*SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM207-780-4249 usm.maine.edu/planet <http://usm.maine.edu/planet>70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103* *EDUCATOR'S OPEN HOUSE: LIFE/EARTH SCIENCESaturday, September 22, 201810:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.* *Calling all life/Earth science educators! We invite you to attend free showings of new life/Earth science based programs. All educators (and their families) are welcome to attend these shows at no charge. Learn what we have to offer at the Southworth Planetarium.* *The show schedule is listed below.* *(Click on any show title to access the show page, which include a show trailer link.)* *10:15 a.m. Life: a Cosmic Story <https://usm.maine.edu/planet/life-cosmic-story>*A show about the interactions between cosmic forces and the development of life on Earth. How do physical laws conspire to give rise to the myriad life forms on Earth? *10:45 a.m. Earthquake: Evidence of the Restless Planet <https://usm.maine.edu/planet/earthquake-evidence-restless-planet>*A sweeping geological journey, Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet explores the forces that transform the surface of our planet. Fly along the San Andreas Fault before diving into the planet’s interior. Journey back in time to witness the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and the break-up of Pangaea 200 million years ago. Visit the sites of historical earthquakes from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Learn how scientists and engineers collaborate to help society prepare for a safer environment — and a safer future. Data-driven visualizations illustrate Earth’s story, revealing how subtle motions and sudden ruptures have shaped our planet over eons — and how geological activity influences the course of human history. *11:15 a.m. Natural Selection! <https://usm.maine.edu/planet/natural-selection>*Join Charles Darwin on an adventurous voyage of exploration circumnavigating the World with the *HMS Beagle*, to the Galapagos islands where he got inspired for his later theory of transmutation by Natural Selection. In Victorian times many physical phenomena were already discovered and described by natural laws, but life's most eloquent mechanism was still unknown: How could new species arise to replace those lost in extinction? It was time for someone to stand up and come forth with a Naturalist explanation of this mystery of mysteries. From the comfort of Down House in Kent, Darwin himself will explain the mechanism of Natural Selection to the audience, and support it by showing many beautiful examples in nature. Witness the thrill of scientific discovery by seeing the world through Darwin's eyes, make observations of the most beautiful natural scenery and let the pieces of the scientific puzzle slowly but surely fall into place. *12:00 p.m. Into the Deep <https://usm.maine.edu/planet/deep>*The deep sea is one of the most mysterious and little-explored regions of Earth. We know more about the surface of the Moon than we do about the wonders hidden beneath the waves of our planet's seas. The deepest parts of our oceans teem with life forms so strange-looking they could be from the realm of science fiction. These fantastic creatures inhabit a realm of underwater volcanoes, engulfed mountain ranges, and vast trenches cut into the crust of the planet. *Into the Deep* is a breathtaking journey of sea exploration originally created by Ogrefish FilmProductions, adapted and renarrated by Loch Ness Productions. It combines marine biology and underwater geology with a history of deep-sea exploration. *12:30 p.m. Habitat Earth: Living in a Connected World <https://usm.maine.edu/planet/habitat-earth-living-connected-world>*Living networks connect and support life forms large and small—from colonies of tiny microbes and populations of massive whales to ever-expanding human societies. In the California Academy of Sciences’ latest original planetarium show, Habitat Earth, discover what it means to live in today’s connected world. Through stunning visualizations of the natural world, dive below the ocean’s surface to explore the dynamic relationships found in kelp forest ecosystems, travel beneath the forest floor to see how Earth’s tallest trees rely on tiny fungi to survive, and journey to new heights to witness the intricate intersection between human and ecological networks*. * *1:00 p.m. Fragile Planet: Earth's Place in the Universe <https://usm.maine.edu/planet/fragile-planet-earths-place-universe>*Fragile Planet gives audiences an astronaut’s view of Earth, highlighting Earths unique regions. The journey then continues to the Moon, Mars, and beyond the Milky Way to search for habitats that might host extraterrestrial life. The show’s theme — that Earth is the only known haven for life, and thus is important to protect — echoes the themes of biodiversity and sustainability. The visual foundation of the show lies in scientific visualization. From the high-resolution satellite imagery of Earth, the positions of galaxies more than 50 million light years distant, the three-dimensional terrain of Valles Marineris on Mars to the locations of extrasolar planetary systems in interstellar space, everything audiences will see in Fragile Planet has a basis in astronomers’ best understanding of the Universe. *1:30 p.m. Force 5/Aurora Storm Double Feature <https://usm.maine.edu/planet/force-5aurora-storm-double-feature>* "Force 5" is a brand new show about the dangers of extreme weather, from hurricanes to tornadoes to tsunamis! Show length: 22 minutes. "Aurora Storm" is an 11 minute program about the science and mythology of the northern lights. What causes them? How often do they occur? Where are they visible?