ORONO – The Emera Astronomy Center, located off the Rangeley Road at the University of Maine, will hold the following star shows for the month of May.

Phantom of the Universe, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31,  7-8 p.m: From the journey of protons racing through the world’s largest particle collider to up-close views of the Big Bang and emergent universe, and the nearly mile-deep descent to an underground experiment, Phantom of the Universe immerses audiences in the search for dark matter. Explore this mysterious matter and how we are using discoveries at the Large Hadron Collider to get closer to discovering the true nature of Dark Matter. View the first hints of its existence through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term “dark matter.” Explore the astral choreography witnessed by Vera Rubin in the Andromeda galaxy, and then plummet deep underground to see the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth, housed in a former gold mine.  Speed alongside particles before they collide in visually stunning explosions of light and sound at Large Hadron Collider at CERN, while learning how scientists around the world are collaborating to track down the constituents of dark matter. Executive Producer Michael Barnett of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory served as an advisor to PBS’s NOVA series Elegant Universe and the feature film Angels & Demons. Featuring narration by Academy-Award winning actress Tilda Swinton, Phantom of the Universe showcases imagery from CERN’s Media Lab.
Led Zeppelin: The Planetarium Experience May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 9-10 p.m.: Led Zeppelin: The Planetarium Experience is an imaginative journey through our night sky using artistic style and impressive visuals. Experience the progenitors of heavy metal in new ways at the Emera Astronomy Center! Tickets are $8 for general admission. Music programs may contain explicit lyrics, and are intended for adult audiences. All music programs may contain bright flashing lights and fast-moving images, which have been known to trigger seizures with those with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
Cosmic Colors, May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2-3 p.m.:  From northern lights to garden flowers, color fills our lives and “Cosmic Colors” explains how we use the rainbow to see, understand and explore our universe. Visitors learn more about the electromagnetic spectrum, the Northern Lights and get a tour of the night sky!
We Are Astronomers, May 7, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.: Do you know what an astronomer does? We Are Astronomers reveals the global collaboration, technology and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the Universe. See how technologies such as the Large Hadron Collider, the observatories of Chile and the Hubble Space Telescope work and how they are used by teams around the world in this entertaining planetarium show. This show is narrated by former Dr Who star David Tennant and accompanied with music by New Zealand composer Rhian Sheehan. We Are Astronomers provides a visually stunning tour of contemporary astronomy using beautiful 360 degree full dome imagery.
Tickets for planetarium programs are $6 for Adults, $5 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $4 for children under 12 unless otherwise noted. Tickets may be purchased online at astro.umaine.edu, by phone at 207-581-1341, or at the ticket box office prior to the show.

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