After more than a year in the making, Clark Planetarium Productions is unveiling its most groundbreaking show since “The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket”! The show is revolutionary on a number of fronts – a modernized look at the solar system with notable appeal to families, schools and the general public…  Detail, color and sharpness like nothing we could ever do before thanks to our new projector system.  A frame rate *double* the pace of a standard movie (meaning:  smooth and sharply defined motion of scenes across the screen!).  Resolution many times beyond HD.  The incredible character performances of the actors also go a long way to enhance the story.

So what is the story?  Imagine the ultimate space vacation!  What if you could travel the galaxy to find that ideal place?  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, our best known Dwarf Planet.  Dive over the ice cliffs of Uranus’ moon Miranda.  Sail through the rings of Saturn.  Feel the lightning storms at Jupiter.  And zip by the moons of Mars.  Which destination would you choose?  Take your family on an exploration of some of the best sights of our solar system.  You’ll feel as though you’re there – no 3D glasses required!

Built in our dome for space travelers of all ages. Watch a preview of “Perfect Little Planet.” PLP will play in our Hansen Dome Theatre beginning February 17, 2012. Buy tickets. Running Time: 35 minutes.

The stars of Orion make for one of the most recognizable constellations in the winter sky

Many of us can instinctively pick out Orion because of its three prominent “belt stars” arranged in a convenient line, surrounded by four more bright stars representing the character’s shoulders and knees. But its notoriety comes from other factors as well. It may have been known as a “mighty hunter” to both the Greeks but many other cultures had celebrated descriptions for this group as well. One of my favorite representations of Orion comes from the Tewa People, who referred to Orion as their Chief Long Sash. Long Sash was remembered for leading his people westward to a new land away from their enemies who were constantly raiding their villages. It’s a wonderful story about perseverance, equality and humility – highly valued traits of the Tewa Pueblo People.

The bright reddish star in Orion’s shoulder is sometimes called “Beetlejuice” (like the movie), because it’s true name is “Betelgeuse” (an ancient Arabic word that roughly translates into “Armpit of the Mighty One”!). And, Orion’s sword contains one of the most famous nebulas in the sky – The Orion Nebula, a massive cloud of dust and gas giving birth to hundreds of new stars.

We’ll present some special features of this constellation on our dome that you can’t experience on any computer screen or movie, but we’ll also show how the pattern of Orion itself can make for one of the best guideposts to the Winter sky. Selected stars in this constellation can act like “pointers” to other major stars and deep sky wonders, many visible to the naked eye or binoculars.

Get ready for a multitude of astronomical treats. From Orion to the “Dog Star,” Taurus to the “The Seven Sisters,” this is the season for celestial riches!

Tickets for this presentation are $1 at the ticket window or $2 online. Members are free.

Taurus the Bull winter constellation

The cold weather might seem like a deterrent to winter stargazing but it can actually be quite enjoyable and rewarding with just a little preparation. Before going outside, check out the locations of the objects you want to observe. That will help you find them quickly and easily. Star dome charts and star maps are readily available online, or you can get night sky software that allows you to customize the view for your location and time.

Also, remember the first rule of observing: Make yourself comfortable! Plenty of warm clothing (especially thin, warm gloves for handling cold metal binoculars or telescope eyepieces). Occasional breaks for hot cocoa (Earl Grey works for me!). A red-filtered flashlight for reading charts outside. And position your viewing spot so that bright lights are blocked by trees, buildings, etc.

Ok so now that you’re all comfy, what are your celestial rewards? The three stars of Orion’s Belt are making their appearance in the eastern sky, making for one of the best “pointers” in the winter sky. Draw them upward and to the right and you’ll find Aldebaran, the fiery orange eye of Taurus the Bull. But keep that imaginary line going still higher and you’ll find the most famous winter star cluster of all – the Pleiades (commonly known as “The Seven Sisters”). There are many legends connected to the Pleiades, but one of my favorites come from the Chippewa People called “The Seven Dancing Brothers.” We will retell this story in the show.

What are the Pleiades in actual outer space? What about Venus and Jupiter? What else is in the January sky? Come join us for “Gateway to the Stars” Saturday, Jan. 7 at 6:45 p.m. and see for yourself!

Tickets for this presentation are $1 at the ticket window or $2 online. Members are free.

Education outreach at a Utah school

The chant among Clark Planetarium staff in 2011 was “Two Point Oh.”  We’re dreaming big dreams and making big plans for transforming ourselves and our facility into a “next generation” planetarium.

The chant among Clark Planetarium staff in 2011 was “Two Point Oh.”  We were dreaming big dreams and making big plans for transforming ourselves and our facility into a “next generation” planetarium.

Getting ready to paint in the Hansen Dome Theatre

We’re currently in the planning stages to similarly overhaul our free public exhibits. Our goal is to have completed a full-on “Clark Planetarium version 2.0” upgrade in time for our tenth anniversary in 2013. (Our 10th anniversary? Just a year away? I can’t believe how fast time moves around this place. I think Special Relativity is involved.)

Coming in 2012 we’ll be presenting several new documentaries on our ATK IMAX screen, beginning with Space Junk 3D in early February and Into the Arctic 3D in mid-April.

Our original production of Perfect Little Planet makes its world premiere in the Hansen Dome Theatre mid-February. Perfect Little Planet takes planetarium dome theatre programs to a whole new level of innovation, adventure and amazing visuals.

Education outreach at a Utah school

Our education programs to Utah schools also expands into “Clark Planetarium 2.0” territory in 2012.  We provided unique and valuable astronomy and space science educational experiences to over 70,000 Utah students and teachers in 2011 and we will provide even greater levels of these services in the coming year.

We sincerely appreciate your support and the time you spend with us.  It’s because of you that we are able to be one of the world’s great planetarium facilities.

Happy Holidays from Clark Planetarium. The ATK IMAX Theatre will host an extended documentary schedule from December 2 – 15.

The Light Before Christmas is the story of two children rescued on Christmas Eve by their friend the Candleman—a happy fellow who reads to them the classic tale, “The Night Before Christmas.” Magically, the children become characters in the poem and experience the ultimate holiday adventure. This stop-motion animated film will spark the imaginations of young and old.

There will also be an additional evening showing of Flying Monsters 3D during this time. For show times please visit our website clarkplanetarium.org for more information.

If you are a member of the Clark Planetarium, you can enjoy a complimentary admission to any documentary film in the ATK IMAX and Hansen Dome Theatres. Not a member? Find out how you can support our science programs and enjoy great discounts.

The first official day of Winter is coming up on December 21 (when the sun occupies the Winter Solstice point and traverses its lowest arc across the sky). That means the winter stars are starting to appear in the east after sunset, containing some of the most recognizable and popular constellations of the entire sky.

"The Seven Sisters"

The Great Square of Pegasus, a wonderful guidepost to the Autumn stars, is still prominent in the sky. It can point us to other bright stars and constellations. But now one of the most famous star clusters of the entire sky is rising out of the east: The Pleiades! Popularly known as “The Seven Sisters” from Greek mythology, it’s clearly visible to the naked eye even if you have some suburban sky glow. The Pleiades is best viewed through binoculars, revealing many stars that look more like “80 sisters”! We’ll take a closeup look at this star cluster to see what makes it so special  and why everyone knows the name of this cluster in Japanese.

December is also the month that the famous constellation of Orion the Hunter becomes visibe in the eastern sky. As one of the most recognizable constellations, it becomes the key “pointer” for locating other famous Winter stars like Sirius (in the Big Dog), Procyon (in the Little Dog) and Aldebaran (in Taurus the Bull).

The Geminid Meteor Shower comes to a peak on the nights of December 13 and 14. Unfortunately, the Moon will be in a bright phase (a waning gibbous that looks like a bulging ‘half moon’ rising an hour or two after sunset).  This will wash out all but the brightest meteors but don’t worry – The Geminids are well known for fast moving fireballs! Best times to observe the Geminids will be late evening and into the early morning hours.

Tickets are just $1. Members are free.

“Starry Tales” is very different from the average star show in that it takes a more poetic and philosophical approach. The elaborately detailed 3-dimensional art, deep colors and emotive music track makes for a beautiful cultural experience and lends itself nicely to the holiday season.

The show journeys through thousands of years to reveal Greek legends and their connection to the modern day. It underscores the cultural bond we all share with the stars and demonstrates how that relationship continues.

This program is in our schedule for a limited run (November 18 – January 5) so don’t miss it! We would sincerely welcome your feedback. Check our “Shows and Exhibits” page for show times.

Flying Monsters 3D is a groundbreaking film that uses cutting-edge technology and CGI to bring the story of giant flying monsters and their prehistoric world to life. Two-hundred-and-twenty-million years ago dinosaurs were beginning their domination of Earth. But another group of reptiles was about to make an extraordinary leap: Pterosaurs were taking control of the skies. The story of how and why these mysterious creatures took to the air is more fantastical than any fiction.

Audiences of all ages will be in awe as they enter the world and experience as never before, REAL Flying Monsters – in 3D.

In Starry Tales, experience the Greek constellations and mythology in a captivating new show.Through the elaborately detailed 3-dimensional art of Kagaya Studios, we journey through the starry skies over thousands of years to reveal Greek legends, and their connection to the modern day.  The spectacular colors, poetic stories and moving soundtrack offer a beautiful astronomical experience for the holiday season!

Four of the brightest stars of the flying horse make up the well known asterism called “The Great Square of Pegasus” and makes for an excellent guidepost to other stars and deep sky objects for binoculars and telescopes. One such example is “M15″ (Messier’s catalog number for the Pegasus Cluster, a beautiful example of a globular star cluster).

The Andromeda Galaxy

One of the corner stars of the “Great Square” is shared with Andromeda. Alpheratz also represents the Maiden’s head. From there, we’ll use the pattern of Andromeda’s stars to find the most distant object visible to the naked eye, the Great Andromeda Galaxy (M31). It’s our sister spiral galaxy in space, and even though it lies over 2.5 million light years away, it shows up easily in binoculars as a fuzzy oval of light with a brighter blob in its core. What you’re seeing is actually the collective light of at least 400 billion suns woven together into a spiral shaped island univese in our Local Group of Galaxies.

Also of interest in November, is that the planet Jupiter is back! The largest planet of our solar system is currently at opposition, putting it at its closest approach to Earth. It’s easy to find in the sky - a couple of hours after the sun sets in the west, watch for Jupiter to rise in the east (hence the name “opposition” because it appears opposite of the sun in the sky). That also means this the best time for telescope viewers because it will be even easier to see the two dark cloud bands running near Jupiter’s equator. If you give the planet more time to climb higher into the sky, the visibility of those cloud belts (and others) will become even easier to see because the planet is rising above the murky pollution and thicker air that deteriorates seeing conditions down there.

Join us at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, November 5, 2011 under our new Digistar 4 sky for a fabulous new way to observe the skies! Tickets are just $1. Members are free.