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Hopkins Planetarium *will be closed January 2-9, 2009
Under a 40-foot star dome, experience dazzling multimedia shows that introduce cosmic forces, sky lore of different cultures, seasonal sights in the current night sky or geological phenomena. Hopkins Planetarium is named in honor of Senator William B. Hopkins, Sr., the former State Senator of Virginia who was critical in making the Science Museum’s planetarium a reality in 1983.
Showtimes

The Sky Above Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Pre-K to K: Laugh, sing, and learn through this introduction to the wonders of the day and night skies starring Mister Rogers and characters from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe as they help you learn to find constellations in the night sky. Kids will also learn about things in the sky you can see but not touch; basic facts about clouds, stars and the moon; and understanding how people relate to things and things relate to each other such as the day and night sky. Generously funded by the Junior League of Roanoke Valley, Virginia,  it's an excellent program for pre-school groups and for children 2 and older on their first visit to the planetarium. Run time approximately 18 minutes.

Moonwitch
Grades K-3: Follow along with Billy and his sister Diana as they make some fascinating discoveries about the moon. This Halloween program (which can be shown any time of the year), provides a short introduction to the night sky and includes a few “ghostly” phenomena. Since this program is only about 20 minutes long, it is great for very young children.
Science SOLs:  K.7, 1.6, 2.1, 3.8, 4.7

Sky Cycles
Grades 1-4: Take a quick trip around the sun to understand the moon’s changing face and the location of the sun at night.  Investigate why it gets cold at night and why the weather changes with the changing seasons.  Learn the cause of the seasonal changes we observe.
Science SOLs:  1.6, 1.7, 2.6, 3.8, 3.11, 4.7

Follow the Drinking Gourd
Grades 1-4: Based on the book by Jeanette Winter.
This program introduces the day and night skies and discusses the importance of the Big Dipper (which slaves called the Drinking Gourd). The audience also learns a song sung by slaves in Alabama and Mississippi that explained how to use the Gourd to flee North to freedom. The program includes artwork from Winter’s book showing the story of a family escaping slavery.
Science SOLs:  3.8, 4.7, ES.3
History & Social Studies SOLs:  1.1, 2.4, 3.3, 4.1, 5.3

Cowboy Astronomer
Grades 3 and up: This laid back, humorous program takes a look at the night time sky as seen through the eyes of a modern cowboy astronomer. Explore the constellations as you enjoy hearing Native American and Greek legends talk about the sky. Find out where to locate places in the sky where stars are being born and where stars have died, as well as how the sky moves. Baxter Black, a popular cowboy poet and author of ten books, narrates The Cowboy Astronomer. He is best known for his work as a correspondent for National Public Radio, where his down-home humor, poems, and stories are enjoyed by millions. Generously funded by the Junior League of Roanoke Valley, Virginia. Science SOLs:  6.8i, ES.4d, ES.14

Planet Patrol: Solar System Stakeout
Grades 3 and up: Go on an out-of-this-world adventure with planetary investigator Sam Snork and his assistant Elmo as they search for the source of some unusual transmissions. Along the way, they cruise for clues, look for leads, and use the latest in crime-solving equipment to investigate the planets in our solar system, meanwhile discovering what makes Earth so special.
Science SOLs:  3.8, 3.11, 4.7, 5.1, 6.8, ES.14

The People: Native American Sky Lore
Grades 3 and up: Introduces Native American concepts of the sky as seen through myths and poetry. The show looks at the creation of the world, the sun, the stars, the markings on the face of the moon, the rainbow, and the seasons. The myths retold in The People come from 16 different Native American nations, from across the breadth of the American Continent.
Science SOLs:  3.8, 4.7
History & Social Studies SOLs:  2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.10, 6.10

Worlds in Motion
Grades 3 and up: Rumor has it that the Earth is moving at the incredible speed of 600,000 miles per hour! From the microscopic world of electrons zipping around the nucleus of an atom to our own galaxy zooming across the universe, this show explores how and why things move the way they do. It covers Newton’s Laws of Motion, demonstrates some basic celestial mechanics, and provides some real-life examples of how everything is constantly moving. Two channel-surfing “coach potatoes” host this lively look at our moving world.
Science SOLs:  3.8, 4.7, 5.4,  6.4, 6.8, ES.3, ES.14, PH.5, PS.10
History & Social Studies SOLs:  9.7

Seasonal Star Shows
Grades 3 and up: Each of these shows demonstrates the night sky as seen from Southwest Virginia during a particular season. Viewers learn how to locate constellations, starting with the bright, easy to find stars, and using them as guideposts to point the way to more obscure groups. Mythology associated with the constellations is included, and serves as a device to help viewers remember the star patterns.
Science SOLs:  3.8, 4.7, 5.1, 6.8.

Autumn Skies: September 8, 2008 - November 25, 2008

• Jewels of the Night: November 26, 2008 - March 3, 2009
• Visions of a Spring Night: March 4, 2009 - June 9, 2009
• Starlit Nights: June 9, 2009 - September 1, 2009

WSKY: Radio Station of the Stars
Grades 4 and up: Hosted by a pair of fictional DJs and patterned after a Top 40 radio station, this dynamic show includes original hit singles, call-in segments with Dr. Cosmos, traffic reports from the solar system, cosmic news, and more. Originally targeted for urban teenagers, WSKY has demonstrated universal appeal.
Science SOLs:  4.7, 5.1, 6.8

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MegaDome Theater
Features a 40-foot diameter dome which wraps around the audience, engrossing the viewer in the film, many of which are IMAX titles. The curvature of the screen, spanning 62 feet, creates a greater sense of depth. At the heart of the MegaDome is the Mega 8/70 projector, capable of showing film formats (70mm) which are larger and clearer than most commercial films (35mm) made today. MegaDome films are not recommended for children under the age of three. The MegaDome Theater is a unique meeting venue seating 120, and is often used by businesses and civic groups for presentations and meetings.
Showtimes | Rental Info

Africa: The Serengeti
The story of the greatest migration of land animals anywhere on earth and of the Great Migration that takes place there every year, Africa: The Serengeti takes viewers on a journey with more than 1.5 million animals as they travel 500 miles across the plains of the Serengeti. Narrator James Earl Jones conveys to audiences, "There is a place on earth where it is still the morning of life and the great herds still run free."
More | Through March 15, 2009

Australia: Land Beyond Time
Sponsored by Plastics One, Inc. From the miles of red, weathered sand dunes that characterize the continent’s famed Outback, to the cascading waterfalls and lush wildlife of its scattered rainforest, Australia is a land of extremes. The film explores this "weirdly beautiful" landscape and its inhabitants, who represent nature’s amazing ability to adapt, overcome and even flourish in the most threatening and tumultuous conditions. Running time: approx. 50 minutes.
October 31, 2008 through June 28, 2009

Amazing Journeys
Travel the world as you join in five extraordinary and fascinating animal migrations. Along with the immense distances they travel, these species face many obstacles - obstacles that may change their migratory patterns forever. Join the sweeping spectacle of hundreds of migrating zebras in East Africa. Witness the mysterious migration of over 120 million red crabs on tiny Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. Encounter the affectionate curiosity of majestic gray whales in the lagoons of Mexicos’s Baja California. Enter a golden blizzard as tens of millions of monarch butterflies fill the sky in the hidden highlands of Mexico. Then take flight alongside migratory birds navigating by sun, stars and instinct. Finally, travel back in time among tribes of Africa to explore the roots of human migration. Running time: approx. 40 minutes.
March 17, 2009 through October 31, 2009 (tentative)

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