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# Planetarium to honor red planet
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/planetarium-to-honor-red-planet/
- Published: 2003-06-27T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:25:49.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Education, Pico, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

With the excitement generated by the upcoming historic Mars “opposition” — as well as the launching of new Mars rovers — Santa Monica College’s John Drescher Planetarium will present shows in July and, for the first time, in August that focus on the red planet.

The Planetarium shows — held every Friday in July and August except for July 4 — will take advantage of the upcoming Mars “opposition” on Aug. 28\. That means that Mars will be the closest to Earth it has been since the Ice Age, 60,000 years ago.

The lineup is: ■ “Janet Planet Planetarium Show” at 7 p.m., which will feature Mars. ■ “Martian Closeup Part I” in July and “Martian Closeup Part II” in August, both at 8 p.m. ■ Instead of “Martian Closeup Part I” at 8 p.m. on July 25, the Planetarium will present a guest lecture, "Rocking and Rolling on Mars," by Albert Haldemann, deputy project scientist for the Jet Propulsion Lab's Mars Exploration Rovers. One Mars rover was launched earlier in June and another is scheduled to be launched June 28.

“Janet Planet” and “Martian Closeup” are held in SMC's John Drescher Planetarium, located on the second floor of Drescher Hall, 1900 Pico Blvd. The guest lecture on July 25 is held in Room 140 of the Science Complex, 1900 Pico Blvd.

“July and August are going to be out of this world in the planetarium, and we urge all attendees to wear red to celebrate Mars when they come to our family-oriented shows,” said Shelley Bonus, who conducts the entertaining and informative “Janet Planet” and feature lectures at SMC.

Tickets are $5 each or $8 for the “double bill,” with discounts for children and senior citizens. For information, call (310) 434-4223 or (310) 434-3000.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 27, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/062703.pdf?ref=smdp.com)