Community

Planetarium

 

Free Shows Presented Online on Friday Evenings:


7 p.m. “Night Sky” Program


8 p.m. Feature Show (following the 7 p.m. Night Sky Program)

May 2 Show: NOTE: The May 2 8 p.m. program, “Radio Astronomy - Exploring the Low Energy Universe” has been postponed to a later date.  We will present a Night Sky Show ONLY on May 2, with no 8 p.m. show following.  We apologize for any inconvenience. 

May 9 Show: “Hubble Science

May 16 Show: “Hubble at 35

May 30 Show "Late Spring/Early Summer Deep Sky Wonders"

 

See below for show details.

 

Zoom link for May FRiday Night Shows

Planetarium this week

Free, live, virtual public shows!

Invitation links to the planetarium's live online events are generally posted the Thursday before the event. These programs are only available LIVE on Friday evenings, and on the occasional Matinee dates (typically on Sundays). Clicking on the Zoom links at other times will not work.

Please scroll down beyond the calendar for notes on upcoming 8 p.m. programs

We also look forward to the expanded capabilities of the new planetarium and observatory SMC is building for opening in 2025.

Jim Mahon
Planetarium Lecturer

Upcoming Planetarium Shows

See All
Shows are presented live online until further notice.
May 30
The Night Sky Show

The Night Sky Show

7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Online
Jun 20
The Night Sky Show

The Night Sky Show

7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Online

Comet NEOWISE over Mount Shasta

Weekly Night Sky Show

The Night Sky program is roughly 30-40 minutes long, followed by a short question-and-answer period where guests can type questions into a chat box, and we will answer as many questions as possible. There will be a short intermission at approximately 7:50 p.m. prior to the start of the Feature program at 8 p.m.

Feature Programs

Note that all 8 p.m. feature programs are preceded by the 7 p.m. “Night Sky” program described above.

Currently all presentations are online ONLY, with the exception of occasional observing programs. 

May 2:   NOTE: The May 2 8 p.m. program, “Radio Astronomy - Exploring the Low Energy Universe” has been postponed to a later date.  We will present a Night Sky Show ONLY on May 2, with no 8 p.m. show following.  We apologize for any inconvenience. 

May 9: “Hubble Science” — Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Hubble Space Telescope images provide breath-taking views of the cosmos. Leading up to next week’s celebration of the Hubble, this week’s show looks at the science of Hubble’s beautiful images

May 16: "Hubble at 35" — Lecturer Sarah Vincent. May 20 marks the 35th anniversary of Hubble Space Telescope’s “First Light.” This week’s show looks back on the storied telescope’s path to launch, on-orbit repairs, and stunning contributions to astronomy.

May 30: "Late Spring/Early Summer Deep Sky Wonders" - Lecturer Jim Mahon.  As nights become warmer, the skies of late spring and early summer beckon with a dazzling collection of objects beyond the solar system, but well within range of amateur telescopes under dark skies — which Southern Californians can reach with an easy drive. Tonight’s show will use images to review some of these night-sky gems, and discuss opportunities to get out there and view them.

Location of Planetarium (Currently Closed for Construction)

Math and Science Building (MSB 126)
1900 Pico Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Campus Map

The SMC Planetarium is located in the new Math and Science Building on the south side of the Santa Monica College Main Campus. The Math and Science Building is on the corner of Pearl Street at Parking Lot 1, just west of 20th Street. We are in Santa Monica, south of the 10 (Santa Monica) Freeway and west of the 405 (San Diego) Freeway.