Special to the Journal

The Mayborn Science Theater, located on the campus of Central Texas College, recently announced its show lineup for the month of September. The schedule includes Saturday shows, weekday matinees, Laser Friday and a sky talk and tour.
The Saturday shows begin at 11 a.m. with “In My Backyard.” Child entertainer Fred Penner takes a lighthearted exploration of things large and small within one’s backyard. Youngsters can investigate the night sky, learn the names of the planets, explore the reasons for the seasons and why there are shooting stars – all from the safety and comfort of the backyard.
At 12 p.m. is “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure.” Follow Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky and take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth. The show is a brilliant spectacle of light and color and aims to nurture a child’s natural sense of wonder about the night sky.
The theater’s newest show, “Birth of Planet Earth,” is at 1:30 p.m. Experience the fascinating story about the origin of our planet formed 4.5 billion years ago from a gigantic cloud of gas and dust. The show explores some of the greatest questions in science today: How did Earth become a living planet in the wake of our solar system’s violent birth? Where did our moon come from and what influence does it have on life on Earth? What are our chances of finding other worlds that are truly Earth-like? It also takes the audience on a journey to other planets outside our solar system.
“Kaluoka’hina: The Enchanted Reef” is at 2:30 p.m. This humorous adventure story transports the audience to an undiscovered tropical reef full of adventure and danger, riddles and mysteries, old legends and myths. When the peaceful paradise is threatened by a volcano catastrophe, two young fish try to safe their beloved reef and restore the magic to their home.
At 3:30 p.m. is the action-packed, animated show “Dinosaurs at Dusk: Origins of Flight.” Follow the adventures of a father and his teenage daughter as they travel back in time through several geological periods, hike through rain forests, scale ice cliffs, sail over prehistoric oceans and parachute into a vast sinkhole in their search for the first flying animals.
Be immersed in Maya science, art and mythology with “Tales of the Maya Skies” at 4:30 p.m. The show takes the audience back to the ancient jungles of Mexico where the Maya built cities and temples aligned to movements of the sun, moon and planets. The show weaves together this rich combination of science, culture and legend as it revisits the sounds and sights of an ancient way of life and its effect on the modern world.
At 5:30 p.m. is the laser light show “Pink Floyd: Through the Prism.” Fans of the iconic rock band Pink Floyd will enjoy this greatest hits-type show featuring the songs “Money,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Keep Talking” and more set to computerized graphics.
Weekday matinees are schedule on Tuesday and Thursday throughout the month. On September 6 is “Astronaut” followed by a double feature of “Cosmic Castaways” and “Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity” at 2:30 p.m. On September 8 is “First and Farthest” at 1:30 p.m. then “Stars: Powerhouses of the Universe” and “Solar Quest” at 2:30 p.m. On September 13 at 1:30 p.m. is “Flying Monsters” and at 2:30 p.m. is “Pandas: The Journey Home.” On September 15 is “Cosmic Origins: Spectrograph” at 1:30 p.m. and “Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope” at 2:30 p.m.
The weekday matinees continue on September 20 with a double feature at 1:30 p.m. with “Sunstruck” and “Solar Superstorms.” “Mars One Thousand One” is at 2:30 p.m. On September