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We are delighted to welcome visitors
back to the Planetarium!
Please make note of our health and
safety guidelines.
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· 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.
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Bridgewater Commons: Community Hub
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Join us at the
Community Hub at Bridgewater Commons (next to Verizon Wireless) for
story time and hands-on activities for children ages 3-8.
Explore the
Solar System, Thursday, November 4, 12:00 - 4:00 pm
Register
Explore the
Constellations, Sunday, November 21, 12:00 - 4:00 pm
Register
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Public Shows on Saturdays
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We have a brand new show to share with
you!
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Accidental
Astronauts
Saturdays,
November 13 and 20, 3:00 pm
Robo-kids
Cy, Annie, and their dog, Armstrong, get a lot more than they
expected from their class field trip in an impromptu adventure.
Travel along exploring the Sun, Earth and Moon, with a witty starship
computer as navigator and guide. Race along on the surface of the
Moon! Collect an asteroid sample in low gravity! Survive a solar
storm! Find new appreciation for the unique beauty of Earth. Journey
along with the Accidental Astronauts in this epic dome theater
adventure. (Recommended for ages 4-10)
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Best of Pink
Floyd laser concert
Saturdays, November 6, 13, 20, 8:00 pm
Lasers dance
across the dome while we listen to Pink Floyd songs including
“Comfortably Numb,” “Another Brick in the Wall, part 2,” and “Money.”
(Recommended for ages 10 to adult)
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Shows for
Younger Visitors
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Rockin’ Rocket Ride
Saturday,
November 6, 3:00 pm
Put on your space suit and blast-off into outer space
to visit the Moon, Sun and planets. A lively experience for young
people with selected music from "Journey Into Space" by
Jane Murphy. (Recommended for ages 3-8)
SkyLights Saturday, November 6,
4:00 pm
Our youngest audience members can sing along with
songs by mr. RAY (Family Ride, Kalien the Alien) and Jane Murphy
(Moon Rock Rock, The Planet Song) and more artists. Some songs are
illustrated with lasers and other songs feature video images.
(Recommended for ages 3-8)
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Saturday, November 6
3:00 pm - Rockin' Rocket Ride
4:00 pm - SkyLights
5:00 pm - The Sky Above
(sensory-friendly)
7:00 pm - Astronomy Tonight
8:00 pm - The Best of Pink Floyd laser
concert
Saturday, November 13
3:00 pm - Accidental Astronauts
4:00 pm - Kids Jam laser concert
7:00 pm - Exploding Universe
8:00 pm - The Best of Pink Floyd laser
concert
Saturday, November 20
3:00 pm - Accidental Astronauts
4:00 pm - Kids Jam laser concert
7:00 pm - Exploding Universe
8:00 pm - The Best of Pink Floyd laser
concert
The
Planetarium is closed Thanksgiving Weekend, November 25-28.
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Good to
Know...
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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.
Provide your
name, phone number, email, which show you want to see, and how many
tickets you'd like.
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.
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The Sky Above
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Saturday,
November 6, 5:00 p.m.
A special
astronomy and music show designed for families with children on the
Autism spectrum or those with developmental disabilities. These
sensory-friendly shows, which are appropriate for audiences of all
ages, will provide a comfortable and judgment-free space that is
welcoming to all families. During the show, the doors will remain
open so children may freely leave and return if they choose. Lights
will be left dim (instead of dark) and the audio will be lowered and
kept at a consistent level. “The Sky Above” show includes music,
laser lights, stories, and information about the planets, the Moon
and constellations. Content is presented on a kindergarten level.
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Private Shows / Field Trips
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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:
12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 5:00 pm
Weekday
evenings will be considered on an individual basis.
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Choose an astronomy show or a laser
concert!
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· Rockin' Rocket Ride
· Magic Tree House: Space Mission
· Accidental Astronauts
· From Earth to the Universe
· Black Holes
· Exploding Universe
· Tonight's Sky
and more!
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· 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!
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A few weeks ago we showed you all the constellations
that were a part of the Myth of Perseus. This week, join us as we
take a tour of the same constellations, with binoculars! Find out
what cool stuff you can see from your own backyard.
Check this
week's Star
Talk for more information.
New episodes
are uploaded to our YouTube Channel each Sunday.
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Explore the Universe with RVCC
Planetarium
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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.
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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.
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· 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)
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Venus is low in the SW at dusk. It sets
about two hours after sunset, around 8:20 pm. Venus is traveling
around the Sun and moving closer to us. This changes its phase
(illuminated amount of it that we see) and it decreases from a
half-lit Venus to a crescent Venus. Interestingly, even though it's
becoming a crescent, since the planet is getting closer to us, the
apparent size of Venus grows and that increases its brightness. This
will make Venus a brilliant magnitude -4.9 at the end of November and
first two weeks of December. You can see these phases of Venus
through a telescope.
Jupiter and
Saturn are in the
south after sunset. Jupiter is the brighter of the two.
If you've got
an excellent view of the eastern horizon, look for Mercury
just before sunrise during the first two weeks of November.
The Moon
sweeps by planets early in November. The Waxing Crescent Moon is will
be near Venus on the evening on November 7. Look SW about an hour
after sunset. Then the Moon will slide past Saturn on November 9 and
10 and pass Jupiter on November 11.
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Follow RVCC Planetarium on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
for weekly updates about sky events.
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Moon Phases
& Lunar Eclipse
New Moon November 4
First Quarter November 11
Full Moon November 19 - lunar eclipse
Third Quarter November 27
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Are you ready
for an eclipse? There's a nearly total lunar eclipse in the
early morning hours of November 19.
Partial
eclipse begins at 2:18 a.m.
Maximum eclipse,
when 97% of the Moon will be in the Earth's umbral shadow, is at 4:02
a.m.
Partial
eclipse ends at 5:47 a.m.
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Please Consider Making a
Tax-Deductible Donation to the Planetarium
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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 throughout the
year help support new and exciting programs and help us maintain and
upgrade our equipment.
Thank you for your support!
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