Planetarium Programs

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In Hastings Museum’s planetarium you’ll experience a sunset – and sunrise – with a terrific show in between!

We have several school shows that are perfect for students of all ages – both star-focused shows and full dome shows. See available shows and other activities below.

We generally schedule planetarium shows on the hour but you can easily arrange a time that works best for your school group by contacting Visitor Services.

Note that the planetarium’s seating capacity is 48 people, so if you have a larger group two shows will be necessary.

For details and reservations, contact Visitor Services at at 402-461-4629, 800-508-4629 or visitorservices@hastingsmuseum.org.

Star Shows

The Sky Tonight — Grades K-12 (30-45 minutes)
Our version of the traditional planetarium show: a live, interactive tour of the current sky. Your show presenter points out the bright stars, constellations, planets, and any unusual sights that await the stargazer. Questions from the audience are encouraged after the show. This show is adapted for different grades and levels of interest

First Stars — Grade Pre-K (about 15 minutes)
A shortened version of The Sky Tonight for very young skywatchers introduces the planetarium and its starry sky. This show begins with a sunset and ends with sunrise.

Full Dome Shows

Fulldome shows are pre-recorded and include a video image covering nearly the entire dome. A short version of The Sky Tonight show may be added at the close of the fulldome show if desired.

The Little Star That Could — Grades K-3 (40 minutes)
This show tells the story of a star searching for his planets. Along the way, the Little Star discovers how stars are born, how stars die, and why stars are different colors. Near the end of his search, the Little Star finds out about planets. An old favorite that looks as good as ever in fulldome!

New Earth, Moon & Sun — Grades 2-5 (30 minutes)
This fulldome program explores the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun with the help of Coyote, a fun character adapted from Native American oral traditions. Why does the Sun rise and set? What’s fusion and solar energy? Examine the Moon’s orbit, craters, phases and eclipses. Also take a look at space travel to the Moon—and beyond.

Season of Light — Grades 4-12 (40 minutes)
Formerly ‘Tis the Season, this popular holiday show has been renamed for fulldome. Here we discuss the origins of holiday traditions, concluding with a possible explanation for the famous Star of Bethlehem.

Two Small Pieces of Glass — Grades 3-12 (40 minutes)
Join a modern star party and discover the wonders that even a small amateur telescope can reveal. See how Galileo Galilei built a “spyglass” and first aimed it to the heavens over 400 years ago.

Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico — Grades 4-12 (30 minutes)
Visit the ancient cultures of the Mayans and Aztecs plus explore the ruins of Tenochtitlan and Chichen Itza.

Black Holes — Grades 5-12 (30 minutes)
Some of the most bizarre, enigmatic objects known, black holes defy the imagination. In this show, we explore how black holes form, their strange properties, and what exactly would happen if one got too close! Very highly recommended.

STARS — Grades 5-12 (26 minutes)
Some last a billion years while others burn only for a short time. New stars are born every day. Experience the awesome beauty and destructive power of stars.

Nine Planets and Counting — Grades 4-12 (40 minutes)
How many planets are there in our Solar System? Is it eight or nine? Maybe it’s ten, twelve or more. What exactly is a planet? Delve into these questions with a journey through the Solar System; visiting each planet as well as other objects in our solar neighborhood that at one time were thought to be planets.

Infinity Express — Grades 5-12 (30 minutes)
A remarkable blend of science, art, and entertainment, this show dramatically communicates the latest breakthroughs in our quest to understand the universe. Some of the best Hubble Space Telescope images are also shown in a fascinating gallery view.

Other Activities

Solar Observing – Grades 4-12 (approx. 20 minutes)
Participants safely view our nearest star, the Sun, in three different ways: with the unaided eye, through a telescope equipped with a white-light solar filter (revealing sunspots, if any, on the disk), then finally through a hydrogen-alpha filter, allowing us to see the spectacular prominences along the Sun’s limb. (The outside temperature must be at least 30° F for the h-alpha filter to operate properly). This activity is recommended for groups of 20 people or less.

Starry Night Sky Theater

These FREE educational videos are shown in the planetarium dome. They dramatically and realistically illustrate astronomical phenomena guided by top planetary scientists. See a whole show or just a chapter. You can also add it to a fulldome show or The Sky Tonight.

Earth Zone — Grades 3-12 (31 minutes)
Earth’s Moon takes a detailed look at the Moon’s tug, craters and more (13 minutes). Finding Spacecraft includes satellites and space stations (9 minutes). Meteorites – Hard Evidence discusses the difference between meteoroids, meteorites and more (9 minutes).

Planet Zone — Grades 6-12 (41 minutes)
Inner Planets covers Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars (14 minutes). Outer Planets covers Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and unlucky comets (17 minutes). Oddballs covers Pluto, Binary Kuipers, Sedna and more (10 minutes).

Sky Tellers: The Myths, The Magic and The Mysteries of the Universe

Grades K-12

Sky Tellers is a collection of ten Native American and science story couplets. Classes can view one Native American story and science module per visit. Running times range from 12 to 15 minutes for each segment. The first part of the presentation is the story accompanied only by the planetarium star field, slowly moving over time. This allows children to use their own imaginations to their fullest capacity as the stories were originally intended. The second segment contains visuals with the scientific explanations. Both the Native American story and the scientific explanation are a way of understanding our universe.

Segments Include: