The following is a submission from SMC.
The Santa Monica College Planetarium will present live-hosted, on-campus shows on Friday evenings in August, with a Sunday Family Matinée on Aug. 16. The Aug. shows include the popular “The Night Sky Show” and Feature Programs on Mars Rover Curiosity, the Great Observatories, Eclipses and Moon Phases, andthe Sun. 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 Aug. 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, Aug. 7, 6 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 14, 6 p.m.; Sunday Family Matinée, Aug. 16, 1 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 21, 6 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 28, 6 p.m.
• Feature Program: “Mission Close-up: Curiosity” — The Curiosity Rover has been exploring Mars for more than a decade. What has it found, where is it now, and where will it go next on its trek across the Red Planet? A brief audience Q&A follows the show. Friday, Aug. 7, 7 p.m.
• Feature Program: “The Great Observatories” — Hubble Space Telescope is one of four space-based telescopes dubbed “The Great Observatories.” Lecturer Sarah Vincent takes a look at these groundbreaking instruments that made possible the first broad-spectrum look at space. A brief audience Q&A follows the show. Friday, Aug. 14, 7 p.m.; Sunday Family Matinée, Aug. 16, 2 p.m.
• Feature Program: “Physics of Eclipses and Moon Phases” —Gearing up for the partial lunar eclipse on Aug. 27 and the total solar eclipse visible from much of the Mediterranean in 2027, Lecturer Sarah Vincent takes a closer look at Earth’s largest natural satellite, and marvels at the fact that Earth is the only planet in the solar system whose moon perfectly blocks the Sun. A brief audience Q&A follows the show. Friday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
• Feature Program: “Solar System Survey: Sun” — SMC Planetarium’s new series The Solar System Survey begins with an exploration of Earth’s home star, Sol. The middle mass star in the outer reaches of the Milky Way is home to the only planetary system with life. What’s so special about Sol? A brief audience Q&A follows the show. Friday, Aug. 28, 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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