Planetarium Programs
Planetarium Programs are included with same-day general admission.
Earth, Moon, and Sun
10:15 a.m. Saturday & Sunday ONLY
Explore the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun with the help of Coyote, an amusing character adapted from Native American oral traditions who has many misconceptions about our home planet and its most familiar neighbors. His confusion about the universe makes viewers think about how the Earth, Moon and Sun work together as a system.
One Sky Project
11:00 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday
One Sky Project is an international collaboration focused on increasing understanding about cultural and indigenous astronomy, its historical and modern applications, and how our One Sky connects us all. Enjoy stories, presented in a series of short films, about the night sky from Hawaiʻi and cultures across the globe.
Films: The Samurai and the Stars (Japan), The Forge of Artemis (Greece), Thunderbird (Navajo), Celestial Canoe (Canada), Hawaiian Wayfinders (Hawaiʻi)
Cosmic Perspectives
12:00 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday
Journey from our home in Hilo to the farthest reaches of the universe in this immersive live planetarium experience. Along the way, explore our solar system, the stars that shape our night sky, and the vast galaxies beyond—uncovering where we come from and where we are in the cosmos. Through the spirit of ʻImiloa—“to seek far”—you’ll be invited to see yourself as an explorer, connected to both the universe and each other.
To Space and Back
1:00 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday
Space exploration — our greatest adventure — is having a big impact on our lives. It’s helping us to discover a universe of unimaginable scale and beauty, and it’s reaching down into our world and influencing the way we live. To Space and Back takes audiences on an incredible journey from the far reaches of our known universe to our own planet. It is an extraordinary story of human ingenuity and incredible engineering, describing how the technology that transports us through space is paving the way for the devices and apps we use every day. What’s happening above is coming back down to Earth! Discover how we’ve been changed by space exploration, and what we owe to curiosity and the spirit of discovery.
Fungi: The Web of Life
3:00 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday
Through the eyes of passionate biologist and writer Merlin Sheldrake, join us on this brilliant round-the-world journey into the secret world of fungi. Through dazzling images of fungi under
the microscope, and all around us in the forest, Merlin unravels the many secrets of these essential organisms in the web of life. So much more than mushrooms, not only do fungi shape the weather and support life on land, they are at the cutting edge of medical research and even have the power to break down plastic waste.
Narrator and iconic artist Björk, takes us from the ancient Tasmanian Tarkine Rainforest to the mystical wilds of China’s Yunnan Province, in search of solutions to some of our planet’s biggest challenges. Can the answers be found in the wonderful world of fungi?