Mayborn Science Theater announces shows scheduled throughout August

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The Mayborn Science Theater, located on the campus of Central Texas College (CTC), recently announced its August show schedule. On tap are the debut of a new show, weekday matinees, Saturday shows, laser Friday and a night sky tour and star talk.

The Saturday shows open at 11 a.m. with “Molecularium: Riding Snowflakes.” This magical, musical cartoon adventure takes the audience into the world of atoms and molecules aboard the Molecularium. During this ride into a nanoscale universe, you will learn about the three states of matter as you travel into a cloud, watch a snowflake form and count the number of water molecules in a raindrop.

At 12 p.m. is “Khrumka and the Magic Rocket.” After safely watching a solar eclipse and observing the moon through a telescope, Khrumka and his friend, Kippy, are led to a mysterious cave in their enchanted forest where they find a legendary magic rocket and use it to take a colorful and exciting trip to the sun and all the planets in the solar system.

“Zula Patrol: Down to Earth” is at 1 p.m. Join the Zula gang as a routine fossil hunting mission becomes a rollicking ride into Earth's past to save the world. In the process, our heroes learn all about the formation and development of the Earth and the life forms who call it home.

“Astronaut” showcases the making of an astronaut and how to become a part of the incredible journey of space travel. Viewers will experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut, explore the amazing worlds of both inner and outer space, float around the International Space Station, maneuver through microscopic regions of the human body and learn about the perils that lurk in space. Show time is at 2:30 p.m.

A new show, “Birth of Planet Earth,” debuts at 3:30 p.m. Experience the fascinating story about the origin of our planet formed 4.5 billion years ago from a gigantic cloud of gas and dust. The show explores some of the greatest questions in science today: How did Earth become a living planet in the wake of our solar system’s violent birth? Where did our moon come from and what influence does it have on life on Earth? What are our chances of finding other worlds that are truly Earth-like? The show also takes the audience on a journey to other planets outside our solar system.

At 4:30 p.m. is “Dynamic Earth: Exploring Earth’s Climate Change.” Dive into the inner workings of the Earth's climate system, follow a trail of energy that flows from the sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate, ride along on swirling ocean and wind currents, enter the heart of a monster hurricane, come face-to-face with sharks and gigantic whales, fly into volcanoes and gain a broader understanding of what shapes Earth’s climate change.

The Saturday shows conclude with the laser light show “Laser Genesis” at 5:30 p.m. The rock band Genesis, led by Phil Collins, is featured with hits including “Invisible Touch,” “Abacab,” “In the Air Tonight,” “Land of Confusion” and many more.

Weekday matinee double features are scheduled throughout the month. On August 11, “The Little Star That Could” is at 1:30 p.m. and “Exoplanets: Worlds of Wonder” is at 2:30 p.m. On August 16 at 1:30 p.m. with “Mars One Thousand One” and “Sunstruck and Solar Superstorms” at 2:30 p.m.

The weekday matinees continue with three shows on August 18 starting with “First and Farthest” at 1:30 p.m. followed by “Cosmic Castaways” and “Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity” at 2:30 p.m. On August 23 at 1:30 p.m. is “Seeing: A Photon's Journey Across Space, Time and Mind” and at 2:30 p.m. is “Legends of the Night Sky: Orion.” On August 25 is “Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope” at 1:30 p.m. and “Cosmic Origins Spectrograph” at 2:30 p.m. Three shows are scheduled on August 30 with “Stars: Powerhouses of the Universe” followed by “Solar Quest” at 1:30 p.m. And at 2:30 p.m. is “Totality: Explore the Wonder of Eclipses.”

Laser Friday is August 26 starting at 6 p.m. with the legendary Elton John featured in the laser light show “Rocket Man.” At 7 p.m. is music from the popular video game “Laser Guitar Hero” and at 9 p.m., “Ready Player One” features songs from a variety of video games such as Fortnite and Halo2. Resident astronomer Warren Hart leads a star tour/ talk of the constellations and stars of the current night sky on Saturday, August 27 at 5:30 p.m. which pre-empts the regular scheduled show.

For complete show descriptions, directions, membership information and more, visit <starsatnight.org>.