Planetarians have a key role in advocating for math and science during the 2012 transit of Venus.  The March 2012 issue of Planetarian-Journal of the International Planetarium Society features ideas on how theaters, museums, and domed venues can seize the public's interest in the celestial phenomenon with public outreach.  Five planetarium programs relevant to transits are listed below.

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A four-minute video, the Transit of Venus, is available in both high-resolution flat-screen and full-dome versions.  Created by Patrick McPike and Chuck Bueter, the video introduces the transit of Venus, its historical significance, and modern applications of the transit method in the search for habitable planets around distant worlds. 

Multiple types and sizes of files (right) are available for free download, hosted courtesy of NASA:



[Note: Projector manufacturers have been asked to assist in getting the content to their users, such as by converting the dome master to a format suitable for their respective systems.  The ease of the task is dependent on the systems and their supporting network.  Thanks to those who step up to help distribute the free video.]


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Bays Mountain Planetarium produced a new full-dome show When Venus Transits the Sun. Viewers will learn about eclipses, the transit, the main characters of the event (the sun and Venus), and key point in Venus transit history with the voyage of Captain Cook on the Endeavor. The show includes live, interactive activities that let visitors practice and understand important aspects of transit history. The show, mastered in 4K, is 26.5 minutes plus 5-10 minutes for the two live sections.  Contact Planetarium Director Adam Thanz for more information: CLOAKING or 423-229-9447.





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The Kepler mission, through the Lawrence Hall of Science Planetarium, has been distributing the show Strange Planets, with script and media (still images, movies, animations, music) available for free download. It is designed as live audience participation program, about 50-minutes long, but is modular, and as such can be adjusted for shorter lengths. Current version is presented at LHS for public audiences, best for ages 8-adult.

See the article Share the Hunt for Other Earths in the March 2009 issue of Planetarian, written by Alan Gould, Toshi Komatsu, Edna DeVore, David Koch, and Pamela Harman for details about the Kepler mission and the show.

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Intended for small venues, Transit of Venus Program features a video that is segmented into two dozen chapters on DVD so the user can grab and play the pertinent content. An accompanying CD has individual images, audio, and animations. Made specifically for the 2004 transit of Venus, some of the text is dated and references that year’s celestial alignment.  Transit of Venus Program was produced by Art Klinger and Chuck Bueter with support from the Great Lakes Planetarium Association.

The Lawrence Hall of Science Planetarium has created its own custom activities to support the program.

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Commercial planetarium programs that feature exoplanets include Extreme Planets by Clark Planetarium Productions and Undiscovered Worlds: The Search Beyond Our Sun from the Boston Museum of Science.

Please contact us if you know of other planetarium-specific resources that should be included here.