Encounters in the Milky Way

Opening June 9, 2025: A new Hayden Planetarium Space Show, narrated by Pedro Pascal.

Discover the chance encounters that have shaped our place in the universe.

Reaching billions of years into the past and peering millions of years into the future, Encounters in the Milky Way is a time-traveling journey about the cosmic movements that shape our galactic neighborhood.

[MUSIC BEGINS]

[A glittering space telescope flies through space with stars in the background.]

NARRATOR: We are a product of cosmic encounters.

[A scan reveals more and more stars in the galaxy, where we didn’t see any before.]

NARRATOR: And what’s happening in the Milky Way Galaxy,

[A green bubble of gas appears in a galaxy, with red dust and stars swirling around it.]

NARRATOR: –is happening throughout our galactic neighborhood–

[A busy field of stars where all the stars are moving on different paths.]

NARRATOR: –and across the universe.

[A model of our solar system flying through the galaxy.]

NARRATOR: I’m Pedro Pascal.

[A field of stars where each star is surrounded by a much larger orb.]

NARRATOR: Join me on a journey through our–

[More stars with orbs around them appear.]

NARRATOR: –tight-knit stellar neighborhood–

[The Milky Way appears, filled with glowing red and orange dust, and a bright white glowing center.]

NARRATOR: –into the bustling metropolis of the Milky Way.

[Text appears: American Museum of Natural History. Encounters in the Milky Way. Narrated by Pedro Pascal.]

[END MUSIC]

[Credits roll.

Encounters in the Milky Way was developed with the major support and partnership of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

With deep gratitude to Van Cleef & Arpels

Generously sponsored by Robert and Kristin Peck]

Get a front-row seat to spectacular moments in our solar system's past and future, including the paths of stars, comets, interstellar debris, and visually stunning gas and dust clouds–and, visualized for the first time, a dramatic, ongoing merger of our galaxy with a smaller satellite galaxy.

Developed by a team that includes astronomers, science visualization experts, and artists, Encounters in the Milky Way is made possible by data from one of the most transformative projects of the past century: the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, dubbed the "billion-star survey" for mapping the precise positions, distances, and motions of nearly 2 billion stars in our galaxy.

The Space Show will screen in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater, now featuring a high-resolution immersive audio system.

Members See it First!

Become a Member and see Encounters in the Milky Way during Member Preview Days June 6, 7, and 8.

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Reserve Museum Tickets »
Select the number of tickets and a date for Museum entry on or after June 9, and you will then be able to add tickets to Encounters in the Milky Way during checkout.

Encounters in the Milky Way was developed with the major support and partnership of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

With deep gratitude to

Generously sponsored by Robert and Kristin Peck