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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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Public Shows on Saturdays
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Follow the
Drinking Gourd
Saturday, February 12, 3:00 pm
Learn to find
the Big Dipper and other stars in our night sky. Then, we’ll go back
in time to follow a family trying to escape oppression. The Big
Dipper guides them through a frightful but rewarding voyage. Sing
along with the slaves who used the song of the Drinking Gourd to
travel north on foot from Alabama to Canada. Based on Jeanette
Winters’ book by the same title, this show describes the astronomy
behind the slave song “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” (Recommended for ages 6-12)
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Our Lovely
Skies Saturday, February 12,
7:00pm
Constellations
memorialize love lost and love gained. Planets are named for
Roman and Greek gods who have stories of their own. Beautiful
stellar nebulas remind us of celestial flower bouquets. Discover
these treasures and more in this light-hearted, family-friendly show
about the love stories in the sky. (Recommended for ages 10-adult
Laser Love Saturday, February 12, Monday, February 14, 8:00pm
This laser
concert celebrates LOVE! Songs include “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran,
“I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher, and “Tale as Old as Time” from
Beauty and the Beast. The Monday evening performance is for
adult couples only, please. Saturday is open to everyone.
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Date Night at the Planetarium
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Limited Seating—Reservations
Required
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Romancing the Stars Monday, February 14, 7:00pm
For ages 16
& older (no children, please)
It’s date
night at the Planetarium! Enjoy a light-hearted look at the
Universe. Stars, constellations, and stories all celebrate
love. This Valentine’s Day evening program is for adult
couples only, please. A similar program on Saturdays is open
to everyone
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Laser Love Monday, February 14, 8:00pm
This laser
concert celebrates LOVE! Songs include “Perfect” by Ed
Sheeran, “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher, and “Tale as Old as
Time” from Beauty and the Beast. The Monday evening
performance is for adult couples only, please. Saturday is open to
everyone.
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Earth, Moon, Sun and Coyote Saturday, February 19,
3:00pm
Coyote
thinks he knows everything about the sky but is surprised by how
many misconceptions he really has about eclipses, moon phases, and
the motion of the day and night skies. (Recommended for ages 6-12)
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To Worlds Beyond Saturdays, February 19, 26, 7:00pm
Discover
what stars are visible in tonight’s sky. Then take an amazing
journey through our solar system, visiting each of the planets,
plus the most famous dwarf planet, Pluto. Beautiful images taken
from orbiting satellites blend with high-end animations and current
information on our neighborhood of planets. Weather
permitting, the 3M Observatory will be open after the
show. (Recommended for ages 10-adult)
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Shows for Our Youngest Visitors
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Rockin’ Rocket
Ride
Saturday,
February 26, 3:00pm
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)
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SkyLights
Saturday,
February 26, 4:00pm
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). Some songs are illustrated with lasers and other songs
feature video images. (Recommended for ages 3-8)
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Saturday, February 12
3:00 pm - Follow the Drinking Gourd
4:00 pm - Laser Magic
7:00 pm - Our Lovely Skies
8:00 pm - Laser Love laser concert
Saturday, February 19
3:00 pm - Earth, Moon, Sun, and Coyote
4:00 pm - Laser Magic
7:00 pm - To Worlds Beyond: Journey through our
Solar System
8:00 pm - Laser Queen laser concert
Saturday, February 26
3:00 pm - Rockin' Rocket Ride
4:00 pm - SkyLights music concert
7:00 pm - To Worlds Beyond: Journey through our
Solar System
8:00 pm - Laser Queen laser concert
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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
Payments are
taken at the Planetarium on the day of the show.
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. Here is a campus map.
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,
March 5, 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.
Admission: $10
per person
Payments are
taken on the day of the show at the Planetarium.
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.
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Jupiter is the lone planet easily visible in
the evening sky. Look low in the west at dusk. As the month
progresses, Jupiter drops lower in the evening sky. Jupiter sets at
mid-twilight on February 21. It's in conjunction with the Sun on
March 5 and will re-emerge into the morning twilight in early April
2022.
Uranus is high in the southwest sky when the
nearly first quarter Moon passes Uranus. Use minoculars or a small
telescope to find Uranus. Try observing Uranus on the days after the
bright Moon has moved farther from the planet.
Veus, Mercury,
and Mars are visible
at dawn, low in the southeast all month long. Try looking at crescent
Venus with binoculars or a telescope as it grows during the month. On
Feb 1, Venus is a 16% crescent. By Feb 28, crescent Venus has waxed
to 32%. Mercury gets closest to Venus on Feb 6 when it is 13
degrees to the lower left of Venus. Mars stays to the lower
right of Venus as the gap between them decreases Venus and Mars will
make their closest approach next month. Of these three planets, Venus
is the brightest. Mercury is second in brightness and Mars is the
faintest of the three. At the very end of the month, Saturn joins the
scene to the lower left of Mercury.
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Cross-Quarter
Days
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Is there
really any reason to get excited about Groundhog Day? Astronomically,
YES! It's a cross-quarter day, marking the mid-point between the
Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox.
Winter is
the shortest of the four seasons, lasting 88.99 days. It is shortest
because at this time of year, the Earth is at its closest point in
its orbit to the Sun. So, when an object is closest to the Sun, it
moves fastest in its orbit; gravity insists upon that . . . that is
fundamental natural law. Conversely, we are farthest from the Sun in
early July, so we are moving slowest in our orbit. Which is why
summer is the longest season, lasting just over 93 days.
At the
midpoint . . . we will be exactly between last December's Winter
Solstice and the upcoming Vernal Equinox on March 20th.
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Moon Phases
New Moon February 1
First Quarter February 8
Full Moon February 16
Third Quarter February 23
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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
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From Earth to the Universe
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Black Holes
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Exploding Universe
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Tonight's Sky
and more!
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·
The Best of Pink Floyd
·
The Beatles
·
Led Zeppelin
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Grateful Dead
·
Queen
·
Rock of Ages (music from the movie/Broadway show)
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Pop Rock (family-friendly)
·
Laser Magic (family-friendly)
and more!
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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.
All programs support NGSS/NJSLS.
Scheduling is flexible. We can present
during the school day, after school, or evenings.
Number of attendees: up to 30 per
session
Fee: $100 for a 45-minute program
$125 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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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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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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