To celebrate the film’s opening, there will be two free members-only preview screenings on Wednesday, June 23, at 6 and 8 p.m. Members will receive a 10% discount on telescopes and accessories along with a 20% discount in the Planet Fun Clark Planetarium Store during this event. Reservations are required, so please RSVP to Carl Malaret at cmalaret@slco.org to reserve your seats.

The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest is the story of George Mallory, an explorer obsessed with becoming the first climber to reach the top of Mount Everest, as told through letters to his wife, previously unseen images from his ill-fated 1924 expedition to Everest. The film also includes footage from the 1999 expedition that discovered Mallory’s body near the summit of Everest.

This show will be a Special Engagement film, with a running time of 94 minutes. Members will be required to pay regular admission price for this Special Engagement film and there will be no matinee pricing.

However, the blue discounted theatre passes many members use will be accepted for this film.  These passes are available for purchase by members in blocks of 10 tickets for $50 at the ticket window and can be used by members or non-members for special engagement documentary shows.

On Tuesday, April 13, 2010, Senator Garn will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his historic space flight aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Jake’s presentation will begin in Clark Planetarium ATK IMAX Theatre at 7 p.m. and will be followed immediately afterward by Hubble 3D.

“Jake Garn is a tireless and tremendously effective advocate for space science education. Jake has been an invaluable member of our Board of Directors since we opened seven years ago, and his perspective on the U.S. space program and its role in our society are both thought-provoking and definitely worth paying attention to,” says Seth Jarvis, Clark Planetarium’s director.

A Utah resident, Garn served in the U.S. Navy as a pilot and is a retired Brigadier General in the Utah Air National Guard. He has logged over 12,000 hours of flight time in a wide variety of jet aircraft.  In November of 1984, Senator Garn was invited by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to fly as a payload specialist on flight 51-D of the space shuttle Discovery.  During the seven-day mission he performed a variety of medical tests for NASA.  Discovery Flight 51-D landed at Cape Canaveral on April 19, 1985 after orbiting the earth 109 times.  In December of 1992, Senator Garn was the recipient of the National Aeronautics Association prestigious Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy.

Hubble 3D is the newest IMAX documentary and explores both the significance of the Hubble Space Telescope to astronomer’s understanding of the universe and the extraordinary work performed by shuttle astronauts to maintain and improve the orbiting telescope, regarded by most scientists as the most productive research instrument in the history of science. Narrated by three-time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio, the film is a production of IMAX and Warner Bros. Pictures and was created in cooperation with NASA.

The event will take place from 7 – 9 p.m. and tickets are available at the window for $8 each or $9 on the planetarium’s website.

Clark Planetarium’s mission is to create and present stimulating educational programs that effectively share astronomy and space exploration information with Salt Lake County residents, Utah Students, educators and families, and visitors from around the country and the world.

From now until August 31, 2009 when you buy one day, you get the second one free. And, with 14 participating attractions in the area, having two days to take in as much as you can is a pretty good deal.

So, if you’re still looking for some ideas on how to spend the 4th of July holiday weekend, you can pick up a pass and start your adventure with seeing a show in both the ATK IMAX and Hansen Dome Theatres (may I suggest the recently added Bugs 3D! and Extreme Planets?). Then, head out to visit our other friends participating in the program.

Check out the Salt Lake Convention & Visitor Bureau’s website for a complete pricing breakdown and to order your pass online.