The Santa Monica College John Drescher Planetarium will present its schedule of Winter 2016 feature shows and special telescope-viewing sessions, which begin on Friday, Jan. 8.
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 Winter 2016 lineup is:
• Jan. 8 & Jan. 22: “Starbirth in Orion’s Sword” – Explore the Great Orion Nebula and learn about recent discoveries that reveal the hundreds of potential planetary systems forming within! [Note that a telescope-viewing session targeting Orion will be held on January 29.]
• Jan. 15: “Special Observing Event: A Crescent Moon and Winter Constellations” – Take a look at several of the Moon’s big craters and the Seas of Tranquility and Serenity, and enjoy some of the winter constellations. If clouds intervene, the program will stay in the planetarium with high-resolution images.
• Jan. 29: “Special Observing Event: Orion, the Seven Sisters, and the Winter Hexagon!” – Explore the winter sky and the bounty of stars – including the lovely Pleiades Cluster – surrounding its signature constellation, Orion the Hunter. If clouds intervene, the program will stay in the planetarium with high-resolution images.
• Feb. 5: “Rosetta and Comet 67P” – The European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission has been a triumph. Come review the mission in images and find out what we’ve learned about these icy emissaries from the outermost reaches of our solar system.
The John Drescher Planetarium, which features a Digistar projection system, is located near the elevators on the second floor of Drescher Hall (SMC Main Campus, 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 see www.smc.edu/eventsinfo or www.smc.edu/planetarium. All shows subject to change or cancellation without notice.
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