One hundred years ago Albert Einstein began the Relativity Revolution that led
to the discovery of warped space, black holes, the Big Bang, and perhaps time
travel. For tickets, call (310) 434-3000. Shows and lectures are very popular and sell out quickly; advance ticket purchase strongly recommended. Shows (except guest lectures) are held in the John Drescher Planetarium, located on SMC’s Main Campus in Drescher Hall Room 223. Admission to a single show or lecture is $5 ($4 seniors 60+ and children 12 and under). For the double-bill price of $9 ($7 seniors and children), you can enjoy both the Night Sky Show and the evening’s Feature Show or Guest Lecture. For information, call (310) 434-4223, visit our website (www.smc.edu/planetarium), or send e-mail to jhodge@smc.edu.
Our Digistar II planetarium projector recreates the celestial wonders of the ever-changing night sky in a 50-minute show updated weekly with the latest news in space exploration and astronomy. Bring the whole family to “tour” the constellations and ask questions about anything related to astronomy. The Night Sky Show costs $5 ($4 seniors age 60+ and children age 12 and under) and is presented on the following dates:
Fri, January 7, 14, 21, 28 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, February 4, 18, 25 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, March 4, 11, 18 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, April 1, 8, 22, 29 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, May 6, 13, 20 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, June 3, 10, 17, 24 • 7pm • Planetarium
This month, the Huygens robot probe will land on Titan, Saturn’s mysterious, cloud-enshrouded moon.
Fri, January 7, 14, 21 • 8pm • Planetarium
Guest lecturer Todd Small, of Caltech, explores the high energy universe with GALEX, an orbiting ultraviolet space telescope.
Fri, January 28 • 8pm • Science 140
Our roving robots Spirit and Opportunity have been on Mars over a year. What have they taught us about Mars as it is today and the radically different Mars of long ago?
Fri, February 4, 18 • 8pm • Planetarium
Guest lecturer David Stephenson, professor of geophysics at Caltech, reveals the most mysterious part of Earth: its deep interior, as hot as the Sun’s surface.
Fri, February 25 • 8pm • Science 140
As the Hubble Space Telescope approaches a major crisis, we look back at 15 years of great discoveries and accomplishments.
Fri, March 4, 11 • 8pm • Planetarium
Guest lecturer Julie Townsend, of JPL, tells us what it’s like driving Mars rovers and working a Mars-time-based schedule while having to deal with the conflicts of Earth-time-based living.
Fri, March 18 • 8pm • Science 140
One hundred years ago Albert Einstein began the Relativity Revolution that led
to the discovery of warped space, black holes, the Big Bang, and perhaps time
travel.
Fri, April 1, 8, 22, & May 6, 13 • 8pm • Planetarium
Guest lecturer Sarah Gallagher, UCLA post-doctoral researcher, explores the largest collisions in our universe, when galaxies of billions of stars smash together.
Fri, April 29 • 8pm • Science 140
Guest lecturer Don Dixon, Griffith Observatory’s Art Director, shows how digital artists are creating spectacular new effects for the Observatory’s 2005 reopening.
Fri, May 20 • 8pm • Science 140
In the past decade, we’ve discovered more than 120 planets of other stars. What are these strange new worlds like?
Fri, June 3, 10, 17 • 8pm • Planetarium
Guest lecturer Robert Staehle, of JPL’s Space Experiment Systems, examines how we use robot technology to extend our senses to extraterrestrial environments.
Fri, June 24 • 8pm • Science 140