The South Carolina State Museum in Columbia will bring back Áróra, a 21-minute planetarium show about the Northern Lights, beginning Nov. 1. The show will run through Feb. 28, 2027.
The show takes audiences through remote Icelandic landscapes and out into space to explain what causes the aurora. It plays on the 55-foot digital dome of the museum’s BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Planetarium. According to the museum, the award-winning show was created by a group of well-known Icelandic scientists, writers, photographers and musicians.
For many York County residents, the subject is no longer abstract. Strong solar storms in 2024 pushed the aurora far enough south that people across the Carolinas, including some here at home, photographed red and purple skies they had never expected to see. The museum pointed to those sightings directly, saying the show’s return gives residents who caught the lights a chance to revisit the experience and learn where it comes from.
What the show covers
Áróra goes beyond the view from Earth. The show looks at auroras that have been observed on other planets and moons, and it explains the science behind the colors. It also covers how cultures around the world worked the lights into their folktales and mythology, long before anyone understood the role of the sun.
The museum lists the show as suitable for all ages. Captioning and assistive listening devices are available, and the planetarium is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets and admission
The planetarium requires a ticket in addition to general museum admission. The museum sells combination tickets that include general admission and one planetarium or 4D theater show. These cost $18 for adults ages 13 to 61, $16 for seniors 62 and older, and $15 for children ages 3 to 12. Purchased separately, a show ticket costs $5.
The museum says showtimes will be posted soon. Visitors can already view the schedule and buy tickets through the museum’s online ticket store at scmuseum.org.
Making a day of it
Columbia is about 80 miles down Interstate 77 from Tega Cay and Fort Mill. That makes the museum an easy day trip during the winter months. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 4D also returns to the museum’s 4D theater on Nov. 1. Families heading down for the holidays can pair the two shows.
The museum also has four floors of exhibitions. Its public observatory features a 1926 Alvan Clark refracting telescope and offers daily solar viewing.
The South Carolina State Museum is at 301 Gervais St. in Columbia. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, and closed Mondays. For more information, call 803-898-4921 or visit scmuseum.org.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
