Santa Monica College will resume its Friday Evening planetarium shows on Nov. 14 with two inaugural presentations in its new facility located in the recently opened LEED Gold-certified Mathematics + Science Building.
The new planetarium, situated in room MSB 126 at 1900 Pico Blvd., features a 9-meter diameter dome and an Evans & Sutherland Digistar 4K System with full multimedia capabilities.
Friday Evening shows begin at 7 p.m. with the weekly Night Sky Show, presenting astronomy news, constellation tours and audience Q&A sessions. At 8 p.m., the Feature Show explores specific topics in greater depth.
The November 2025 Feature Shows include "Welcome to the Universe!" on Nov. 14, exploring the cosmic web and Milky Way structure, and "Lunar Tour" on Nov. 21, featuring orbital views of the moon and Apollo landing sites. Both shows are presented by Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent.
When weather permits, some Feature Shows will be telescope viewing sessions at the new SMC Observatory, which houses a 0.7-meter CDK700 telescope — one of the largest available for public viewing in the Greater Los Angeles area. Sunday afternoon matinees are planned for the future.
General admission tickets cost $7 ($4 for children ages 3-12) for single shows or telescope sessions. Full evening tickets with both shows cost $14 general admission ($8 for children). A $1 processing fee applies to each ticket.
Tickets are available at smc.edu/tickets. Free parking is available on campus. More information is available at smc.edu/planetarium.
Edited by SMDP Staff