Planetarium Nights

Worlds of Ice invites us on a journey to the farthest reaches of the solar system, travelling through the many dimensions of ice—from the remote territories of the Arctic to a scientific complex nestled under the South Pole. We experience it all immersed in a kaleidoscopic igloo from which we emerge utterly dazzled by the chronicles of an icy wonderland, to which Beatrice Deer, a popular figure of Inuit culture, has lent her unique voice. 

The film explores the two-way relationship between humans and ice, a protean substance whose astonishing dynamics universally affect biology, astronomy, ocean sciences, anthropology, culture and artistic expression. But Worlds of Ice also rattles us, revealing how our disastrous actions are responsible for the melting polar ice caps, and how close we are to the tipping point of dramatic climate change. A sobering reality indeed. Ice. Precious, and vital.

Plus What’s in the Sky Tonight (WITST), a presenter-led tour through the night sky.

Winner – Best Art Film, 2024 Dome Under Film Festival, XYZZY will lead you on a psychedelic musical odyssey through a complex fictional world. Video director Simon Ward created XYZZY by translating Jess Johnson’s hand-drawn compositions into animated webs of flesh mandalas, self-replicating architecture, undulating worms, hallucinogenic pattern, and messianic alien deities. The dynamic visual atmosphere is charged with 90s-inspired electronic synthesiser tracks from musicians Andrew Clarke, Luke Rowell, Stef Animal and Lachlan Anderson.

Ticket to the Universe / Source: Museum Victoria / Photo: Museum Victoria

Take a journey off planet Earth and beyond the stars.

Under the 16m dome of the Melbourne Planetarium, you will enjoy a guided tour of our vast and incredible Universe in this entirely presenter-led show. Using the Planetarium’s distinctive technology and scientific data from astronomical organisations around the world, you will travel through the most complete and accurate 3D atlas of the Universe ever made. 

These datasets, which have been compiled by the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium with support from NASA, clearly show the different scales and structures of the Universe.

As well as travelling to the outer edge of the universe and back, the presentation also includes a look at the night sky. Discover which planets, stars and constellations are easily seen from a Melbourne backyard and how our view of the sky changes, night by night.

Time always surrounds us, yet it is so intangible and abstract. This show tries to get closer to this mysterious force, observing and exploring its symbols, ideas and notions by weaving them together with music and sound in an entertaining and thought-provoking way. The result is a non-narrative fulldome arts and music film in the shape of an immersive audiovisual concept album.