Public Shows
The 2018-2019 season at O. Wayne Rollins Planetarium features more than 30 Friday-evening public shows. Guests are encouraged to arrive early for best seats. No late seating is permitted. Public planetarium shows, with the exception of Cosmic Concerts, include a live-narrated “seasonal stargazing” segment in addition to the featured full-dome program.
ADMISSION
- Adults: $5 per show
- Children & Non-YHC Students: $3 per show
- YHC Students/Faculty/Staff: Free
- Purchase tickets in advance online!
Any remaining tickets will be available at the door 30 minutes prior to each show.
For answers to frequently asked questions about our public planetarium shows, click here.
Faster Than Light: The Dream of Interstellar Flight
The impulse to strike out into the unknown—to see what’s over the horizon—is as old as humanity. Today, a whole new horizon beckons. Scientists now believe that our galaxy is filled with solar systems, including billions of Sun-like stars with planets similar to Earth. Astronomers are racing to find habitable worlds, but once we find them, how will we ever get there? How long will it take? What rocket designs might one day conquer the voids of space? Narrated by actor Sean Bean, this program dazzles audiences with virtual rides aboard spacecraft of the future, which use breakthrough concepts in physics designed to achieve ultra-high speeds. How far can our technology take us?
Aug. 17 at 8 p.m.
The Ooky Spooky Light Show
This show is a delight for the entire family. Classic and favorite Halloween tunes such as “Monster Mash,” “Ghostbusters,” “Thriller,” and “Night on Bald Mountain,” as well as several pop songs with lyrics on the “creepy” side will come to life in this amazing full-dome graphics and light show. The visuals are fun, spooky, and will leave audiences smiling in delight.
Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.
Perfect Little Planet
Appropriate for children and families
Imagine the ultimate space vacation! Discover our solar system through a new set of eyes—a family from another star system seeking the perfect vacation spot. Fly over the surface of Pluto, sail through the rings of Saturn, feel the lightning storms of Jupiter and walk on the surface of Mars. Which destination would you choose? This is a solar system journey for space travelers of all ages!
Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.
Skies Over Georgia
Traditional live star show for general audiences
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 constellations and hear some of their fascinating stories. Appropriate for general audiences.
Nov. 9 at 8 p.m.
Let It Snow
A Holiday Music Journey
This family-friendly show with modern visualizations features a variety of holiday classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee, and includes a stunning multimedia finale by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The merry soundtrack is visually enhanced with artistic animation and full-dome holiday scenery, making it a fun and entertaining experience for audiences of all ages.
Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.
Season of Light
Special Holiday Presentation
This perennial holiday favorite is a show about the coldest and darkest of seasons—a time which holds some of the warmest and brightest celebrations of the year. Narrated by NPR’s Noah Adams, the show explores the traditions surrounding the world’s most endearing holiday customs, all of which involve lighting up the winter season—from the burning Yule log to the lighting of luminarias, to sparkling Christmas tree lights and candles in windows. The program also explores possible astronomical explanations for the star that led the Wise Men to Bethlehem. Come and celebrate the season through the wonder of the planetarium’s star-filled sky.
Nov. 30 at 8 p.m.
Phantom of the Universe
The Hunt for Dark Matter
From the journey of protons racing through the world’s largest particle collider to close-up views of the Big Bang, this new full-dome show is designed to immerse audiences in the search for dark matter. The first hints of its existence are revealed through the eyes of the scientist who coined the term “dark matter.” Then we plummet deep underground to see the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth, housed in a former gold mine. From there, we journey across space and time, speeding alongside particles as they collide in spectacular explosions of light, learning how scientists around the world are collaborating to track down the true nature of dark matter. Narrated by Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton.
Jan. 18 at 8 p.m.
Earth, Moon & Sun
Appropriate for children and families
Explore the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun with the help of Coyote, an amusing character adapted from Native American traditions. Learn why the Sun rises and sets and the basics of solar energy. Examine the Moon’s orbit, craters, phases and eclipses.
March 22 at 7 p.m.
Skies Over Georgia
Traditional live star show for general audiences
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 constellations and hear some of their fascinating stories. Appropriate for general audiences.
March 22 at 8 p.m.
Rock the Dome II
With a mix of classic rock selections from the late 60’s through the 90’s, Rock the Dome II features vignettes of the sights and sounds that symbolize the evolution of rock history. Full-dome high-resolution computer animation is used to paint the planetarium dome, sending the audience whirling on animated flights through space and realistic landscapes, surrounded by spinning abstract art, and transported through imaginative tunnels—all set to classic rock music from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, U2 and more!
April 26 at 7 p.m.
Planet Nine
In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft gave us our first close look at Pluto, the most famous dwarf planet in the outskirts of our Solar System. The pictures sent back to Earth reveal a world far more complex than anyone realized. Now scientists are making new discoveries about our Solar System—and what it may be hiding: an object 10 times more massive than Earth far beyond the orbit of Neptune. Follow astronomer Mike Brown and his team as they uncover dwarf worlds like the remarkably bright Eris, egg-shaped Haumea and Sedna, whose orbit takes it deep into the far reaches of the Solar System. Is there a new planet beyond these distant objects? We’ll tag along on Brown’s first night searching for a true ninth planet at the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii. Join us on the hunt!
May 17 at 8 p.m.
Apollo 11: One Giant Leap
This special program commemorates the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, the first mission to land humans on the surface of the Moon. Take a look back at how the astronauts of Apollo 11 arrived in lunar orbit on July 19, 1969 and completed a successful lunar landing the following day. The mission fulfilled a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy in 1961: send astronauts to land on the Moon and return them safely to the Earth.
July 19 at 7 p.m.