Calendar of Shows
All shows are free to the public
Shows are appropriate for all ages, and include audience interaction. Most shows are unique creations of Hardin Planetarium. The schedule will be updated periodically.
Current Public Schedule
Hardware upgrades have been delayed. The planetarium will likely be shut down in mid-August. Date will be published soon.
“Hubble Space Telescope’s 30th Anniversary”
Tues 21 July - Thu 27 Aug
Learn the life cycles of stars using only images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Unlike any other show here, there is no narration, but employs a specially composed soundtrack inspired by HST’s legacy. Questions about HST, its images, and astronomy will be answered at the conclusion of each show.
“Clocks of the Ancients”
Sun 30 Aug - Sun 11 Oct
Explore how our ancestors kept track of the change of time. Learn the basics of sundials, including how to build one. Discover why ancient peoples divided the night sky into sections, and more.
Subjects: sundials; mathematical divisors; latitude and longitude
“When the Universe Was Young”
Tue 13 Oct - Tue 24 Nov
Closed Thu 26 Nov
Explore why we believe we finally understand what the universe was like when it was young, and learn three tools we use to come to that conclusion.
Subjects: early universe; look-back time; spatial dimensions; electromagnetic spectrum; redshift
“Celebrations for a Long Winter's Night”
Sun 29 Nov - Tue 29 Dec
Closed Thu 24 and Thu 31 Dec
The long cold winter nights of December are well suited for celebrations. This festive show illuminates the meaning of the winter solstice, and shares some history behind our holiday customs. Photo: Kevin Willis (WKYU)
“Metal World: Mission to Asteroid Psyche”
Sun 3 Jan - Sun 24 Jan
NASA is currently flying a mission to visit a world very rich in iron. Learn how such a world could exist by learning what asteroids and meteorites are like. Note that the planetarium has six such meteorites on exhibit.
Subjects: geology; differentiation; planet formation
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.