There is something rather unexpected sitting in the middle of Millennium Square this September.
Planetarium Go! has landed in Leeds, bringing with it a huge immersive dome and the opportunity to journey into space without ever leaving the City Centre.
Running until 26 September, Planetarium Go! is a state-of-the-art mobile planetarium using high-resolution digital projection to transform the entire dome into a 360-degree cinema screen. Rather than simply watching something happening in front of you, the images stretch above and around you, creating an experience that feels completely different from a conventional trip to the cinema.
My first tip would be to arrive early. Before the film begins, electronic music plays while colourful, psychedelic images drift across the dome. Sitting back in the reclining deck-style chairs and watching them swirl overhead was actually a wonderfully relaxing way to begin our visit.
I’d also recommend choosing a seat towards the back if you can. From there, we felt we had a fantastic view of the whole dome rather than having to look too far above or behind us.
Each visitor is given their own set of headphones with individually adjustable volume, something my children particularly loved. Combined with the comfortable reclining chairs and enormous projection surrounding us, even before the film began it felt like we were doing something quite different.
3-2-1 Lift Off!
We had chosen 3-2-1 Lift Off!, the 35-minute film recommended for children aged six and over.
It follows Alan, an underestimated hamster scientist living in a junkyard, whose life suddenly becomes considerably more exciting when a mysterious object crash-lands nearby. Inside is a damaged robot which has fallen from orbit. With its spacecraft due to leave again the following day, Alan must use his scientific knowledge, determination and ingenuity to find a way to return his new friend to space.
It’s a lovely cartoon in its own right, but what particularly impressed me was how naturally the science was incorporated into the adventure. Younger viewers encounter ideas about flight, space and the Earth’s atmosphere without ever feeling as though they are sitting through a science lesson. Why can’t an aeroplane simply fly into space? What happens to living things outside Earth’s atmosphere? Alan’s various experiments allow children to discover the answers alongside him.
And the dome is much more than a novelty. Having the entire ceiling and surrounding space used for projection means that you become completely absorbed in the film. When the characters head into the sky, you’re not merely watching them do it – visually, you feel as though you’re travelling with them.
The best review of the afternoon actually came from my eight-year-old. About halfway through, Edward suddenly shouted:
“This is amazing!”
Thankfully, the headphones silence all the noise around you so I think I was the only one to hear!
At 35 minutes, 3-2-1 Lift Off! also felt just right. It was long enough to tell a proper story and introduce some genuinely interesting science, but short enough that younger children remained engaged throughout. For children taking their first steps into learning about space, it’s a brilliant introduction.
Four journeys into space
3-2-1 Lift Off! is just one of four different experiences currently being shown inside the Leeds planetarium, with the programme catering for very different ages and interests.
Beyond the Sun is another child-friendly option, recommended for ages five and above and lasting 26 minutes. It follows Celeste, who is visited by Moon while reading an astronomy book before bed. Together, they journey through the universe, learning about exoplanets – worlds beyond our Solar System – including rogue planets, ocean worlds and super-Earths, as well as discovering how astronomers search for planets that might resemble our own.
Voyager: The Never-Ending Journey, lasting 27 minutes and recommended from age five, moves from fiction to one of the most extraordinary real adventures in space exploration. It follows Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, launched in 1977 to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and their moons. It also explores the famous Golden Records carried aboard the probes, messages containing sights, sounds and greetings from Earth intended to represent humanity, should another civilisation ever discover them.
Finally, From Earth to the Universe is the most in-depth of the four and is recommended for ages ten and over. This 30-minute documentary charts the development of astronomy from ancient times to the modern day, before taking audiences through our Solar System and further into the cosmos.
Interestingly, although 3-2-1 Lift Off! was clearly created with children in mind, it left the adults wanting more too. My husband and I came out desperate to return and experience one of the more documentary-style films. With that huge dome filled with planets, stars and galaxies, I can imagine it being spectacular.
Planetarium Go! is only temporarily resident in Millennium Square, which makes it well worth catching while it is here. General admission for 3-2-1 Lift Off! is £10, with family tickets currently £26 for three people, £32 for four and £38 for five. Children under four can attend free when sitting on a paying adult’s lap.
For families, 3-2-1 Lift Off! manages the difficult trick of being educational without ever really feeling educational. Comfortable chairs, individual headphones, a charming story and that extraordinary screen surrounding you make it an experience in itself.
And when an eight-year-old spontaneously announces to an entire planetarium that something is “amazing”, it’s probably fair to say it’s doing something right.
