The Santa Monica College Planetarium will present live-hosted shows on Friday evenings in October, with a Sunday Family Matinée on Oct. 11. Programs include "The Night Sky Show" and feature presentations on exoplanets, the life cycles of stars, and how ancient and modern navigators use the night sky to travel without GPS.
Each show runs about 40 minutes and includes a short audience Q&A with Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent.
Friday shows begin at 6 p.m. with "The Night Sky Show," presenting the latest news in astronomy and space exploration, followed at 7 p.m. by the feature program. Sunday matinée shows begin at 1 p.m., followed by a feature program at 2 p.m. No children under age 3 are permitted at Friday evening shows.
"The Night Sky Show," which uses SMC's 4K Digistar projection system for a virtual tour of the constellations, runs Friday, Oct. 9; Sunday, Oct. 11; and Fridays, Oct. 16, 23 and 30.
"Deep Sky Deep Dive: Understanding Exoplanets" explores where exoplanets have been found, how they form and what they reveal about Earth's origin. More than 6,000 exoplanets have been confirmed since the first in 1992. It shows Friday, Oct. 9, and Sunday, Oct. 11.
"Astro Intro: Stars" examines where stars come from, what happens inside them and how they die. It shows Fridays, Oct. 16 and 23.
"Stellar Navigation (for the Zombie Apocalypse)" explains how ancient navigators crossed oceans without GPS. It shows Friday, Oct. 30.
All shows are in Room MSB 126 of the Mathematics + Science Building on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd. Free parking is available.
Tickets are available at smc.edu/tickets, with a $1 per-ticket service fee, and are not sold at the door. "The Night Sky Show" and the feature program are each $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 3-12. A combo ticket is $16 for adults and $10 for children.
More information is available at smc.edu/planetarium or by calling 310-434-4163. All shows are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
Edited by SMDP Staff