The following is a submission from the City of Santa Monica.
The Santa Monica College Planetarium will present live-hosted, on-campus shows on three Friday evenings in July, with a Sunday Family Matinée on July 12. The July shows include the popular “The Night Sky Show” and Feature Programs on women in space, exoplanets, and the search for life beyond earth. Each show is about 40 minutes long and followed by a short audience Q&A with Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent.
Friday evening showsstart at 6 p.m. with “The Night Sky Show,” presenting the latest news in astronomy, space exploration, and the night-sky celebrities making their appearance in the evenings ahead. The show is followed at 7 p.m. by the Feature Program. No children under age 3 permitted at the Friday shows. Sunday Family Matinée shows start at 1 p.m. with “The Night Sky Show,” followed at 2 p.m. by a Feature Program.
All shows are presented in the SMC Planetarium, located in room MSB 126 of the Mathematics + Science Buildingon the SMC Main Campus at 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Ample and conveniently located free parking for planetarium shows is available on the SMC Main Campus.
Tickets may be purchased at smc.edu/tickets (a $1 per ticket service fee will be charged by the ticketing company). PLEASE NOTE: No children under age 3 at Friday evening shows.
THE NIGHT SKY SHOW: $10 adults, $7 children ages 3-12
FEATURE PROGRAM: $10 adults, $7 children ages 3-12
SHOW COMBO (“The Night Sky Show” plus Feature Program): $16 adults, $10 children ages 3-12
The July 2026 Feature Shows are:
• “The Night Sky Show” — Using SMC’s 4K Digistar projection system, Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent will talk about the latest news in astronomy and space exploration, and present a virtual tour of constellations and other night-sky celebrities making their appearance in the evenings ahead. Friday, July 10, 6 p.m.; Sunday Family Matinée, July 12, 1 p.m.; Friday, July 17, 6 p.m.; Friday, July 24, 6 p.m.
• Feature Program: Women in Space Series: “Space Flight” — SMC Planetarium launches a new Women in Space Series this summer. Lecturer Sarah Vincent will highlight the careers of women in the fields of aerospace and astrophysics. This show in the series will focus on the careers of Shuttle Era astronauts Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, and Peggy Whitson. A brief audience Q&A follows the show. Friday, July 10, 7 p.m.; Sunday Family Matinée, July 12, 2 p.m.
• Feature Program: Deep Sky Deep Dive: “Understanding Exoplanets” — SMC Planetarium continues its popular Deep Sky Deep Dive series with a look at exoplanets. These planets beyond our solar system are a relatively new discovery, with the first exoplanet confirmed in 1992. With the help of missions like Kepler and TESS, more than 6,000 exoplanets have been confirmed to date. But where are they? How do they form? And what can they reveal about Earth’s origin? A brief audience Q&A follows the show. Friday, July 17, 7 p.m.
• Feature Program: “Search for Life Beyond Earth” — The only currently known life in the universe is right here on Earth, but is this blue marble the only place it exists? Scientists are actively searching for life elsewhere. Lecturer Sarah Vincent explores where science is looking for extraterrestrial life and how it might be found. A brief audience Q&A follows the show. Friday, July 24, 7 p.m.
More information is available online at smc.edu/planetariumor by calling
310-434-4163. 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).
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