Thursday, April 25, 2024
Mayborn Science Theater. Embark on an out of this world journey through space and time.
The Mayborn Science Theater recently announced its show lineup for September. This month’s activities include weekday matinees, a Labor Day holiday matinee, a free teacher preview, Laser Friday, a star tour and a full slate of Saturday shows. Tickets for the Saturday shows are $7 for adults, $6 for children ages 3 to11 and free for theater members.
The Mayborn Science Theater is located on the campus of Central Texas College in Killeen. The theater if located in Building No. 152 on Bell Tower Drive.
The Saturday schedule opens at 11 a.m. with a double feature: “Legends of Night Sky: Orion” takes a lighthearted look at the myths and stories associated with one of the night sky’s most famous constellations, Orion, the great hunter of the winter sky. Then, “Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda” is filled with humorous and exciting characters including Perseus the mighty warrior, Pegasus the winged horse, Cetus the sea monster and the fearsome monster Medusa. The entertaining tale is designed to engage and stimulate a youngster’s interest in learning about the night sky.
At noon is “Ningaloo” Australia’s Other Great Reef.” Dive into a unique and breathtaking underwater world for a magical expedition along the vast coral highway stretching along the Northwest coast of Western Australia. This underwater explosion, known as the Ningaloo Reef, is a dazzling and psychedelic creator of life and attracts the smallest and largest sea life, including the whale shark.
“Kaluoka’hina: The Enchanted Reef” is at 1:30 p.m. Hidden in the vast oceans of our planet, this one-of-a-kind tropical reef is full of adventure and mystery. After a volcano catastrophe, two young fish must restore the magic of their home and save their beloved reef. The humorous adventure is filled with many informative details about the fantastic world under water and sharpens our awareness about preserving our environment.
At 2:30 p.m. is one of the newer shows, “Drifting North: Into the Polar Night.” The audience will step onto an ice floe in the middle of the Arctic Ocean and watch and listen as scientists race the fading light to set up one of the most ambitious international climate collaborations ever, MOSAiC — the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate. Launched in September 2019, and led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, the show captures the first three months of a yearlong expedition to study a frozen icebreaker in the Central Arctic Ocean to better understand the remote region and the role it plays in global climate and weather patterns.
“Natural Selection: Darwin’s Mystery of Mysteries” is at 4 p.m. The show follows a young Charles Darwin on an adventurous voyage of exploration circumnavigating the world with the HMS Beagle. Witness the thrill of scientific discovery by seeing the world through Darwin's eyes, make observations and let the pieces of the scientific puzzle slowly but surely fall into place.
At 5 p.m. is “Oceans in Space.” This journey of exploration highlights the search for extrasolar planets and an understanding of the conditions necessary to form and sustain life. The program introduces audiences to the diversity of life on our home planet as humans embark on the search for life in the universe.
The final show is the laser light show “Laser Beatles” at 6 p.m. Enjoy some of the greatest hits by the Fab Four – John, Paul, George and Ringo – set to computerized graphics and lights.
The weekday matinee schedule continues Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m. with a double feature – “Losing the Dark” and “Dark: Understanding Dark Matter.” On Sept. 15 is “From Earth to the Universe,” on Sept. 22 is “Dynamic Earth: Exploring Earth's Climate Engine” and the matinees conclude Sept. 29 with Nanocam: A Trip Into Biodiversity.” Weekday matinees are $5 for all ages.
The Labor Day holiday matinee is at 1:30 p.m., featuring the patriotic laser light show “Spirit of America.” The songs and artists take you through the heart of America with a mix of classic and contemporary offerings by Celine Dion, John Fogerty, Aaron Copeland, KISS, Brooks and Dunn, Lee Greenwood and others. Tickets are $5 for all ages.
On Sept. 18, the Mayborn Science Theater will host a free teacher preview from 9 to 11 a.m. During the preview, teachers can learn about the available shows for field trips and other resources available for schools. It is free and open to teachers of all grades in all school districts and private schools.
Laser Friday is Sept. 24 and features three laser light shows. “Laser Magic” is at 6 p.m. featuring a rock and pop mix of artists including Third Eye Blind, Elton John, Shania Twain, Pink Floyd, Bjork, the B-52s and many others. At 7 p.m. is “Laser POP” with a mix of stars of today and yesterday. Artists include the Beach Boys, Smash Mouth, Sting, N’Sync and more. “Laser Mania” is at 8 p.m. and has a little something for everyone with artists like Ricky Martin, Celine Dion, Beck, Blink 182, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Prince, Elvis Presley, the Bee Gees and more.
Get an up-close look at the constellations and stars in the current night sky with Warren’s Star Tour on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 5 p.m. The tour preempts the regular scheduled show.
For complete show descriptions, directions, membership information and more, visit starsatnight.org.
