Our Space Telescope Fleet

A Weekend of Planetarium Programming
Saturday, March 18 at 7:00 PM From Dream to Discovery: Inside NASA
Saturday, March 18 at 7:00 PM Unveiling the Invisible Universe
Sunday, March 19 at 1:30 PM Secret of the Cardboard Rocket
Sunday, March 19 at 3:00 PM Two Small Pieces of Glass
Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium
$5 adults, $3.50 children & seniors

This month, the Friends are celebrating telescopes, especially our space telescope fleet, with a series of full-dome planetarium shows demonstrating the versatility of these instruments in making windows on the universe. Join us to learn more about how these tools work and what they are revealing to astronomers. Each show will be followed by a brief update about the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and a live star talk

From Dream to Discovery: Inside NASA will show us the engineering behind the James Webb Space Telescope and New Horizons mission to Pluto. Each spacecraft must pass rigorous testing before it can undergo the stresses of launching from Earth and operate in the challenging interplanetary environment. In creating these amazing instruments, NASA is making human dreams real.

Unveiling the Invisible Universe explains how astronomers are learning about the universe using X-ray and gamma ray radiation, neutrinos, cosmic rays, and gravitational waves. These new techniques are revealing a hot, violent universe in which black holes collide.

Secret of the Cardboard Rocket takes the audience on a tour of the Solar System guided by two children and a talking astronomy book. This popular animation reveals what interplanetary spacecraft have taught us about the other planets orbiting our Sun.

Two Small Pieces of Glass follows two students as they learn about the history of telescopes from Galileo’s instrument to the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronomy continues to expand our understanding of the universe as new telescopes let us see the cosmos in fresh ways.

The early show on Sunday is intended for elementary school children. The other three shows are appropriate for general audiences, ages 10 and older.

Tickets may be purchased in advance online for $5.00 or $3.50 for children and seniors. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. Each event requires a separate ticket.

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