From Asteroids to Dinosaurs, Explore the Universe in the Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium This Fall

Photo: The Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott Campus

Tickets are now on sale for Fall 2026 shows at the Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium, located in STEM Building 76 on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott Campus at 3700 Willow Creek Road.

From coral reefs in our oceans to vast structures that populate the cosmos, the planetarium will be exploring big and small wonders across the universe. Included in this lineup is a pair of programs made for young children and their families about dinosaurs and weather. These shows will each include the phrase ‘family friendly’ in their title.

The planetarium’s online ticketing system allows audiences to select their seats in advance for upcoming shows. All shows are open to the public and are held most Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.

For details or to reserve your tickets today, visit https://prescott.erau.edu/planetarium.

Showtimes and dates for the Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium Fall 2026 season include:

9.11: 25 Years Later

The planetarium will host a livestream of the panel discussion occurring at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. This program will also be available for live viewing on the National Air and Space YouTube Channel.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of September 11th, the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. The nation still mourns the loss of 2,977 civilians and first responders in New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania. It was a moment that forever changed the United States.

The panel brings together first responders and aviation personnel from across Washington, DC, to tell the story of 9/11 with an emphasis on stories from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Pentagon.

• Chris Browne, former manager of National Airport during 9/11 and current John and Adrienne Mars Director of the National Air and Space Museum
• Daniel Creedon, former departure controller at National Airport
• Michael Defina, former battalion chief of MWAA’s Fire Department at National Airport
• Daryush Mazhari, former USAir Express station manager at DCA and Program Manager, Stakeholder Management Branch for Transportation Security Administration

This program will last for approximately 60 minutes. Please remember to arrive at the planetarium at least 10 minutes prior to the showtime indicated on your ticket.

Show Times:

• Thursday, Sept. 10: 4:45 p.m.

Ticket Price: $8

Ningaloo: Australia’s Other Great Reef

Dive into the Ningaloo Reef, a World Heritage wonder where majestic whale sharks, vibrant coral gardens and the fragile beauty of the ocean come together to create an unforgettable underwater journey.

This program will last for approximately 45 minutes. Please remember to arrive at the planetarium at least 10 minutes prior to the showtime indicated on your ticket.

Show Times:

Friday, Sept. 18: 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 19: 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Ticket Price: $10

One Sky
Friday, Sept. 25: 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 26: 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Around the world, people have looked up at the stars in the sky and made meaning from the patterns they see there. This new show features stories from four cultures—Greek, Innu (Canadian First Nations), Japanese and Hawaiian—and describes how they see a single group of stars in completely different, yet culturally relevant ways. At the end of the show, we will share a view of these same stars from Prescott.

Superpower Dogs
Saturday, Oct. 3: 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 13: 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14: 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Discover the life-saving superpowers and extraordinary bravery of some of the world’s most remarkable dogs. Narrated by Chris Evans, this program showcases dogs trained in dangerous jobs, including water and avalanche rescue.

Superpower dogs doing superhero jobs can get pretty busy but, if their schedules allow, some real-life dogs from the Prescott K-9 unit and Yavapai Dog Search and Rescue team will be present to share their talents with you at the end of select programs.

The November weekend of “Superpower Dogs” will include showings of “A New Inferno,” a 15-minute documentary on Phoenix, Arizona’s summer heatwave. This film follows paramedics as they race to save the lives of heatstroke victims using a radical new treatment: ice immersion therapy. Film producer, director and ASU professor Nita Blum-Reddick will attend the Saturday, Nov. 14, 5 p.m. screening to deepen the conversation following the program.

For the comfort and safety of all guests, only trained service animals are permitted at the planetarium. Thank you for your understanding.

Uncovering Black Holes
Friday, Oct. 9: 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 10: 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

From the collapsed cores of massive stars to the dark, unfathomable behemoths lurking at the centers of galaxies, we will explore the wealth of knowledge scientists have gathered about black holes across the universe. With the help of tools such as the Event Horizon Telescope, we now know more about these mysterious objects than ever before—but how much can we truly discover about something that offers only one-way trips into its depths?

Across the Visible Universe
Friday, Oct. 16: 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17: 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

This show is all about the concept of size and scale when it comes to the universe. Starting at Earth, we will fly farther and farther away from home, encountering the incredible structures that populate the cosmos, traveling right to the edge of our visible knowledge of what surrounds us.

Rising Stars of Prescott
Friday, Nov. 6: 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7: 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Are you interested in getting to know your night sky? This live planetarium program will show you what constellations, planets, meteor showers and more will be coming to the Prescott skies for your viewing pleasure. The program’s content changes each month it is shown. Telescope viewing will be available after every show, weather permitting.

Planetarium Assistant Director Suzy Gurton will create and present this program.

Heavy Hitters: Asteroids, Comets, and Other Space Rocks
Friday, Nov. 20: 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21: 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The smallest rocks wandering across the solar system can sometimes pack the biggest punch. We will explore the past, present, and future of the cookie crumbs of the cosmos, seeing how these modest rocks can have a dramatic impact on our place in space.

Planetarium Director Eric Edelman will create and present this program.

The Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium is the only Arizona planetarium north of Phoenix, capable of seating 116 students and visitors. The facility also contains multimedia learning software that can take viewers from the inner complexities of the human body to the farthest reaches of the known universe.

In addition to being an invaluable resource for the Embry-Riddle community, the Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium hosts events and programming open to the greater Prescott and Quad-City public year-round.

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