Planetarium

Zoom link for December Friday Evening Planetarium Shows

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. 

December 6: "Deep Sky Deep Dive: Planetary Nebulae" — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent.  Some dying stars explode in supernovae, some disappear into black holes, and some, like the Sun, leave behind stunning planetary nebulae. But this is not an event without casualties. When the Sun dies, if it doesn’t destroy Earth completely, it will leave Earth a scorched cinder orbiting a dead star. Earth’s fate might be to become a zombie planet.

December 13: "Constellations"  — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Humans love to find patterns in randomness, and the stars are no exception. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognizes 88 official constellations, and several sub-patterns called asterisms. Tonight’s show highlights several and offers tips for finding them through LA’s light-polluted skies.

December 20: "A Winter's Solstice" — Planetarium Lecturer Jim Mahon. People have long faced the coming of winter with festivities, and customs like the burning of the “Yule Log” and hanging of evergreens far predate the celebration of Christmas in December. Tonight’s show examines the history of various ancient observances of the Winter Solstice and how they have evolved and melded with Judeo-Christian holidays, and looks at a remarkable planetary conjunction in 2 B.C., a leading candidate for a scientific explanation for the Star of Bethlehem

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.