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term “dark matter.” It describes the astral choreography witnessed by Vera Rubin in the Andromeda galaxy and then plummets deep underground to see the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth, housed in a former gold mine. From there, it journeys across space and time to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, speeding alongside particles before they collide in visually stunning explosions of light and sound, while learning how scientists around the world are collaborating to track down the constituents of dark matter.

Rusty Rocket’s Last Blast

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Solar System	general audiences, grades 4-7	40 min

After decades of teaching the basics of rocket physics, Rusty Rocket has decided this will be his last blast, and he already has plans for how he will spend his free time. Still there is one final mission to command: an introductory tour of the solar system for a new class of rocket rookies focusing on the wide variety of planetary environments. Along the way, we learn Rusty is related to every famous spacecraft to explore the solar system. He also emphasizes the immense distances between the planets using cars and jets for comparison.

Seeing!

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Vision	general audiences	22 min

Ride a photon across the galaxy to your mind’s eye and experience how we see. “SEEING!” follows a photon’s creation and journey across the galaxy to a young stargazer’s eye. The viewer follows the photon into the girl’s eye, learning the structures of the eye and their functions, prior to taking a ride on the optic nerve. SEEING is a 22-minute full-immersion planetarium program, which will use hemispheric 2D and 3D animations and video to teach how human vision works. Imagery from all over the world including humanity, landscapes, skyscapes, wildlife and of space are the backdrop for photo-realistic animations, which are used to create a story of a photon’s’ journey through the eye and its conversion to an electrochemical impulse that then travels the neuro pathways of the brain to the various centers that create the image the brain sees.

Skywatchers of Africa

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Earth, space science, astronomy, cultures	general audiences, grades 5+	35 min

For thousands of years, Africans have used their knowledge of the sky to build their societies, shape their spiritual lives, and meet their physical needs for survival. Skywatchers of Africa highlights the diversity of African astronomy, examines cultural uses of the sky that developed throughout history, and celebrates our shared human experience.

Solar Quest

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Sun, space science, astronomy	general audiences, grades 5+	12 min

“Solar Quest” is a short feature that demonstrates how the Sun and Earth are interconnected and that we are “Living with a Star”. High quality animations display solar phenomena such as fusion and light energy as well as solar surface features and events. Granules, solar flares and coronal mass ejections are highlighted. The show discusses the impacts of space weather and how the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field protects all life on Earth.

The Sun, Our Living Star

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Sun, astronomy, physics	general audiences, grades 5+	24 min

The Sun has shone on our world for four and a half billion years. The light that warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather and all life.

The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky - day by day, month by month - was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilizations. Don’t be fooled by the terminology; although it is a typical dwarf star, the Sun consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined.

Sunstruck

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
Sun, astronomy, physics	general audiences, grades 5+	21 min

Discover the wonders of our Sun. Its incredible energy has supported life on Earth for millennia, but is now threatening our technology and way of life. Travel to the distant future to discover our Sun’s connection to the universe’s cosmic cycle of life and death in Sunstruck.

The Planets

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
space science, solar system	general audiences, grades 4+	36 min

Join us for a grand voyage across the solar system. This is an exciting tour of the Solar System that looks at each planet as well as Solar System formation and extrasolar planets. The program is narrated by Kate Mulgrew (of Star Trek: Voyager).

Two Small Pieces of Glass

TOPIC	AUDIENCE	LENGTH
telescopes, astronomy, physics	general audiences, grades 5+	23 min

While attending a local star party, two teenage students learn how the telescope has helped us understand our place in space and how telescopes continue to expand our understanding of the Universe.

Premium Fulldome programs ($32 surcharge)

Aurora Storm 11 minutes
A fascinating tour of the cosmos - from Earth orbit to the limits of the observable universe, featuring planets, star birth, supernovae, galaxy collisions, black holes, and more! This program has a $32 surcharge.

HUBBLE Vision 2 30 minutes
A fascinating tour of the cosmos - from Earth orbit to the limits of the observable universe, featuring planets, star birth, supernovae, galaxy collisions, black holes, and more! This program has a $32 surcharge.

Larry Cat In Space 30 minutes
Take off on a lunar adventure with a curious stowaway cat! Larry Cat in Space is a playful, imaginative cartoon presentation about an inquisitive cat who takes a trip to the Moon. A delightful cartoon feature for children of all ages! This program has a $32 surcharge.

Light Years From Andromeda 30 minutes
A journey between two galaxies spans human history - and reveals the secrets of the cosmos! LIGHT YEARS FROM ANDROMEDA is a story of cosmic distances, and humanity’s quest to understand the universe. It teaches about the concepts of light-travel time and light-years. Narrated by Michael Dorn, Worf of Star Trek movies and TV. This program has a $32 surcharge.

MarsQuest 40 minutes
Come along on a captivating scientific and historical exploration of the planet Mars! MARSQUEST is a chronicle tracing our centuries-long cultural and scientific fascination with the planet Mars. Set in a theatrical style “three-act” form with an epilogue, it weaves a satisfying narrative of what Mars means to humanity. Narrated by Patrick Stewart, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek movies and TV. This program has a $32 surcharge.

MAGELLAN: Report From Venus 29 minutes
With a plethora of Magellan radar images, audiences will learn about the volcanism, tectonism, and cratering that shapes our nearest neighboring planet. Explore Venus - Earth’s mysterious next-door neighbor in space! Take a safari under the clouds of Venus to experience its scorching hot surface, explore its volcanoes and lava rivers, and scan its intriguing cratered plains - through images from the Magellan radar mapping mission. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Oceans In Space 30 minutes
The search for life in the universe begins deep in Earth’s oceans - and extends out to the stars! OCEANS IN SPACE answers the deep questions humans have about where life began and where it might exist elsewhere in the cosmos. It’s a thought-provoking exploration of our own planet and the worlds around other stars in the search for life. Narrated by Avery Brooks, Capt. Benjamin Sisko of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Seasonal STARGAZING 15 minutes
Find out more about “what’s up tonight” in just a few minutes than some people do in a lifetime! Hop through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to planetarium space music in this fulldome audiovisual experience. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Season of Light 35 minutes
Light up the cold dark season with our perennial, popular winter holiday show. SEASON OF LIGHT explores the reasons humans are so fascinated with lighting up our lives during the December holiday season. This very popular show is an exploration of the astronomical meanings behind seasonal traditions, including the “Star over Bethlehem”. Narrated by National Public Radio’s Noah Adams. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Sky Quest 24 minutes
Come along with a young woman on her personal quest to find a special place in the night sky! SKY QUEST is a family favorite, telling the story of one woman’s quest for astronomy exploration and her childhood dreams of the stars. Narrated by Roxann Dawson, Chief Engineer B’Elanna Torres of TV’s Star Trek: Voyager. This program has a $32 surcharge.

The Cowboy Astronomer 37 minutes
Explore the stars from a cowboy’s point of view! THE COWBOY ASTRONOMER is a skillfully woven tapestry of star tales and Native American legends, combined with constellation identification, star-hopping, and astronomy tidbits - all told from the unique viewpoint of a cowboy astronomer who has traveled the world plying his trade and learning the sky along the way. Narrated by cowboy poet and humorist Baxter Black. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Space Park 39 minutes
An out of this world theme park, with a thrill ride at every planet in the solar system. This program has a $32 surcharge.

The Voyager Encounters 43 minutes
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - in one feature-length planetarium show. The Voyagers opened a new frontier - the worlds of the outer solar system! The Voyager Encounters is a fascinating tour of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - conducted by the cameras and instruments onboard the Voyager spacecraft. Narrated by Patrick Stewart, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek movies and TV. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Astronomy: 3000 Years of Stargazing 34 minutes
Take an historical odyssey to learn about our oldest science! The sky, and everything that happens in it, has always piqued our curiosity. Eclipses, the regular cycle of the seasons, and the motion of the stars have fascinated us since our earliest ancestors looked up to the sky. In the learned company of a cartoon Einstein, this show takes audiences on a tour of the major astronomical milestones of the last 3,000 years - from the cosmological models of antiquity, through the Ptolemaic system of epicycles, to the contributions of Copernicus, Newton, Hubble and many others. We explore the discoveries made possible by the use of technology - from the first telescope used by Galileo - to modern ones in use on Earth and in space. All have revealed the beauty of the cosmos. Come along for an exploration of nebulae, pulsars, and black holes! This program has a $32 surcharge.

The Birth of the Solar System 22 minutes
Witness the dramatic collisions that shaped the planets and moons! How did our solar system originate? What chain of events led to its creation? Just as detectives look for traces of evidence to solve a mystery, astronomers analyze the evidence that points to the formation of the Sun and planets. In particular, they study the influence that impacts and collisions had on the worlds of the solar system. The most dramatic evidence for this collisional history of solar system evolution are the impact craters found on almost all the bodies in the solar system, including Earth. These surface scars tell us the formation history of planets, moons, and rings was violent. Yet today, we live in a relatively stable solar system, made possible by the shattering collisions that shaped our worlds. This program gives us a unique look at the formation of the solar system by tracing the role that collisions played throughout its history. Beginning with the condensation of the initial cloud of gas and cosmic dust, we explore the history of planetary formation and the mechanism of accretion that played an important role in shaping the worlds of the solar system. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Chronicle of a Journey to Earth 20 minutes
Travel to a unique planet - to call your home! Imagine that you are a traveler from the depths of interstellar space. As you approach our solar system, what will you find? Long before you reach the Sun, you traverse the Oort cloud, the deep freeze at the outermost reaches. You pass by the gas giants and their families of moons and rings. Finally, you reach the inner solar system, and the rocky worlds of Mars, Earth, Venus and Mercury. If you were looking for a place to call home, which world would YOU choose? From the cold frontier inhabited by the dwarf planets of the outer solar system to the warmth of the Sun, any self-respecting traveler would ultimately be drawn to Earth, to explore and understand how this planet alone has come to be an ideal haven for life. Discover seasonal climate changes, and witness wondrous visions from the surface of this unique world - Moon phases and eclipses. Come along for the ride, and see our neighborhood in space from a new perspective. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Extrasolar Planets - discovering new worlds 30 minutes
We live on a small planet that revolves around a star that is no different in size, luminosity, or location, than any other. It is just one among many. Are the planets that orbit our star what distinguish it from the others? Are there also extrasolar planets that revolve around other stars? If that was the case, could it be that there are inhabitable worlds like Earth? The endless variety of the Solar System is barely a reflection of the infinite diversity of the Universe. But, until now, we only know of one planet where life has developed, ours! Astronomers on Earth study the movements of the stars, searching for planets in other suns. Using unique instruments, they observe thousands of stars at the same time; minute by minute, measuring the amount of light from each one of them with extreme precision, and detecting if one of them periodically changes brightness, even if the change is barely perceptible, by one part per ten thousand. Scientists who analyze the gathered data are able to tell if the star is a candidate for having at least one planet. Scientists hope one day to find life somewhere on one of the extrasolar planets, even if only in the form of microorganisms. This would be a historical discovery. Could one of these worlds be suitable for the development of life? The search for extrasolar planets focuses on the neighboring stars of our galaxy, the Milky Way, but this doesn’t mean they are close to us. Our galaxy is enormous, so enormous that a ray of light takes more than one hundred thousand years to cross from one side to the other. However, if there is an extraterrestrial civilization in our galactic vicinity, they just may have noticed our presence because, without intending to, we have been transmitting signals for quite a long time. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Moles: What Is Out There? 37 minutes
MOLES’ story revolves around a young mole named Plato. Plato lives deep underground in a dark burrow full of mystery and surprises together with his mum and dad. He is a restless, curious and thoughtful creature. Plato is fascinated by the light that penetrates the entrance to his home. Sometimes it is lit; sometimes it is off. Why could that be? Our young friend is desperate to see what is out there in the outside world and one day he finally gets to see it all! Plato discovers day and night, the sun and the moon, and the stars! Plato’s best friends are Alfa, Beta and Gamma with whom he loves to sing and go treasure hunting! Good thing that the professor Socrates keeps an eye on our young friends as sometimes things can get a little out of hand! The story has been inspired by the Greek philosopher Plato’s “Myth of the Cave”. The film MOLES stands out for the beauty and simplicity of its visual design. Characters and setting are developed with clear and tender consistency. The illustrations are suggestive, warm and very expressive. They are filled with poetic messages that will stir the imagination of boys and girls. In this co-production with Mediuscula, young children will be introduced to the fascinating world of astronomy in a fun, simple and very humorous way, hand in hand with the little mole. The animated characters and the attractive backdrops of this fulldome entertainment show will keep the audience captivated. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Dinosaurs at Dusk 44 minutes
A learning adventure of a father and his teenage daughter Lucy, who share a fascination for all things that fly. You’ll travel back in time to meet the pterosaurs and the ancestors of modern-day birds: the feathered dinosaurs. Lucy and her father navigate from continent to continent, looking for clues about the origins of flight. When time runs out they experience first-hand the cataclysmic “last day” of the dinosaurs. Science content includes topics such as continental drift, proper motion of stars, asteroids and impacts, extinctions and the convergent development of flight among species. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Dawn of the Space Age 41 minutes
Relive the excitement of the early days of space exploration! From the launch of the first artificial satellite Sputnik, to the magnificent lunar landings and privately operated space flights. Be immersed and overwhelmed with this most accurate historic reconstruction of Man’s first steps into space. Who were these Men and Women that took part in these death defying endeavors? Witness their drive, their passion, and their perseverance to explore, in DAWN OF THE SPACE AGE. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Natural Selection 41 minutes
Natural Selection celebrates the 150th anniversary of the publication of “On the Origin of Species” and the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. We will join Darwin on his voyage with the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos Islands where he was inspired to develop his later theory of transmutation by natural selection. From the comfort of Down House in Kent, Darwin himself will explain the mechanism of natural selection to the audience, and support it by showing many beautiful examples in nature. The thrill of a scientific discovery, the adventure of science and the beauty of nature are central in this show. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Origins of Life 23 minutes
ORIGINS OF LIFE deals with some of the most profound questions of life science: the origins of life and the human search for life beyond Earth. Starting with the Big Bang, in chronological order, the show deals with the prebiotic chemistry in the Universe, the formation of stars, formation of solar systems, and the first life on Earth. Furthermore ORIGINS OF LIFE covers the great extinctions as well as our search for (primitive) life beyond planet Earth. This show is an inspirational journey through time and a celebration of life on Earth. It features many recent discoveries related to life science, demonstrating that if there was ever a time that science made its greatest advances, it’s right now! This program has a $32 surcharge.

From Dream To Discovery: Inside NASA 30 minutes
Journey from NASA’s test facilities all the way to Pluto and experience the excitement of today’s space missions. Immerse yourself in the adventures and extremes of spacecraft engineering-from the design of missions like the James Webb Space Telescope and New Horizons, to the rigors of testing, launch, and space operations. When humans dare to dream, we create truly amazing things. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Moons: Worlds Of Mystery 35 minutes
Moons: Worlds of Mystery immerses you in the amazing diversity of moons and the important roles they play in shaping our solar system. Follow in the footsteps of astronauts to our silvery Moon, then venture beyond to unfamiliar and exotic worlds. Journey to the outer planets and their moons, returning home with newfound wonder about the dynamic and intricate solar system in which we all live. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Undiscovered Worlds: The Search Beyond Our Sun 30 minutes
This show explores a timeless question: Do other planets like Earth exist? Through the discovery of exoplanets, the hundreds of planets that have been found orbiting stars beyond the Sun, we have learned that our solar system is not alone in the universe and have had to redefine our understanding of planets and solar systems. With rapidly improving technology and endeavors like the Kepler Telescope, the discovery of exoplanets represents one step closer to the possibility of finding an Earth-like world. How will this change how we view our place in the universe? This program has a $32 surcharge.

Beyond The Arctic Circle 20 minutes
Live action immersive fulldome show about the Arctic region and its inhabitants. Experience a real POV husky ride through the snowy forests of Lapland, visit the reindeer herds living in the tundra and get to know how they survive in the extreme cold where no trees can grow. The expedition to the arctic is experienced through the eyes of a little boy guided by his grandfather on search for an arctic fox that appears only at nights (Aurora borealis according to Saami legend) learning about the scientific facts and mystical magic of the North. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Cosmic Dance 45 minutes
COSMIC DANCE is a feast for your eye and an inspiration for your mind: the show features the parallels between modern quantum physics, astrophysics and ages-old spiritual wisdom. On an adventurous dance through India, the young Canadian physics student Leela discovers in a discourse with international scientists that the entire universe and all life are connected; matter and spirit are not separated and divine energy reigns in all of us. Hindu faith, modern science and universal thinking are no contradiction but one reality. This program has a $32 surcharge.

Into The Deep 31 minutes
Dive with the pioneers of deep-sea research on their journeys of discovery, on the most famous submersibles in history, to come face-to-face with the fascinating creatures that survive where no life was ever expected - INTO THE DEEP! This program has a $32 surcharge.

TimeSpace 28 minutes
Join us for an adventure through time, as we explore the past and imagine the future of the cosmos. Witness the birth of the Universe, the doom of the dinosaurs, and be there for the first landing on the moon! Each TIMESPACE travel story is presented as a destination to be experienced as if you are there. This program has a $32 surcharge.

For more information on events, scheduling a private party star watch, directions to the observing site, or for general Society information please contact us at info@astroyork.com or leave a voice message after the recording at 717 759-9227 or visit our Facebook page