
American Red Cross Blood Drive
The Herbert Trackman Planetarium is dedicated to continuing its tradition of outstanding astronomical instruction and entertainment. Our planetarium has a 30 ft diameter dome and a new OmniStar Digital planetarium projector. Our planetarium shows feature sky tours with our planetarium projector and PowerPoint presentations on a wide range of astronomical topics.
We are open for daytime and evening shows! Mark your calendars for these upcoming March shows.
★ Thurs. March 9th at 6PM- Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope
400 years ago, a simple adjustment of a child’s spyglass revealed for the first time an infinite and perplexing universe to our eyes. Aiming to engage audiences of all ages, this free planetarium show explores the wonder and discovery made by astronomers. Gaze ever further into the distant past — and into our future. Recommended Ages 8+
★ Tues. March 21st & Thurs. March 23rd at 6PM- Atlas of a Changing Earth
The first week of Spring! To commemorate the changing of season, we will be showing the stunning, award-winning film production Atlas of a Changing Earth. This show reflects how new revolutions in cartography (map-making) has shed light on the planet's drastic evolution in the wake of rising temperatures. Using stunning, latest-generation imagery from space, the striking new images are produced by a confluence of satellites and supercomputers, revealing the Earth in a degree of precise detail scarcely imagined a generation ago. Delve into the dynamic processes of glacial melt and rising seas. Our ever-evolving planet visualized like never before! Recommended ages 12+
★ Tues. March 28th at 6PM- Out There: The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds
This show tells the story of how human curiosity has driven us to look outwards for millenia - to discover and explore new and distant worlds and to find the unfamiliar and extraordinary forms of life that could exist in the mysterious realms of the Universe. As we have traversed more and more of the universe, what we have found so far has surpassed even our wildest expectations - There are planets everywhere! A huge diversity of different worlds are out there... Just waiting to be discovered. Suitable for general audiences.
★ Thurs. March 30th at 6PM- Birth of a Planet: Earth
This full dome show tells the twisted tale of our planet's origins. Scientists now believe our galaxy is filled with solar systems, including up to a billion planets roughly the size of our own. The film employs advanced, data-driven, cinematic-quality visualizations to address some of the greatest questions in science today: How did Earth become a living planet in the wake of our solar system's violent birth? What does its history tell us about the chances of finding other Earth-like worlds? How did it all begin? Suitable for general audiences.
During a typical semester, the public is invited to visit the planetarium in F-Building 1001 on the Main Campus of JJC. We have 55 seats available for our planetarium guests.
Educational groups are encouraged to schedule special programs that may be presented during the school day. These free, public service programs are tailored to the grade level of students attending the program. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility.
Social and civic organizations also are invited to schedule programs for their members. These programs are available during the day and on select Tuesday or Thursday evenings. For groups of 10 or more, reservations are required and can be made by sending an email to fieldtripcoordinator@jjc.edu.