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Saturday, October 16, 2021

 Halloween Season at the RVCC Planetarium!

October 2021

 

 

 


 

Welcome Back!

 

We are delighted to welcome visitors back to the Planetarium!

Please make note of our health and safety guidelines.

 

·     All persons ages two and older are required to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.

·     Hand sanitizer stations are located in the Planetarium's lobby, as are the restrooms with soap and water for washing hands.

·     The Planetarium's HVAC system uses MERV 13 filters and brings in fresh air to the room.

Information about RVCC's COVID response and protocols can be found here.

 


 

Public Shows on Saturdays

 

What better way to restart things than with our Halloween and Hogwarts programs!

 

Spooky Skies

Saturdays, Oct. 23 and 30, 3:00 and 7:00 pm

This Halloween, come to the RVCC Planetarium to witness spine chilling tricks and treats of Spooky Skies! Spooky Skies takes viewers back to medieval Ireland to explore the roots of the Halloween holiday, then goes into the heavens to draw parallels between some celestial objects and famous monsters. What does a werewolf have on an inescapable Black Hole; a noxious, deadly planet like Venus; or a crushing, dangerous supernova? (Recommended for ages 8 to adult)

Fright Light laser concert (family version)

Saturdays, October 23 and 30, 4:00 pm

The Witches and Ghouls continue to haunt the planetarium. They love our laser songs, including “The Adams Family Theme Song,” “Monster Mash,” and “Ghostbusters.” (recommended for ages 6-adult)

Fright Light (PG-13)

Saturdays, October 23 and 30, 8:00 p.m.

Not for young viewers or those easily scared! Features songs including “Alive” by Meatloaf, “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band. (Recommended for ages 13 to adult)

 

The Skies over Hogwarts

Friday, October 29, 7:00 & 8:00 pm

Join our eclectic group of witches and wizards as they guide you through a "Harry Potter"-themed tour of the night sky. Learn how J.K. Rowling used astronomy as the inspiration for some of her characters' names. (Recommended for ages 8 and older)

 

Admission: $10 per person for one show

$18 per person for two shows on the same day

Reservations are recommended. Call 908-231-8805 or email the Planetarium.

 

Please arrive 20-30 minutes before the show to pay for your tickets.

The closest parking lots are #9 and #1.

Late arrivals are NOT admitted to the Planetarium's theater once a show has started.

 

Masks are required indoors for everyone ages 2 and older regardless of vaccination status.

 


 

Private Shows / Field Trips

 

You can schedule a private show in the Planetarium for your group of 1-75 people.

Weekdays: 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm

Saturdays: 1:30 pm, 5:00 pm

Weekday evenings will be considered on an individual basis.

 

 

Choose an astronomy show or a laser concert!


·     Rockin' Rocket Ride

·     Magic Tree House: Space Mission

·     Accidental Astronauts

·     From Earth to the Universe

·     Black Holes

·     Exploding Universe

·     Tonight's Sky and more!


·     The Best of Pink Floyd

·     The Beatles

·     Led Zeppelin

·     Grateful Dead

·     Queen

·     Rock of Ages (music from the movie/Broadway show)

·     Pop Rock (family-friendly)

·     Laser Magic (family-friendly) and more!

 

 


 

What's Up?

 

All Mars missions are paused for a couple weeks. Why would something this big happen?! Well, not for a bad reason, as you might think. Learn why a special conjunction doesn't let scientists communicate with their robots abroad. And learn what conjunction even means!

 

Check this week's Star Talk for more information.

 

It's also available in Spanish!

 

New episodes are uploaded to our YouTube Channel each Sunday.

 


 

Explore the Universe with RVCC Planetarium

 

 

Watch our YouTube channel for weekly updates on what's visible in the sky as well as activities you can do at home.

 

Do you miss the Planetarium? Take a tour of the exhibits.

 

Join our Facebook Group for regular posts about astronomy news, activities, virtual tours, satellite passes that you can see in the real sky, and more!

 

Follow us on Instagram to see pictures we take at the 3M Observatory and other news.


 


Virtual Field Trips

 

Teachers, Principals, Science Supervisors, Scout Leaders, Home School coordinators, Senior Center managers, and Parents!

Schedule virtual field trips for your students and clients. Programs are led by a live Planetarium Educator and always include time for Q&A.

Scheduling is flexible. We can present during the school day, after school, or evenings.

 Number of attendees: up to 30 per session

Fee: $75 for a 45-minute program

$100 for Magic Tree House: Space Mission

 

The Planetarium will provide a password-protected Zoom link before your date. We can also schedule programs on Google Meet or Microsoft Teams. You can also invite the Planetarium to join your preferred platform.

·   Rockin' Rocket Ride: Our popular show has an online version. Join us on an adventure into space to learn about the Sun, Moon, and planets. (Grades PreK-K)

·     To the Moon and Back: Begin with a story about the Moon, then watch the Moon change shape in our virtual sky, and pretend to be astronauts who can travel there. (for PreK-Grade 2)

·     Magic Tree House: Space Mission  Join Jack and Annie as they look for answers to questions about space. Together, we’ll explore some of those topics to see if we find similar answers.  (Grades K-4)

·     Our Solar System: go on a tour of the planets in our solar system (Grades K-12)

·     Tonight's Sky: identify stars and constellations we can see tonight and learn some constellation stories that go along with them. (Grades K-12)

·     Patterns in the Sky: The Sun observe the Sun's rising and setting positions through the year. (Grades 2-12)

·     Patterns in the Sky: Moon Phases Why and how does the Moon's shape change? (Grades 2-12)

·     True or False, Astronomy Version: Some statements seem obvious, but are they? We'll explore statements like "brighter stars are closer to us" and "the Moon is only visible at night." (Grades 5-12)

 


 

Youth and Teen Programs

Virtual and In-Person

 

Art

Computing

Science

 

RVCC has a variety of virtual and in-person programs for grade school to high school students.

  

We have Black Rocket & Super Science Programs for Kids to increase knowledge in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). Enrichment programs include English and writing courses, Journalistic Writing, Workshops for Young Writers, and more. RVCC will be working with the High Level 5th Quarter Training program to provide a health & wellness camp. SAT/ACT prep courses will also be available for this summer.

 

 


 

The Sky in October

 

Venus is low in the SW at dusk. It sets about two hours after sunset, around 8:20 pm.

 

Jupiter and Saturn are in the south after sunset. Jupiter is the brighter of the two.

 

The Summer Triangle, made by the brightest stars in the constellations Cygnus, Aquila, Lyra, is passing overhead at sunset. If you are in a very dark location, without light pollution, you may see the Milky Way Galaxy as a hazy band of light through this asterism.

 

The autumn constellation Pegasus, the Flying Horse, is rising in the eastern sky in the evening.

 

 

The Big Dipper is sweeping low in the northern sky this time of year, but Cassiopeia, the zig-zag group of five stars representing a queen on a throne, is up high. 

Follow RVCC Planetarium on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for weekly updates about sky events.

 

 


 

Moon Phases

First Quarter October 12

Full Moon October 20 - Hunter's Moon

Third Quarter October 28

New Moon November 4

 

Have you ever wondered when is the best time to look for the Moon? It's in the sky roughly half the day, but which part of the day? Where do you look?

The Moon is constantly orbiting the Earth. Each day, it rises about 50 minutes later than it did the day before.

The following are guidelines. You can look up exact rising and setting times on websites like https://www.timeanddate.com/

The Full Moon is opposite the Sun. It rises in the East at sunset and sets in the West at sunrise.

The Third Quarter Moon rises at midnight and sets at noon.

The Waning Crescent Moon is easiest to see in the east before sunrise.

The New Moon rises with the Sun and sets with the Sun.

The Waxing Crescent Moon is easiest to see in the west just after sunset. Can you find it before sunset?

The First Quarter Moon rises at noon and sets at midnight.

 


 

Please Consider Making a Tax-Deductible Donation to the Planetarium

Support from the community has repeatedly played a key role in our success at the RVCC Planetarium. We are proud to offer affordable, educational field trips and engaging public events for our community. Your continued support helps us to provide innovative, educational experiences for our diverse audiences. Donations made to the Planetarium on Giving Day and throughout the year help support new and exciting programs and help us maintain and upgrade our equipment.

 

 Thank you for your support!

 

 

To reach us, email planet@raritanval.edu.

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