Shows

Esterno Planetario - Città della Scienza

Sky observation is one of the oldest forms of scientific survey: at first to the naked eye and then, gradually, with more advanced and powerful tools, it followed the history and evolution of human knowledge. The Planetarium is one of the most dramatic facility for showing the sky and the movements of celestial bodies.

The Planetarium in Città della Scienza is one of the most appreciated and stunning attraction in the Science Centre. Placed in the permanent exhibitions area, it hosts 64 seats and is supported by an optical system and a digital one. It’s a Sky simulator, with a huge number of lights , projected on the dome, which reproduce faithfully all the constellations. Our Planetarium has been renewed in order to combine the effects of the new Digistar 3 technology with the sky reproduction through the Zeiss optical projector.

There are several shows in the Planetarium daily schedule, available for booking.  Please note that all the shows (excepting Life, death and miracles of the Stars) are available in English on request.

Life, death and miracles of the stars

25 minutes length

Learn to find the constellations of our sky, using them for orient yourself as the ancient navigators. Discover how the stars come to life and how they die according to their masses, in a voyage among supernovae, pulsar and black holes.

The Universe

25 minutes length

The history of the sky observation: discover how our ancestors looked at the universe and how we got to the beautiful images of contemporary astrophysics. From the first giant astronomical observatories to the large modern telescopes.

Secrets of the Sun

25 minutes length

Look closely at the Sun in an amazing show through which you will find out the essential role of our star for the life of the Solar System. From inside, where the nuclear forces shake up the core, up to the surface where powerful ejections of solar mass take place. The Sun has a its own evolution, so you will watch the birth of our star and its future, until the end of its life, billions of years from now.

Two little pieces of glass

25 minutes length

Two young students will show us how a telescope works. You will take part in a exciting star party, discovering the stars together with Galileo, Huygens, Newton, Hubble and all the people who used the telescope for unveiling the sky upon us. A voyage among the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn and beyond, up to the Galactic Center.

LIVE SHOWS PRODUCED FOR ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS

(not available for booking)

Thanks to the Digistar, Città della Scienza Planetarium has an own production unit for realizing highly-creative multimedia shows. You can watch the sky from your seat or travel among the celestial bodies. Planetarium schedule changes according to the different times of the year and its shows are often renewed for particular events or exhibitions. Here’s below the last shows produced.

Prehistoric skies

Live show 25 minutes length

A mammoth herd wanders into the snow. They are so enormous! How they became extinct? Why the last ice age happened? Some astronomical events could be the reason, together with a unusual volcanic activity.

The star of Bethlehem

Live show 25 minutes length

The historical reconstruction of a past astronomical event: the transit of the Christmas comet. It was a real comet or maybe a meteor shower? It was the effect of a supernova explosion or of a special planetary alignment? Discover the story of the star of Bethlehem thanks to an all-involving multimedia show and a faithful reconstruction of the sky at that time through the Digistar software.

Love among the stars

Live show 25 minutes length

Celebrate a romantic Valentine among the stars of Citta della Scienza Planetarium. You’ll take part in a performance on the legends of different civilizations: indeed, in the ancient times the myths were used to explain many astronomical and natural events.

Brother Sun & Sister Moon

Live show 25 minutes length

A show for answering many questions: why daylight lasts longer during the summertime? Why we have different seasons? What’s the time at the North Pole? During the winter, the sun is more or less distant from the Earth? The show starts at the sunset, in order to look at the firs stars when they rise, and then the ecliptic and the celestial equator.