Planetarium Show: Planetarium Show: Messengers of Time and Space

Messengers of Time and Space is a fulldome planetarium show from NSF NOIRLab designed to illuminate the imminent revolution in astronomy driven by time-domain and multi-messenger observations. This free, immersive experience invites audiences to explore the dynamic cosmos and witness the transformative impact of real-time data on our understanding of the Universe.

This free-to-download production brings the combination of the International Gemini Observatory, funded in part by NSF and operated by NSF NOIRLab, and NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, operated by NOIRLab and DOE’s SLAC, to the forefront of humanity’s quest to understand our ever-changing cosmos. 

This immersive planetarium show was made possible through an NSF grant, Gemini in the Era of Multi-Messenger Astronomy (GEMMA), which is aimed at advancing the leadership role of the International Gemini Observatory in the area of multi-messenger astronomy. 

Modern astronomical surveys, like the upcoming Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), will detect up to 10 million changes in the sky every night, with alerts generated within minutes. Yet, many of these alerts will require additional observations to understand the physical phenomena. Observatories providing this critical follow-up must become capable of responding quickly and efficiently. With the new improvements provided by the GEMMA project, Gemini will become a global leader in these follow-up observations, able to study the faintest, highest-priority targets.

The planetarium show highlights how Gemini will work together with observatories that monitor the night sky for exciting astronomical events that change with time, like Rubin Observatory. Sometimes, light is not the only indicator of these short-term events. Audiences will learn how information can reach us through other messengers like cosmic rays, elusive particles called neutrinos, and even gravitational waves rippling through the Universe.

The show is available in 4K fulldome format and can be downloaded online. See the trailer for more information.