Sit back and experience the wonders of the night sky with expert astronomers and educators. Be prepared to open your eyes to a whole new world—or worlds!
The Seymour Planetarium is home to historically significant astronomy education tools as well as modern digital presentations. The Korkosz projector is a remarkable example of Springfield ingenuity. Still used in our planetarium presentation, this Springfield-made “star ball” is the oldest operating American-made projector in the world. A new full-dome video system using Zeiss Velvet projectors covers the dome with images and video, creating immersive experiences in Astronomy and Earth Science. These projectors are the only projectors in the world that have a pure black background, enhancing the beauty of our historic Korkosz projector’s optical star field.
From the Earth to the Universe
The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has inspired awe and been the subject of campfire stories, and ancient myths for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity’s oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes, we invite you to experience From Earth to the Universe.
The Sun Our Living Star
The Sun has shone on our world for four and a half billion years. The light that warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather, and all life.
The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky — day by day, month by month — was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilizations. Don’t be fooled by the terminology; although it is a typical dwarf star, the Sun consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined. Discover the secrets of our star in this planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive full-dome format.
Seeing! A photon’s journey across space, time and mind
Follow the journey of a single photon as it is produced in a distant star, before travelling across the vast expanse of space to land on someone’s retina. This fulldome planetarium show explores some of the fascinating processes of the cosmos, from astrophysics to the biology of the eye and brain. Funded through a generous grant from ZEISS, the show is narrated by astronomer and science communicator, Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Wayfinders: Waves, Wind and Stars
Sail on the deck of the voyaging canoe Hōkūle’a and explore traditional Polynesian navigation. Learn how to read the stars and interpret the winds and waves to navigate without modern instruments. This live-action film tells the story of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the recovery of the nearly lost art and science of traditional, non-instrument navigation in Hawai’i and the Pacific.
Oceans in Space
A journey of exploration that seeks out places where conditions are favorable for life to exist. This original and thought-provoking presentation highlights the search for extrasolar planets and an understanding of the conditions necessary to form and sustain life. Inspired in part by the goals of NASA’s Origins Program — an effort to answer the enduring questions that spur space exploration — this program introduces audiences to the diversity of life on our home planet even as humans embark on the search for life in the universe.
One World, One Sky
Follow Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from Zhima Jie, the Chinese co-production of Sesame Street. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth.
The Sky through the Seasons
The science and multicultural mythology of the stars, constellations, and planets that are visible in the sky tonight and how it will change with the seasons.
Our Cosmic Neighborhood
Through dramatic planetarium images and effects, participants explore their cosmic neighborhood, the solar system. Concepts include the nature of the sun, moon and planets, the Earth’s rotation and revolution, and a look at the other members of our solar system, including moons and comets.