Shows and lectures are very popular and sell out quickly; advance ticket purchase strongly recommended. Tickets may be purchased online at events.smc.edu (a small service charge may apply), by phone at (310) 434-3000, or in person at the SMC Events Office (Amphitheater building, SMC Main Campus). 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 age 60+ and children age 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 scheduled Feature Show or Guest Lecture. For information, please visit our website (www.smc.edu/planetarium) or call (310) 434-4223.
Our Digistar II planetarium projector recreates the celestial wonders of the ever-changing night sky—as you would see it far from city lights—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, August 31 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, September 7, 14, 21, 28 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, October 5, 12, 19, 26 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, November 2, 9, 16, 30 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, December 7, 14 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, January 11, 18, 25 • 7pm • Planetarium
Fri, February 1 • 7pm • Planetarium
Feature Shows & Guest Lectures
Planetarium Feature Shows and Guest Lectures are presented at 8 p.m. on Fridays when the Night Sky Show is scheduled. For additional information, please call (310) 434-4223.
As autumn moves in, the days shorten, the stars of summer linger in the early evening, and a new cast of astronomical celebrities graces the late evening sky. Come tour the best autumn telescopic objects beyond our solar system by way of stunning images and descriptions of how our understanding of these objects continues to evolve.
Fri, August 31, September 7 • 8pm • Planetarium
More than three years after arriving at Saturn, the orbiting Cassini spacecraft’s findings and images of the Ringed Wonder and its diverse moons continue to astonish and mystify us. Catch up on Cassini’s latest findings and how they are shaping our picture of the outer solar system.
Fri, September 14, 28 • 8pm • Planetarium
This Fall, we continue our popular series of observing events with a monthly look at the Moon. On evenings when the Moon has favorable placement and lighting, we’ll discuss the highlights to be seen, then head outside for a look through a selection of telescopes, weather permitting. (If clouds intervene, we’ll remain inside, view still and video images of humanity’s first off-planet landfall, and discuss the resumption of lunar exploration.) Bring warm clothing!
Fri, September 21, October 19, November 16 • 8pm • Planetarium
Founded by visionary George Ellery Hale in 1904, the Mt. Wilson Observatory still has its great reflecting telescopes—which dominated the fledgling field of astrophysics for four decades—standing beneath their classic domes. Find out about this local treasure, its pivotal role in 20th-century astronomy, and what it’s like to observe with its 60-inch telescope.
Fri, October 5, 12 • 8pm • Planetarium
Well into their fourth year of what was originally a 90-day mission, the twin Mars Rovers—Spirit and Opportunity—are still at it. As this publication goes to press, a planetwide dust storm threatens to finally end the mission for one or both of them. Will our plucky robotic emissaries survive?
Fri, October 26, November 2 • 8pm • Planetarium
So, you want to buy that special someone a telescope as a holiday gift, but you’re mystified by all the optical jargon? We’ve got you covered! Come see images and actual examples of good beginner’s telescopes. We’ll discuss some time-honored maxims about telescope choices, good sources for telescopes, and where to find further advice.
Fri, November 9 • 8pm • Planetarium
Travel back over 2,000 years via our time machine (the Digistar II star projector) for an astronomer’s look at possible explanations of the Star of Bethlehem.
Fri, November 30, December 7, 14 • 8pm • Planetarium
For centuries, humans have gazed at the great winter figure we call Orion and seen a hunter with his faithful dogs at his heels. Deep in the sword of Orion, visible to the unaided human eye, is a massive complex of dust and gas, which we now know to be an active star-formation region. Using stunning images from ground and space telescopes, we’ll explore this Great Orion Nebula, and discuss recent discoveries that reveal the hundreds of potential planetary systems forming within!
Fri, January 11, 18 • 8pm • Planetarium
With the Moon rising late and its glare absent, we will discuss several of the winter sky’s bright star clusters and deep sky objects, provide tips on what to look for, then head outside for a look through a selection of telescopes at the Pleiades star cluster, the great Orion Nebula, red giant star Betelgeuse, and other winter wonders. (If clouds interfere, we’ll remain inside and explore a variety of professional images of these objects.) Bring warm clothing!
Fri, January 25, February 1 • 8pm • Planetarium