5:30-6:00 pm– Enjoy the the new exhibit Sci-Fi & Sci-Fact

6:00-6:30 pm – Short talk in the Planetarium about the fact and fiction in this film, featuring Anthony Menicucci, PH.D., UNM Engineering, research in AI and machine learning.

6:30-8:00 pm – Film screening in the Planetarium

The Museum’s Science Fiction or Fact? Film Series is back! Science Fiction or Fact? is a family-friendly film series focused on science-fiction blockbusters, familiar old classics, and everything in between. Before each film, an educator, scientist, or special guest will discuss a few aspects of the film.

Experience your favorite classic movies like never before as we project them on the domed screen of the 55-foot NMMNHS Planetarium. On July 11, join us for the classic from the 1950's: The Day the Earth Stood Still.

About the film: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). This classic film is a fictional story of the landing of a spacecraft in Washington D.C. bearing a message of peace and tolerance - and ready to enforce it! The film was made during the “Cold War” and the nuclear arms race, and the story involves a humanoid alien visitor and a powerful robot who delivers an message that will affect the entire human race.

This film is frequently listed as one of the top 10 SciFi films of all time. In 1995, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."