Planetarium

Thanks to the generosity and vision of the late John Drescher, Santa Monica College is the home to a computerized planetarium theater. At its heart is the Evans & Sutherland Digistar II planetarium projector, which was the first of its kind on the West Coast. Using digital technology, audiences can fly beyond the solar system and soar among the stars. We can transport you across our galaxy to the limits of spacetime. 

Planetarium this week

NOTE:  JUNE 28 PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED

 

New free, live, virtual public shows!

 

Invitation links to the live online events are generally posted the Thursday before. These programs are only available LIVE on Friday evenings, and on the occasional Matinee dates, normally 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 winter 2025.

Jim Mahon
Senior 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. 

June 21: “Solar System Survey: The Sun” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Earth’s Sun puts the ‘Sol’ in "solar system." This week’s show rounds out the Solar System Survey Series with an exploration of Earth’s home star. It's a middle mass star in the outer reaches of the Milky Way, and it is the only star in the universe with a planetary system where it’s confirmed that life exists.

June 28: PROGRAM CANCELLED - WILL BE PRESENTED AT A LATER DATE  “Deep Sky Deep Dive: Understanding Exoplanets” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. Audience request: Planets beyond Earth’s solar system are a relatively new discovery. The first exoplanet was confirmed in 1992. Since then, with the help of missions like Kepler and TESS, more than 5,000 have been confirmed. But where are they? How do they form? And what can they teach about Earth and its solar system?

July 12: “Putting the ‘Sci’ in Sci-Fi” — Planetarium Lecturers Sarah Vincent and Jim Mahon. What happens when basic physics takes a back seat to familiar (even expected) special effects? Answer: sound in space! Drescher Planetarium lecturers present their top sci-fi pet peeves, and discuss what could make these moments more realistic.

July 19: “Search for Life Beyond Earth” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. The only known life in the universe is right here on Earth, but is this blue marble the only place it exists? Scientists are actively searching for life elsewhere. Tonight’s show explores where science is looking for extraterrestrial life and how it might be found.

July 26: “Mission Close-up: Parker Solar Probe” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. The Parker Solar Probe — NASA’s “mission to touch the Sun” — is the fastest spacecraft ever flown. Tonight’s show takes a closer look at the only functioning craft to fly through the Sun’s corona.