In conjunction with the Friends of the Zoo and the Sprint IMAX Theatre ICSTARS Astronomy and the StarGarden Foundation is adding something special to the IMAX experience. Every Saturday, rain or shine, members of ICSTARS and StarGarden will have solar telescopes on the patio outside the IMAX Theater lobby located at the Kansas City Zoo.

The theater is now showing a new film titled "SOLARMAX". Here comes the sun! SOLARMAX is a breathtaking, giant screen
adventure that takes you on a journey through space and time, exploring mankind's curiosity about the sun and our quest to understand its awesome vastness and mysterious power. Witness a total eclipse, marvel at the beauty of the Aurora Borealis, and watch NASA engineers as they recover the lost SOHO satellite from the depths of space to resurrect this billion dollar portal to the sun. This stunning movie plays through September 3, 2001. For reservations or information on any IMAX attraction, call 816-513-IMAX. For more information about the movie visit the SOLARMAX web page.

Visitors to the zoo and the IMAX theatre can learn more about the sun in a large display set up in the lobby by ICSTARS. Information about current solar eclipse trips, the Southern Skies Star Party, Alaska Aurora and other cool expeditions are also available. Please note that a number of scenes in the SOLARMAX movie were filmed at locations we visit during the Southern Skies Star Party every year in Bolivia!

Shots from recent presentations at the Zoo. Click on images for larger versions.

All photos (C)2001 Vic & Jen Winter / ICSTARS Astronomy.