Friday Night Public Shows

NOTE: First program (The Night Sky) begins at 7:00 PM

Ticket prices:

Adult, per show = $5.00; "double feature" (both 7:00 & 8:00 shows) = $9.00
Children (12 years or under) & Seniors (60 years or older) = $4.00 per show; "double feature" = $7.00

Tickets go on sale at the door shortly before showtime (no credit cards accepted at the door), however, due to limited seating, we occasionally sell out. To insure a seat it is advisable to order tickets in advance. For advance ticket sales or ticket information call: (310) 434-3000

All shows are in the Planetarium, room 223 on the 2nd floor of Drescher Hall, unless otherwise indicated.

Parking is FREE all across campus, even in staff parking areas, on Friday nights while shows are being given.

For schedule information contact the Events Office at: (310) 434-3000 or email: events@smc.edu.

At 7:00 PM:

The Night Sky Show
Presented on all of the dates listed below
This 50 minute presentation is an interactive weekly update on the night sky, with the latest news in space exploration and astronomy and a chance to ask any question about astronomy. We use our Digistar II planetarium projector to recreate the night sky with all of its celestial wonders.

Fall 2008
September 12, 19,
October 3, 10, 17, 24
November 7, 14, 21,
December 5, 12

Spring 2009 (More program info to come)

January 9, 16, 23, 30

February 6, 20, 27

March 6, 13, 20, 27

April 3, 10, 24

May 1, 8, 15, 29

June 5

At 8:00 PM – Feature Shows:

Preview: The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/LCROSS missions – NASA returns to the Moon.

With LRO/LCROSS, NASA intends to answer some nagging questions about the Moon and its suitability as humanity’s stepping stone to more distant objectives in space. Is water ice actually present in those permanently shadowed areas near the lunar poles? How suitable is the polar region terrain for development of a lunar base? What is the surface radiation environment like over extended periods, and what kind of protection will human explorers need? Is there ice below the lunar surface? If we smack two tons of empty rocket stage at high speed into a shadowed lunar crater we suspect contains water ice, will observing the resulting impact plume settle the question of the existence of lunar water ice once and for all? LRO and the piggybacked LCROSS experiment hope to answer these questions and more starting in late November. We’ll preview this exciting mission and look at recent results from the ongoing Japanese and Chinese lunar orbiters. September 12^th

Special Observing Event: Jupiter in the Eyepiece!

Jupiter is far and away the largest gravitational influence in the solar system other than the Sun. With a mass equivalent to 318 Earths (more than twice the mass of ALL the other planets put together!) and a volume of 1300 Earths, Jupiter was well named after the supreme member of the Roman pantheon. As we move toward the beginning of autumn, Jupiter is well placed for early evening observing, shining brightly in the south after dusk. Join us as we enlist the aid of local amateur astronomers and their telescopes to get up close and personal with the dynamic clouds and satellites of the solar system’s largest planet after a quick observing primer in the planetarium. If clouds intervene, we’ll view extensive, recent images of mighty Jupiter in the planetarium. Dress warmly! September 19^th

No programs September 26^th

Once More, with Feeling: The Last Hubble Servicing Mission

Having survived a threatened cancellation in the wake of the Columbia tragedy, the fifth and final Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission is poised to launch on Atlantis October 8^th. A team of astronauts working 350 miles up will add two new instruments and attempt to repair a failed one to upgrade Hubble to its best capability ever, with more sensitive cameras and spectrographs. Just as importantly, new batteries, stabilizing gyros, and thermal blankets will be installed to extend the useful life of this famous orbital observatory. We will review these improvements and what they mean for the future of the world’s best-known telescope, discuss why NASA must have a second shuttle on the pad before launching this mission, and how this mission prepares for the bittersweet end of Hubble’s incredible career. October 3^{rd &} 10^th

Astronomy On Your Computer

Astronomy on Your Computer

The power and superb graphics of today’s personal computers allows you to run what amounts to “desktop planetarium” software on your PC or Mac. These potent software packages won’t provide an immersive experience like our dome theater, but they are a lot more portable! Join us as we test-drive some representative packages suited to a wide variety of interest and knowledge levels. With the ability to update data via the internet, this type of program can do everything from telling you what that bright thing near the Moon was last night to actively controlling a computerized telescope. We’ll also discuss some of the best internet astronomy and space exploration resources. Information handouts will be provided. October 17^th & 24^th

No programs on October 31^st – Happy Halloween!

Special Observing Event: The Moons of Autumn

We continue our popular observing programs with two nights devoted to the first target of every fledgling astronomer – the Moon. This year, the first Fridays in November and December provide excellent lunar lighting and sky position. After a quick observer’s briefing in the planetarium, we will once more join local amateur astronomer volunteers to view our planet’s natural satellite in a variety of telescopes. If clouds intervene, we will present a program of images of and from the Moon, including color video of Apollo moonwalks. Dress warmly! November 7^th & December 5^th

Holiday Telescope Buyer’s Survival Guide

So, you want to buy that special someone a telescope as a holiday gift, but you are mystified by all the optical jargon? We’ve got you covered! Images and actual examples of good beginner’s telescopes will be the primary (you guessed it!) focus of this presentation. Good sources (Hint: probably NOT a department store…) and places to glean further advice will be suggested, along with a few time-honored maxims about telescope choices. Be a smart shopper! November 14^th

Star of Wonder

Travel back over 2,000 years via our time machine (the Digistar II star projector) for an astronomer’s look at possible explanations for the Star of Bethlehem. November 21^st & December 12^th

Mars Exploration Update

As this is written, Mars exploration is in high gear, data coming back to Earth from three landing missions and three orbiters in an unprecedented flood of information from the Red Planet. We’ll look at how the overall picture of Mars has evolved – sometimes with startling speed – in this second era of Mars exploration, and preview upcoming missions, including a major NASA effort that looks to be in serious schedule and cost difficulty at press time. January 9^th & 23^rd

Guest Speaker: Dr. Robert Troy, NASA/JPL (Note location below)

Dr. Troy has a unique perspective on the science and engineering efforts at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, having served for more than a decade as a staff engineer on projects including Genesis, the Mars Polar Lander, Mars Exploration Rovers, and the Mars Science Laboratory, while simultaneously completing his doctoral studies in geophysics and space physics at UCLA utilizing data from the airborne JPL Laser Hygrometer. Experienced as both a spacecraft design engineer and planetary scientist, he’ll relate how these two communities combine talents (and make tradeoffs) to bring missions from concept to flight. January 16^th, location: Science Building Room 140

The Kepler Mission and the Search for Earth-like Planets

As we go to press, astronomers have confirmed the existence of 307 planets orbiting 263 different stars in our local “neighborhood” within the Milky Way. None, though, are Earth-sized bodies located in the “life zones” of their parent stars. With extrasolar planet searches in their relative infancy, it is no surprise that the planets we have found so far tend to be large and orbiting their stars rather quickly – these types are easiest to locate. Now, though, we are about to launch the Kepler spacecraft. Kepler is designed to survey over 100,000 nearby stars, and could open the floodgates of discovery of Earthlike planets in the immediate stellar neighborhood – or indicate that Earth is perhaps indeed a cosmic rarity. The fact that either result is entirely plausible shows just how little we actually know about this emerging branch of astronomy.

Kepler is scheduled to launch within a month of this program, so beat the rush and be prepared for all those water-cooler discussions of what may be one of the most profoundly important science missions ever flown. January 30^th & February 6^th

No programs February 13^th

Special Observing Event: Gems of the Winter Sky

With the Moon’s glare absent in late February, it’s prime time to observe the winter sky. We will discuss several of the bright star clusters and other deep sky objects of the winter sky, provide tips on what to look for, then head outside for a session at the eyepiece courtesy of amateur astronomer volunteers. See the Pleiades star cluster, the great Orion Nebula, red giant star Betelgeuse, and other winter wonders in multiple telescopes. If clouds interfere, we will project professional images of these objects in the planetarium. Dress warmly! February 20^th & 27^th

Charles Messier and the Faint Fuzzies

18th century French comet hunter Charles Messier would probably be an obscure figure to modern astronomy enthusiasts had he not compiled a list of things he was not looking for. In his small refractor telescopes there were lots of fuzzy comet-like objects that did not move against the star background as real comets do. His nuisance list of these non-moving, faint, fuzzy objects became his chief historical claim to fame, for these are a fine list of the brightest galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae in the northern sky, and the reason you see “M” in front of the numerical designations for many beautiful objects in the night sky. Some amateur astronomers even try “Messier Marathons” an attempt to view all 110 objects in the Messier catalog in a single dusk-to-dawn period. This is possible only in March and April, and we will view images of many of these objects and discuss them and their locations in more detail. March 6^th & 13^th

March 20^th & 27^th Programs TBD

Special Observing Event: Saturn and the Moon

As we move in to the second half of 2009, we are approaching a “ring plane crossing” where Saturn’s rings appear edge-on as viewed from Earth. This will actually occur in September, when Saturn will be near the Sun in our sky and difficult to observe. These events occur because, like the Earth, Saturn’s axis is tilted with respect to its orbit. For Earthly observers, the effect is that we view the north and south sides of the rings in an alternating sequence following Saturn’s nearly 30 year orbit around the Sun. We are nearly through almost 15 years of viewing the north side of the rings, and late in 2009, after a brief “disappearance” of the razor-thin rings, we will see the south side of the rings illuminated by the Sun for the first time in a decade and a half. We’ll take a farewell look at the north side of the rings on the first Fridays of April and May, thanks as usual to amateur astronomer volunteers. Dress warmly! April 3^rd & May 1^st

April 10^th & 24^thPrograms TBD

No programs April 17^th

May 8^th & 15^th Programs TBD

No programs May 22^nd

Summer Star Party Planner

Gatherings of amateur astronomers to observe the evening sky are called “star parties”, and summertime presents good opportunities for beginners to attend these events without having to deal with winter’s cold and travel hazards. From local urban and suburban locations to high, dark mountains and deserts, we’ll clue you in on where and when to go and what to bring to be a welcome star party visitor and participant. May 29^th & June 5^th