Public Shows

The 2012-2013 season at O. Wayne Rollins Planetarium features more than 30 Friday-evening public shows. Presentations generally begin at 8 p.m., mid-August to April, and 8:30 p.m., May to early August. Arrive early for best seats. No late seating permitted. If skies are clear, the Young Harris College Observatory is open immediately following planetarium shows. The observatory is located about 1.5 miles from campus at Twiggs Overlook on the exit road leading from Brasstown Valley Resort. Maps are available at the planetarium. The observatory features a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, and observing sessions last up to one hour and include a guided tour of the constellations.

Admission

• Adults: $3
• Children & Non-YHC Students: $2
• YHC Students/Faculty/Staff: Free

Tickets available 30 minutes prior to show.

SPRING 2013 SEASON

We Choose Space!

Presented January 11 & 18 and February 8 & 15 at 8 p.m.
This all-new presentation is the first planetarium show told completely by astronauts (Scott Parazynski, Tom Jones and Gene Cernan) and a famous space reporter (Walter Cronkite). It is the first show to use actual fisheye photography from inside the International Space Station, and to tour the completed Station, which is larger than a five-bedroom house! Plus, it is the first show to animate the construction of a sustainable lunar colony and to feature potential commercial spacecraft of the present and future. Fifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy chose the moon as our destination on the new frontier of space. In the same spirit, this show once again chooses space, not because it is easy, but because it is hard—and because meeting its challenges is our destiny.

Skies Over Georgia

Starry Night: Traditional live star show for general audiences

Presented February 22 at 8 p.m.
Featuring a live presenter and using the planetarium’s digital and optical Star Projectors to their fullest, this traditional star show allows audiences to explore the heavens as they appear above the mountains of north Georgia. Learn how to identify the planets and stars currently visible in the night sky. Take a guided tour of the season’s constellations and hear some of their fascinating stories.
 

The Little Star That Could

Kids Night: Special program for children and families

Presented March 15 at 7 p.m.
This show tells the delightful story of an average yellow star in search of planets of his own. Along the way, he meets other stars and learns what makes each star special. Eventually, Little Star finds his planets, and each planet is introduced with basic information about our solar system.
 

Cosmic Concert: Led Zeppelin

Presented March 22 and April 12, 19 & 26 at  7 & 8 p.m.
Led Zeppelin’s cosmic laser concert remains one of the most popular music shows ever performed in planetariums. Now see it as a fulldome video extravaganza! This one-of-a-kind concert transports the audience into a series of fantastical and surrealistic settings, taking visitors on a captivating journey led by this legendary rock band. The motions are calculated to heighten the transportive feeling, drawing audiences deeper into the ever-changing landscape of sight and sound. The soundtrack includes Led Zeppelin classics such as “Kashmir,” “Black Dog,” “Over the Hills and Far Away,” “Stairway to Heaven” and “Rock and Roll.”
Cosmic Concerts contain loud music, flashing lights, spinning stars and other effects that some may find disruptive. This show is not recommended for those who may have conditions that could be aggravated by this experience.

Saturn: Jewel of the Heavens

Presented May 10 & 17, June 7 & 14, July 5 & 12 at 8:30 p.m.
One of the most beautiful and magnificent planets in our solar system, Saturn is a symbol of all that is exotic and wonderful about the universe. Once the most distant planet we knew of, this mysterious world seemed beyond our reach. Using sophisticated spacecraft, we have finally been able to reach out to this great ringed giant, sailing past the millions of icy particles that make up its glorious rings, uncovering the bizarre faces of its unique moons, and peering down into its turbulent atmosphere through massive and violent storms. Now audiences can explore this “jewel of the heavens” in an immersive 3D environment. This show is a production of Clark Planetarium, distributed by Sky-Skan, Inc.

Skies Over Georgia

Starry Night: Traditional live star show for general audiences

Presented August 2 at 8:30 p.m.
Featuring a live presenter and using the planetarium’s digital and optical Star Projectors to their fullest, this traditional star show allows audiences to explore the heavens as they appear above the mountains of north Georgia. Learn how to identify the planets and stars currently visible in the night sky. Take a guided tour of the season’s constellations and hear some of their fascinating stories.