SEPTEMBER 2014 FRIENDS OF THE PLANETARIUM PROGRAMMING: Sept. 19-21, 2014
September 19-21, 2014

The theme for September is Friends Fantastic Fall Fundraising Festival

Friday, September 19, 2014

1) Screening of the digital program MarsQuest.

MarsQuest. Credit: Loch Ness Productions.

Narrated by Patrick Stewart, MarsQuest provides a captivating scientific and historical exploration of the planet Mars. Produced in three acts, the program begins with a multicultural history of our understanding of the planet. Next, MarsQuest details the planet as we currently experience it, and the final act examines preparations for humans to live on Mars. Loch Ness Productions.

Target Audience: viewers of all ages, especially 5th grade and beyond.

Running Time: 41 minutes.

Doors Open: 6:00 p.m. Show Begins: 6:30 p.m.

2) Screening of the digital program Oasis in Space.

One of Spitz’s most popular full-dome shows, 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. Spitz Creative Media.

Target Audience: all ages.

Running Time: 24 minutes.

Doors Open: 7:00 p.m. Show Begins: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday September 20, 2014

5:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.

Enjoy some outdoor activities on the plaza outside the planetarium — listen to live music courtesy of the Yorktown Yahoos, watch a demonstration of nitrogen ice cream making (then taste the results), learn how to create your own child-safe “rockets,” and test out some air-compression rockets. Renew or purchase your Friends of the Planetarium membership while you are there!

Free to the public, weather permitting. Two public shows follow:

1) Screening of the digital program Black Holes: the Other Side of Infinity.

Black Holes. Credit: http://www.spitzinc.com.

Black Holes: the Other Side of Infinity is one of the most successful full-dome shows ever produced. Narrated by Academy-Award nominated actor Liam Neeson, this cutting-edge production features high-resolution visualizations of cosmic phenomena, working with data generated by computer simulations, to bring the current science of black holes to the dome screen. Audiences will be dazzled with striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to a super-massive black hole lurking at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

Target Audience: ages 9 and older and their families.

Running Time: 24 minutes.

Doors Open: 6:00 p.m. Show Begins: 6:30 p.m.

2) Screening of the digital program Exploding Universe

Exploding Universe. Credit: Clark Planetarium, http://clarkplanetarium.org.

Explosive events explain the structure and composition of the universe we live in today. When giant stars detonate as “supernovae” they seed the galaxies with heavy elements that make planets and life possible. Some collisions we are only just now starting to understand. For example, when Black Holes collide, they can throw off some of the most energetic particles known, ripping and warping space as they go. But other outbursts have profound effects as well, such as the beauty and power of supervolcanoes, which have contributed to the transformation of our world into the life-bearing oasis we now enjoy. (Courtesy: Clark Planetarium. )

Target Audience: General Public, ages 10+.

Running time: 30 minutes (Interactive Star Talk inside the dome to follow).

Doors Open: 7:00 p.m. Show Begins: 7:30 p.m.

After the final show in the dome for the evening, join us for stargazing outside on the deck and grassy areas around the planetarium. We are hoping to have several telescopes set up around the building, so visitors can wander around and check out different celestial wonders and see how different telescopes work. Please feel free to bring your own, and/or check out the view through the ones that are set up by others. The event will be held weather permitting, so we are hoping for a clear night. The waning crescent moon will rise around 10:51pm, so will not be in the visible sky during this event. The David M. Brown Planetarium is located at 1426 N. Quincy Street in Arlington, VA.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

1) Screening of the digital program Stars: The Powerhouses of the Universe.

Stars: The Powerhouses of the Universe. Credit: SpitzInc.com.

“Every star has a story. Some are as old as time, faint and almost forgotten. Journey to the furthest reaches of our galaxy and experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of stars. Suitable for audiences of all ages, this dramatic program features the voice talent of Mark Hamill and stunning 3D animation.” – SpitzInc.com

Target Audience: all ages.

Running Time: 24 minutes.

Doors Open: 1:00 p.m. Show Begins: 1:30 p.m.

2) Screening of the digital program Magic Tree House® Space Mission.

Travel with the brother-sister duo, Jack and Annie, in their Magic Tree House® as they proceed to answer the questions left for them in a mysterious note signed “–M.” The show begins with narration by Mary Pope Osborne, author of the best-selling Magic Tree House® children’s book series. Viewers will find themselves perched high in the trees as Jack and Annie discover the note that asks them to answer a series of six questions about space. Magic Tree House® Space Mission is best suited for ages 5 to 12 and their families. Older children familiar with the book series may also enjoy the show.

Target Audience: ages 5 to 12 and their families.

Running Time: 35 minutes.

Doors Open: 2:30 p.m. Show Begins: 3 p.m.

The David M. Brown Planetarium is located at 1426 N. Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22207.

Admission for all programs is $3 for Children (up to age 12), $5 for Friends, Members, and Seniors (60+), and $7 for teens and adults.

Seats can be reserved on this website right now or in the very near future. Just click on the event you would like to attend in the boxed schedules at the top or bottom of this page and use our online form to buy tickets and reserve your spot. Some of the seating will be held for walk-in visitors. Unclaimed reserved seats will be released when the show begins. Tickets purchased in advance are refundable for any reason until the show for which they were purchased begins. Online ticketing will end 30 minutes prior to each show, and any unreserved seats will be made available on a first come, first served basis.

Click on a show to buy tickets