The Bianchi Planetarium is home to the Spitz-512 Star Projector, which is capable of recreating the night sky on the 40-foot dome ceiling with outstanding accuracy. More than 2,000 stars, five planets and various motions of the sky come to life overhead as spectators observe from theater style seating.
The planetarium is located on campus within the science buildings. It has 105 seats, and in addition to the star shows, it is also equipped to project large images for slide and video presentations they offer through out the year.
The star shows are offered in two one-hour sets with a short intermission in between. The first show is given by Dr. Jan Dobias, program coordinator for the planetarium.
“This show basically highlights what stars, planets, and constellations are visible at the time that the show is given,” Dobias said.
The second show features invited speakers from many local institutions such as CSUN, UCLA, USC, JPL, and Cal Tech. They hold public lectures about astronomy topics, space research, space flights and missions to other planets.
The shows are held every Friday during the fall and spring semesters, start at 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and feature the sky during the spring, summer and autumn seasons. General admission is $5.00 for one show and $8.00 for both, for students they charge $3.00 for one show and $5.00 for both. Tickets are available at the door prior to show time or can be purchased through the box office.
