Free Shows Presented Online on Friday Evenings:
7 p.m. “Night Sky” Program
8 p.m. Feature Show
February 7 show - "Space - The Karman Line and Beyond"
February 21 Show - "Deep Sky Deep Dive: Galaxies"
February 28 Show: "Luna: Earth's Natural Satellite"
See below for show details.
Zoom link for February/March Friday evening programs
Planetarium this week
Free, live, virtual public shows!
Invitation links to the planetarium's live online events are generally posted the Thursday before. 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
Weekly Night Sky Show
The Night Sky programs will last roughly 30 - 40 minutes, 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.
February 7: "Space: The Karman Line and Beyond" - Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Earth’s thin atmosphere is home to all currently known life in the universe…except the astronauts in the International Space Station and China's Tiangong. These temporary inhabitants of space spend months above the atmosphere in freefall. Tonight’s show investigates how we define space and the changing definition of “astronaut.”
February 21: "Deep Sky Deep Dive - Galaxies" - Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Originally called “spiral nebulae,” galaxies like the Milky Way contain hundreds of billions of stars and come in many shapes and sizes. Tonight’s show explores the different types of galaxies and how these distant marvels are studied
February 28: “Luna: Earth’s Natural Satellite” — Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Tantalizingly close, yet so far away, Earth’s constant companion inspires dreams and exploration with its familiar face. Tonight’s show provides a quick guided tour of the Moon’s mare (Latin for “sea”) and craters.
Location of Planetarium (Currently closed)
Drescher Hall, 2nd Floor
1900 Pico Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Campus Map
The Drescher Planetarium is located in the middle of the second floor of Drescher Hall on the north side of the Santa Monica College campus. Drescher Hall is the three story brown building on the South East corner of Pico Blvd. and 17th Street. We are in Santa Monica, south of the 10 (Santa Monica) Freeway and west of the 405 (San Diego) Freeway.