Goddard Planetarium

Comets, quasars, black holes—the night sky is filled with things wild and wonderful. Like the imagination of a child, space is beautiful and boundless.

The Robert H. Goddard Planetarium presents star shows, multi-media presentations, and hands-on activities for children and families that help us understand the changing universe and the impact of space science on our lives.
planetarium

Fall/Winter 2018 Schedule
Starting in September to the end of December, shows will be presented on Tuesdays at 7 pm, and Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30 pm.  Shows include a full-dome film accompanied by a star presentation. Shows last approximately 40 minutes. For more information or to schedule a group, please call Jeremy Howe at 575-624-6744 x 23. 

OCTOBER FILMS AND SHOWTIMES

Sunstruck
Explore the sun in all its glory.  Sunstruck takes us on a journey to discover the wonders of our magnificent sun and investigate how our star has supported life on Earth for millennia. This program includes information on the structure of our sun, the source of its energy, and how solar activity impacts our world.

Saturdays at 2:30 pm on October 6, 20
Tuesdays at 7 pm on October 2, 16, 30
Wednesdays at 2:30 pm on October 10, 24
sunstruck 2
Secret of Calakmul 
Discover the mysteries around Calakmul, a Mayan city discovered by archeologist in 1931. This full dome experience guides you through the Mayan architecture and its relationship with the starry sky, and shows the biodiversity in the jungle using incredible time-lapse photography, 360° video, drone shots, computer-generated animations of 3D models and direct jungle audio in 5.1 channels.

Saturday at 2:30 pm on October 27
Tuesdays at 7 pm on October 9, 23
Wednesdays at 2:30 pm on October 3, 17, 31
calckmul_cozumel
NOVEMBER FILMS AND SHOWTIMES

Cosmic Origin Spectrograph

(C.O.S.) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope is allowing us an unprecedented view into the vast spaces between galaxies that surrounds our own Milky Way.  Join us in the exploration of this hidden universe as we decode the secrets to the origins of the cosmos. The show covers the basics of spectroscopy at a high level, and touches on the processing of galactic and extragalactic gas. Other topics include the use of quasars as background light sources, cosmic evolution, and the development of large-scale structure.

Saturdays at 2:30 pm on November 10, 24
Tuesdays at 7 pm on November 6, 20
Wednesdays at 2:30 pm on November 14, 28
COS

Light (7 minutes) + Solar Quest (11 minutes)

Light


On the occasion of the International Year of Light, ZEISS has produced a fulldome teaser that takes planetarium visitors on a trip to the varied facets of light. Light affects our lives in much more ways than we are aware of. The short film approaches the phenomenon in a way that is both fascinating and informative. It will appeal to young and old, experts and the lay public, and to people all over the globe.
  

Solar Quest


"Solar Quest" is a full dome planetarium short feature that demonstrates how the Sun and Earth are interconnected. High quality animations display solar phenomena such as fusion and light energy as well as solar surface features and events. Granules, solar flares and coronal mass ejections are highlighted.The show discusses the impacts of space weather and how the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field protects all life on Earth.

Saturdays at 2:30 pm on November 3, 17
Tuesdays at 7 pm on November 13, 27
Wednesdays at 2:30 pm on November 7, 21
light

DECEMBER FILMS AND SHOWTIMES

The Maya: Cosmic Planners


Travel to the ancient cities of Chichén Itza and Palenque in spellbinding immersive 360° - and discover how the famous Maya cities were designed. This film describes the cosmic vision of the ancient Maya culture. Discover how detailed Maya knowledge of the movements of the Sun, Moon, Venus and the stars influenced the construction of magnificent cities.

Saturdays at 2:30 pm on December 8, 22
Tuesdays at 7 pm on December 4, 18
Wednesday at 2:30 pm on December 12

los mayas

The Incredible Sun (11 minutes) + Aurora Storm (11 minutes) general audience



The Incredible Sun


Every second the Sun emits 1 million times more energy than the world consumes every year. Where does such a huge amount of power come from? Discover our star through the breathtaking timelapses. Thanks to the real images taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory and processed by advanced mathematical methods, you will experience the true nature of the Sun and find out that it is far from being as calm as it seems at first glance.

Aurora Storm


This NASA-funded fulldome show about the captivating northern lights.   The show teaches about the causes of the aurorae and how humans who live beneath their shimmering light are inspired by what they see.   The central section of the show discusses the geophysical effect of living with a star, and what role solar outbursts play in creating the aurorae. This show melds science and technology with literature and a multicultural look at the aurorae. It teaches geophysics and earth science while giving your audiences a look at the dazzling aurorae through the eyes of scientists, photographers and local inhabitants who share their traditional views of this phenomenon.

Saturdays at 2:30 pm on December 1, 15
Tuesday at 7 pm on December 11
Wednesdays at 2:30 pm on December 5, 19
the incredible sun

Renovation Complete

The Planetarium underwent a major renovation this year including the installation of a full-dome digital theater system with Digistar 6 programming, LED lighting around the perimeter, comfortable seating, as well as a dome repainting. Thanks is extended to the many donors and project supporters including Don and Sally Anderson, the City of Roswell and the RMAC Foundation and its donors.

Touch the Stars: Teach Bigger

 is the fundraising campaign coordinated by the RMAC Foundation in support of the recent planetarium renovation. It's not too late to suport the project. Donors can still sponsor seats for $500 or make donations in any denomination. For more details, please contact the RMAC Foundation office at 575-627-0918. 
Email: rmacfound@qwestoffice.net. 
Mailing address: 400 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 220, Roswell, NM  88201.