SMC’s Drescher Planetarium Presents Free, Live Virtual Shows on Fridays in Dec.

SMC’s Drescher Planetarium Presents Free, Live Virtual Shows on Fridays in Dec.

Friendly Presentations Include Human Bodies in Space, Non-Western Constellations, and a Look at the Winter Solstice

SANTA MONICA, CA — Santa Monica College’s John Drescher Planetarium continues its Friday evening events in Dec. 2023 with free, live virtual shows presented online at smc.edu/planetarium. This month’s friendly shows will cover how human bodies react to living in space, reveal non-Western constellations in the winter sky, and explore the history and festivities surrounding the Winter Solstice.

The Friday evening shows are at 8 p.m. and are preceded by a streamlined virtual digest of the popular Night Sky Show at 7 p.m., offering the latest news in astronomy and space exploration. The shows include the chance to chat with the planetarium lecturers and ask questions.

Planetarium lecturers are currently using the Zoom platform to present shows while SMC’s new planetarium and observatory are under construction. To attend the virtual shows, the Zoom software must be installed on the viewer’s computer. A free download is available at zoom.com.

The Dec. 2023 shows are:

• Friday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m. (following The Night Sky Show at 7 p.m.): “Human Bodies in Space – What We Know So Far” — Lecturer Sarah Vincent. The goal of NASA’s Artemis mission is to establish long term habitation on the Moon. Every human was born in Earth’s gravity, but just under 700 humans have ever gone beyond Earth’s atmosphere, and only 24 humans have gone beyond the protection of Earth’s magnetic radiation shield. How will the human body react to the harsh reality of living in space? The show explores what is currently known about the body’s responses and the unfilled gaps that remain. Free. Zoom at smc.edu/planetarium.
• Friday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. (following The Night Sky Show at 7 p.m.): “Winter Sky: Non-Western Constellations” — Lecturer Sarah Vincent. European explorers brought with them the sky stories of Zeus, Orion, and Perseus, and those stories have all but erased the legacies of other cultures. But many cultures are working to preserve their astronomical histories. Show takes a look at some of the rich non-Western celestial worlds. Free. Zoom at smc.edu/planetarium.

• Friday, Dec. 15, at 8 p.m. (following The Night Sky Show at 7 p.m.): “A Winter’s Solstice” — Lecturer Sarah Vincent, sitting in for Senior 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. Free. Zoom at smc.edu/planetarium.

More information is available online at smc.edu/planetarium or by calling 310-434-3005. All shows subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

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