UMD Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium

Its the first weekend line-up of programs this month starting tonight 🤗🌻

Ticketed Shows

FRI - 7PM "Expedition: Moons" Our solar system has over 150 moons! Hop in the MWAP spaceship and we’ll explore some of the most interesting moons our solar system has to offer. There’s a moon full of volcanoes, another with a giant ocean, and so much more! Join us as we set out on Expedition: Moons. Each show will be followed by a live presentation of Tonight’s Sky.

SAT - 2pm "Sunstruck" Discover the wonders of our Sun. Its incredible energy has supported life on earth for millennia, but is now threatening our technology and way of life. Travel to the distant future to discover our Sun's connection to the Universe's cosmic cycle of life and death.

SAT - 7PM "Out There: The Quest For Extrasolar Worlds" For thousands of years, mankind thought the Earth was the center of the Universe. Thanks to our curiosity and urge to explore, we now know planets like ours are nothing special. The Sun is just one ordinary star among hundreds of billions in the Milky Way. With the world’s most powerful telescopes, we explore more of the Universe. What we have found surpasses the wildest expectations of scientists and science fiction authors. Most stars have planets — they are more common than we thought. A huge diversity of worlds is out there, waiting to be discovered. Each show will be followed by a live presentation of Tonight’s Sky.

Shows last about an hour.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.
Please have proof of purchase ready to show at the door. UMD students will also be required to show their Student ID.

🤗 See you this weekend!

Welcome to Wonderstruck Wednesday!

Join us tonight at 7pm for...

Exploring the June Sky 🌌

I wonder...

what we can see in the night sky this month? Explore this month's sky with us as we go through the planets and constellations visible, as well as discuss upcoming astronomical events like meteor showers or eclipses.

No admission fee, FREE show! Seats are first-come and may fill up fast!
Shows last about half an hour.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.

See you tonight!

Free Shows

WED - 7PM "Exploring the June Sky" What we can see in the night sky this month? Explore this month's sky with us as we go through the planets and constellations visible, as well as discuss upcoming astronomical events like meteor showers or eclipses.

No admission fee, FREE show! Seats are first-come and may fill up fast!
Shows last about half an hour.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.

Ticketed Shows

FRI - 7PM "Expedition: Moons" Our solar system has over 150 moons! Hop in the MWAP spaceship and we’ll explore some of the most interesting moons our solar system has to offer. There’s a moon full of volcanoes, another with a giant ocean, and so much more! Join us as we set out on Expedition: Moons. Each show will be followed by a live presentation of Tonight’s Sky.

SAT - 2pm "Sunstruck" Discover the wonders of our Sun. Its incredible energy has supported life on earth for millennia, but is now threatening our technology and way of life. Travel to the distant future to discover our Sun's connection to the Universe's cosmic cycle of life and death.

SAT - 7PM "Out There: The Quest For Extrasolar Worlds" For thousands of years, mankind thought the Earth was the center of the Universe. Thanks to our curiosity and urge to explore, we now know planets like ours are nothing special. The Sun is just one ordinary star among hundreds of billions in the Milky Way. With the world’s most powerful telescopes, we explore more of the Universe. What we have found surpasses the wildest expectations of scientists and science fiction authors. Most stars have planets — they are more common than we thought. A huge diversity of worlds is out there, waiting to be discovered. Each show will be followed by a live presentation of Tonight’s Sky.

Shows last about an hour.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.
Please have proof of purchase ready to show at the door. UMD students will also be required to show their Student ID.

🤗 See you this week!

🤗 We have two exciting programs for you all tonight 🤗

⬇️ Read on for details ⬇️

🚀 Tonight at 2pm "Mars: The Ultimate Voyage" On a 2-year journey across space, how will astronauts stay motivated? How will they stay healthy? What challenges will they face along the way? Mars: The Ultimate Voyage dives into these questions while showing what the first journey to Mars might look like—and how creativity, communication, and collaboration come together to ensure safe deep-space travel. Closed captions available upon request. Each show will be followed by a live presentation of Tonight’s Sky.

🌌 Tonight at 7pm: "Phantom of the Universe" Discover the first hints of the existence of dark matter through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term “dark matter.” Watch the astral choreography witnessed by Vera Rubin in the Andromeda galaxy and then plummet deep underground to see the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth, housed in a former gold mine. journey across space and time to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, speeding alongside particles before they collide in visually stunning explosions of light and sound, while learning how scientists around the world are collaborating to track down the constituents of dark matter. Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton narrates it.

⏰ Shows last about an hour.
🚪 Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
🚫🥞 There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.
🎟️ Please have proof of purchase ready to show at the door. UMD students will also be required to show their Student ID.

✨ 🤗 See you tonight 🤗 ✨

🤗 Welcome to Wonderstruck Wednesday 🤗

Tonight at 7pm we have a free program for your viewing pleasure!

✨ 🌟 Messier Objects & Where to Find Them 🌟 ✨

🤔 I wonder...

what types of things we can see in the night sky? In 1774, Charles Messier made a catalog of objects he found while looking through his telescope. Come explore the wonders of the Messier catalog with us!

💸 No admission fee, FREE show! Seats are first-come and may fill up fast!
⏰ Shows last about half an hour.
🚪 Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
🚫 🥞 There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.

🤗 See you Tonight 🤗

We have a full weekly lineup of shows!

FREE SHOW

Wed at 7pm: "Messier Objects & Where to Find Them" I wonder... what types of things we can see in the night sky? In 1774, Charles Messier made a catalog of objects he found while looking through his telescope. Come explore the wonders of the Messier catalog with us!

No admission fee, FREE show! Seats are first-come and may fill up fast!
Shows last about half an hour.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.

TICKETED PROGRAMS

Fri at 7pm: "Journey Through the Solar System" All aboard the MWAP spaceship, it’s almost time for liftoff! Sit back and enjoy the view as we fly around the canyons on Mars, plunge through Saturn’s rings, find out why Pluto is now classified as a dwarf planet, and more! Join us on our Journey Through the Solar System.

Sat at 2pm: "Mars: The Ultimate Voyage" Mars: The Ultimate Voyage explores the psychological and physical challenges of a two-year mission. Discover how crew collaboration ensures safety, followed by a live "Tonight’s Sky" presentation. Captions available.

Sat at 7pm: "Phantom of the Universe" Narrated by Tilda Swinton, this journey tracks dark matter from Zwicky and Rubin’s early discoveries to deep-earth detectors and CERN’s high-speed collisions, showcasing the global hunt for the universe’s missing mass.

Shows last about an hour.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.
Please have proof of purchase ready to show at the door. UMD students will also be required to show their Student ID.

See you this week!

🤗 Welcome to Wednesday 🤗

Tonight at 7pm we present...

✨ 🌟Minnesota Water Stories 🌟 ✨

What does water mean to you? What do you know about the issues facing water in Minnesota? What can you do to help keep Minnesota waters safe and clean? Minnesota Water Stories transports you around the state to see the beautiful views of rivers and lakes in Minnesota, watch scientists in action, and explore opportunities to help protect our most precious resource.

💸 No admission fee, FREE show! Seats are first-come and may fill up fast!
⏰ Shows last about half an hour.
🚪 Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
🚫 🥞 There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.

See you tonight!

We have a full weekly lineup of shows!

FREE SHOW

Wed at 7pm: "Minnesota Water Stories" What does water mean to you? What do you know about the issues facing water in Minnesota? What can you do to help keep Minnesota waters safe and clean? Minnesota Water Stories transports you around the state to see the beautiful views of rivers and lakes in Minnesota, watch scientists in action, and explore opportunities to help protect our most precious resource.

No admission fee, FREE show! Seats are first-come and may fill up fast!
Shows last about half an hour.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.

TICKETED PROGRAMS

Fri at 7pm: "Journey Through the Solar System" All aboard the MWAP spaceship, it’s almost time for liftoff! Sit back and enjoy the view as we fly around the canyons on Mars, plunge through Saturn’s rings, find out why Pluto is now classified as a dwarf planet, and more! Join us on our Journey Through the Solar System.

Sat at 2pm: "Mars: The Ultimate Voyage" Mars: The Ultimate Voyage explores the psychological and physical challenges of a two-year mission. Discover how crew collaboration ensures safety, followed by a live "Tonight’s Sky" presentation. Captions available.

Sat at 7pm: "Phantom of the Universe" Narrated by Tilda Swinton, this journey tracks dark matter from Zwicky and Rubin’s early discoveries to deep-earth detectors and CERN’s high-speed collisions, showcasing the global hunt for the universe’s missing mass.

Shows last about an hour.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.
Please have proof of purchase ready to show at the door. UMD students will also be required to show their Student ID.

See you this week!

🤗 Hello Planetarium Fans!

Tonight we have a ticketed show starting at 7pm! Read on for details!

✨🌟 Journey Through the Solar System 🌟✨

🚀 All aboard the MWAP spaceship, it’s almost time for liftoff! Sit back and enjoy the view as we fly around the canyons on Mars, plunge through Saturn’s rings, find out why Pluto is now classified as a dwarf planet, and more! Join us on our Journey Through the Solar System.

🌌 Each show will be followed by a live presentation of Tonight’s Sky 🌌

⏰ Shows last about an hour.
🚪 Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
🚫🥞 There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.
🎟️ Please have proof of purchase ready to show at the door.
🪪 UMD students will also be required to show their Student ID.

🤗 See you tonight 🤗

Welcome to wonderstruck Wednesday!

Tonight at 7pm we have...

Presentation by the AAS

I wonder...what the Arrowhead Astronomical Society is up to? Enjoy a presentation from a member of our local amateur astronomy group - the Arrowhead Astronomical Society. If you are interested in joining, the monthly club meeting will take place right after the show.

No admission fee, FREE show! Seats are first come and may fill up fast!
Shows last about half an hour.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
There is no food or drinks allowed in the planetarium.

See you tonight!