The Santa Monica College John Drescher Planetarium launches 2014 with two special feature shows and a telescope-observing event on Friday evenings. The January shows are:
• Starbirth in Orion’s Sword on January 10 and 17. Explore the massive Great Orion Nebula and learn about recent discoveries that reveal the hundreds of stars and potential planetary systems forming within!
• Special Observing Event: Orion and the Winter Hexagon – with a Special Guest on January 24. Come view the winter sky, including the bounty of bright stars surrounding its signature constellation, Orion the Hunter – and as a special guest, Jupiter! – through a variety of telescopes, with guidance from local amateur astronomer volunteers.
• Cataloguing the Sky on January 31. Demystify arcane object designations like M31, NGC 4565, and SAO 150058 and find out what they mean as you trace the development of some of the best-known astronomical catalogs.
The feature shows are at 8 pm and are preceded by “The Night Sky Show” at 7 pm, offering the latest news in astronomy and space exploration, a family-friendly “tour” of the constellations, and the chance to ask astronomy-related questions.
The John Drescher Planetarium, which features a Digistar projection system, is located near the elevators on the second floor of Drescher Hall (1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica).
Tickets are available at the door and cost $6 ($5 seniors age 60+ and children age 12 and under) for a single show or telescope-viewing session, or $11 ($9 seniors and children) for the evening’s scheduled “double bill.”
For information, call 310.434.3005 or www.smc.edu/planetarium. All shows subject to change or cancellation without notice.
