Big Bird to star in planetarium film

NEW YORK, May 15 (UPI) -- An educational film featuring "Sesame Street" characters Big Bird and Elmo is set to debut in several planetariums in the United States and China.

The Sesame Workshop -- the non-profit educational organization behind the children's television show "Sesame Street" -- along with the Beijing Planetarium, the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J., have announced they are collaborating on a China-U.S. cooperative project to produce and distribute a planetarium show and educational outreach materials for children ages 4 to 6 and their families, teachers and caregivers.

"One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure" will follow Big Bird, Elmo and their friend from China Hu Hu Zhu on an exploration of the sky. The film is set to have its world premiere at the Beijing Planetarium Sept. 26. The U.S. premiere is set for Oct. 15 at the Adler Planetarium.

The planetarium show will appear in English and Spanish in the United States and in Mandarin in China.

Among the project's main goals are to provide young children in China and the United States with an age-appropriate introduction to astronomy and to promote positive attitudes toward science among children.