The Santa Monica College (SMC) John Drescher Planetarium will present three special feature shows – including a telescope viewing session – on Friday evenings in October.
The feature shows are at 8 p.m. and are preceded by “The Night Sky Show” at 7 p.m., 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 October shows are:
• Oct. 7: “Special Observing Event: Six-Day-Old Moon, the Ring Nebula, and a Pretty Double Star!” – Take a close look at the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility, where humans first walked the surface, and the Sea of Serenity, near whose rim the final Apollo landing took place. Then turn your gaze to the Ring Nebula, and finish up with a view of double star Albireo. If clouds intervene, the program will stay in the planetarium with high-resolution images.
• Oct. 14 and 21: “OSIRIS-REx: The Asteroid Sample Return Mission” – In September, the OSIRIS-REx mission is scheduled to set out on a 2-year voyage to collect and return with samples from asteroid Bennu, which has an orbit that carries it relatively close to Earth every 6 years, and is a potentially hazardous object posing a moderate threat of an Earth impact in the next 200 years. Find out how the mission intends to accomplish these objectives, and discuss Potentially Hazardous Asteroids along the way.
• Oct. 28: “The Total Eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017” – The first total solar eclipse to occur in the continental USA since 1979 is coming this summer! With the solar corona plainly visible overhead, a total eclipse is one of those “Must See” experiences. Come review what an eclipse actually is, find out the path of the eclipse, and discuss viewing safety and weather conditions.
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 $11 ($9 seniors and children) for the evening’s scheduled “double bill,” or $6 ($5 seniors age 60-plus and children age 12 and younger) for a single Night Sky or feature show or telescope-viewing session.
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.
Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).