Planetarium

Sam Houston State University Planetarium

Exploring the Universe, One Show at a Time

The Sam Houston State University Planetarium offers the Bearkat Students a window to the stars, an immersive space to explore the cosmos, experience the beauty of the night sky, and deepen their understanding of our place in the universe.

Types of Planetarium Shows

Always Above

Always Above explores how close space is to our daily lives and the role that the U.S. Space Force plays in launching, operating, and defending these assets.

One Sky

One Sky Project is an international collaboration focused on increasing understanding about cultural and indigenous astronomy, its historical and modern applications, and how our One Sky connects us all.

Phantom of the universe

Phantom of the Universe is a journey from the dawn of time to the frontiers of dark matter research.

Messengers of time and space

Messengers of Time and Space explores a new era of astronomy called "multi-messenger astronomy," which studies the universe using more than just light, including gravitational waves, neutrinos, and cosmic rays. It highlights how observatories like the International Gemini Observatory and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory are making new discoveries in real-time.  

Magic Tree house space mission

Travel with Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House® best-selling children’s book series, as they search for answers to a mysterious riddle they discover in a written note signed “–M.”

Astronomy: 3000 Years of Stargazing

The sky, and everything that happens in it, has always piqued our curiosity. Eclipses, the regular cycle of the seasons, and the motion of the stars have fascinated us since our earliest ancestors looked up to the sky. This show takes audiences on a tour of the major astronomical milestones of the last 3,000 years and we explore the discoveries made possible by the use of technology. Come along for an exploration of nebulae, pulsars, and black holes and 3,000 years of astronomy exploration.

DARK: Understanding Dark Matter

The search for Dark Matter is the most pressing astrophysical problem of our time – the solution to which will help us understand why the Universe is as it is, where it came from, and how it has evolved over billions of years – the unimaginable depths of deep time, of which a human life is but a flickering instant. In this instant, we can grasp its immensity and, through science, we can attempt to understand it.