Mueller Planetarium is once again joining forces with Astronomy Magazine and Meade Telescopes to make Astronomy Day 2008 an even more exciting event than ever! The fulldome Planetarium show: "Extreme Planets" will be shown in a special one day only engagement. All those who visit the event will have a chance to win a Meade ETX-80AT-TC telescope valued at $300 given away locally, and register for a chance to win a Meade 8-inch LX 90 telescope (valued at $1999) given away nationally. 2006's national winner registered at Mueller Planetarium! Over 25 of the prime Planetariums, Museums and Observatories across the country are part of the promotion of amateur and professional Astronomy sponsored by Astronomy Magazine.

Lincoln's Prairie Astronomy Club, Hyde Observatory, Mueller Planetarium and many other organizations will join in the celebration of Astronomy Day with events on Saturday, May 10. Activities will be held all day in the University of Nebraska State Museum (Morrill Hall) on the UNL City Campus and will conclude with a "star party" during the regular open hours (sundown to 11 p.m.) of Hyde Memorial Observatory in Holmes Park. Admission to the events in Morrill Hall (excluding the Fulldome Extreme Planets Experience) is free with paid admission to the University of Nebraska State Museum. There is no admission charge at Hyde Observatory.

There will be fun educational astronomy activities for all the family in the University of Nebraska State Museum (Morrill Hall) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Exhibits and displays will line the lobby of the Planetarium and all three floors of the Museum. There will be displays of telescopes, computer astronomy and astronomical photos by members of the Prairie Astronomy Club. Throughout the day, there will be special demonstrations and help in learning the constellations. The electronic display from the Space Telescope Science Institute - "ViewSpace" - (in the Planetarium lobby) projects beautiful images from the Hubble Space Telescope which provide an artistic and educational mosaic throughout the afternoon.

The Planetarium will feature a special engagement of the Fulldome Experience program, "Extreme Planets." Explore what makes a planet "Earth-like" in the first place, and take an immersive fulldome tour of several worlds that just might fit the conditions we're looking for. From water worlds to molten landscapes, inhabitable moons to planets with multiple suns, these exotic worlds aren't just science fiction anymore! With the discovery in 1995 of the first planet orbiting another star, we now know that planets are not unique to our own Solar System. In fact, these "extrasolar" planets now appear to be quite common. No one has yet found an Earth-like world with conditions similar to ours, but it now seems only a matter of time. And as the quest for extrasolar planets continues, the possibility exists that one day we might find life elsewhere in the Universe, born in the light of another sun. The show is a 35 minute visually stunning surround experience exploring the phenomenon of extrasolar planets. This immersive digital dome production is narrated by Rene Auberjonois, best known from the Star Trek series and films. Showtimes for the Fulldome Extreme Planets Experience are 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. There is an additional $2.00 charge for admission to the Extreme Planets Fulldome Experience. No one will be admitted once a feature has started and seating is limited to 80 persons per show.