Once a month, on the first Saturday, a special sky show for little ones up to two years will be shown at 10:30 am, instead of the regularly-scheduled family Planetarium program. Have fun with the Sun, marvel at the Moon, find your favorite star, become friends with the night sky!

A lot of silliness is spreading about a global cataclysm predicted to occur when a Mayan calendar "rolls over"  in December 2012. Celestial claims are being made. Is there anything to it? (no)

Please note: On Jan. 2 and Feb. 6 "Star Babies" will be offered at 10:30 am instead of this program. Star Babies gives children 2 and younger a gentle, 15-minute introduction to the planetarium and the wonders of the night sky.

Is there any chance of life on Mars today? How about long ago? We'll explore the possibilities.

Mars reaches "opposition," or closest approach to Earth, in late January. The first two months of 2010 offer the best view for the next couple of years.

On Presidents' Day, enjoy Planetarium shows throughout the day—at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 2 pm and 4 pm, with a children's show at 11:30 am and 3 pm.

It's been over 5 years since the twin martian rovers Spirit and Opportunity began their 90 day(!) mission on the Red Planet. What have we learned, and how long can these little intrepid robots keep going?

Please note: on Mar 6 and Apr 3 "Star Babies" will be offered at 10:30 instead of this program. Star Babies gives children 2 and younger a gentle, 15-minute introduction to the planetarium and the wonders of the night sky.

During this evening program specially designed to meet many of the requirements for the Boy Scouts' Astronomy Merit badge, we will learn how to use telescopes and binoculars and have the opportunity to look at the night sky from our observatory. Scouts will also learn about stars, planets, constellations, eclipses, and the moon in our planetarium. This program will be led by a certified astronomy merit badge counselor from our staff.

We'll highlight our current planetarium subjects through the telescope in March and April - see ruddy Mars and the spectacular Orion nebula!

On the clearest of nights, astronomers view distant clouds of gas and dust through their telescopes. What are these beautiful "nebulae"?

Celebrate the International Year of Solar Astronomy! Come to the Museum and learn more about the nature of the universe through demonstrations, exhibits and hands-on activities for the whole family. See a show in the Shafran Planetarium, visit the Ralph Mueller Observatory and join in kids' activities in the Smead Discovery Center. Local astronomy clubs will be on hand to share the wonders of the sky. If it is clear, telescopes will be set up for safe viewing of the Sun.