Public Programs
Public programs are offered on Friday evenings at 7:30 (or 8:30 from May through August) PM and Saturday afternoons at 1:00 PM. Admission to all public programs is $7 for adults and $5 for children, seniors, and UT community members (children under 4 are free). Doors open 30 minutes before the show, during which time you can explore the displays in out lobby or try to answer our fun astronomy-themed quiz projected inside the dome.
What you can expect:
- A live guided tour of the Toledo night sky
You will learn about the constellations visible from Toledo and any planets visible to the naked eye. We also typically discuss one "hot topic" in astronomy, such as the discovery of new planets around other stars, or the latest NASA discover on Mars. - The full-dome presentation
Whether we are traveling inside a black hole, taking a tour of the moon with Elmo, or learning about the skies over Toledo, you and your family will simply be amazed at the fulldome immersive show. - An open-ended question and answer session
Our expert host will answer all of your astronomy questions, whether they pertain to the live tour of the night sky, the feature presentation, or any other astronomy question that you might have.
- Observing at Brooks/Ritter Observatory
You will be escorted over to Brooks Observatory atop McMaster Hall to view the stars and/or planets through our 6 inch refractor telescope. On the first Friday of every month, we instead observe with the Ritter 1m (40 in) telescope. This telescope is the largest active telescope east of the Mississippi and is still used by the astronomers at UT for their research. On Saturday afternoons, we instead observe the Sun with our small mobile solar telescope. All observing is weather permitting!
The planetarium portion of the program is roughly an hour long, while the observing
session will continue until everyone has had a chance to take a look through the telescope.
Summer/Fall 2013 Schedule
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Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet Travel through space and time in a fulldome production that makes you look at Earth in a whole new way. A sweeping geological journey, Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet explores the forces that transform the surface of our planet. Fly along the San Andreas Fault before diving into the planet’s interior. Journey back in time to witness the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and the break-up of Pangaea 200 million years ago. Visit the sites of historical earthquakes from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Learn how scientist and engineers collaborate to help society prepare for a safer environment and a safer future. View the Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet trailer |
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One World, One Sky, Big Bird's Adventure One World, One Sky, Big Bird’s Adventure is a fulldome show that follows Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo as they explore
the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from China. Together they take an imaginary
trip from Sesame Street to the Moon, where they discover how different it is from
Earth. This program is a brilliant spectacle of light and color as the furry friends
watch the stars twinkle over Sesame Street. One World, One Sky, Big Bird’s Adventure aims to nurture a child's natural sense of wonder about the night sky while connecting
kids across nations through a common bond in learning about the sky. View the One World, One Sky, Big Bird's Adventure trailer |
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Fall Skies Over Toledo This live, interactive program uses our SciDome XD projector to examine the night sky visible from your backyard right here in Toledo. Learn about the stars, constellations, and planets visible with the naked eye. Also get the latest update on Comet ISON that has been called the potential comet of the century!
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Journal Through the Solar System Using our state of the art SciDome XD projector we will travel throughout our Solar System stopping at each of the planets and some asteroids, comets, and satellites. This live interactive program features stunning visuals and the latest information about our neighborhood in space.
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The Alien Who Stole Christmas Take a brisk walk on clear winter evening to see the stars and constellations overhead without leaving your comfortable seat in the planetarium. Then tag along with Santa as he meets Mr. Freep, an alien from another world. Together they head off on a cosmic adventure taking them to the furthest regions of our Solar System. Will Santa make it back in time to deliver his toys to the children of Earth? Join for us this holiday season for this very amusing, entertaining, and educational program for children aged five to ten and Santa fans of all ages.
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Spring 2013 Schedule
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Winter Skies over Toledo This live and interactive program takes a look at the Winter Skies over Toledo. We will explore the winter constellations and their mythologies, the planets, the stars, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies visible from our own backyards. See the winter sky with our new SciDome XD projector like never before!
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Zula Patrol: Under the Weather Explore the solar system with the Zula Patrol! Learn all about weather, both here on Earth and on other planets as well. Your students will experience a dust storm on Mars, a hurricane on Jupiter, and the incredible heat on Venus. View the Zula Patrol: Under the Weather trailer |
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Two Small Pieces of Glass Two Small Pieces of Glass traces the history of the telescope from Galileo's modifications to a child's spyglass—using two small pieces of glass—to the launch of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the future of astronomy. It explores the wonder and discovery made by astronomers throughout the last 400 years. The students explore the Galilean Moons, Saturn's rings, and spiral structure of galaxies as well as learning about the future of astronomy. View the Two Small Pieces of Glass trailer |
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Follow the Drinking Gourd This classic children’s program, offered in honor of Black History Month, examines how slaves in the South were able to use Big Dipper to guide them north and to Freedom. Learn about the Underground Railroad and the secret message encoded in a song.
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Dynamic Earth |
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The Case of the Disappearing Planet A radio announcement… an excited phone call… and our sly gumshoe, Skye Watcher, is
on the case. Explore with Skye and discover what happened to the ex-planet Pluto as
she tracks down clues that stretch back hundreds of years! Audiences will have great
fun with this unique program that looks into the changing status of planets in our
Solar System. |
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Spring Skies over Toledo This live and interactive program takes a look at the Spring skies over Toledo. We will explore the spring constellations and their mythologies, the planets, the stars, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies visible from our own backyards. See the spring sky with our new SciDome XD projector like never before! |
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Crash Landing Louie
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IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System |
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Oasis in Space During this visual stunning program your students will travel through the solar system in search of liquid water, life, and another oasis in space like our Earth. The program looks at the formation of the solar system, and the physical characteristics of the planets, and some of their larger moons. View the Oasis in Space trailer
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One World, One Sky, Big Bird's Adventure One World, One Sky, Big Bird’s Adventure is a fulldome show that follows Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo as they explore
the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from China. Together they take an imaginary
trip from Sesame Street to the Moon, where they discover how different it is from
Earth. This program is a brilliant spectacle of light and color as the furry friends
watch the stars twinkle over Sesame Street. One World, One Sky, Big Bird’s Adventure aims to nurture a child's natural sense of wonder about the night sky while connecting
kids across nations through a common bond in learning about the sky. View the One World, One Sky, Big Bird's Adventure trailer |