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Astronomy Tonight Saturday, March 5, 7:00pm Using the Planetarium’s DigitalSky digital theater, experience a guided tour of the night sky. Learn about some of the popular constellations visible from sunset to sunrise, as well as the stories behind them. Hear about how and where in the sky to find the brightest planets. Weather permitting, the 3M Observatory will be open after the show. (Recommended for ages 8 to adult) From Earth to the Universe Saturdays, March 12, 19, 26, 7:00pm The sky has always been a place of wonder. Philosophers and scientists, from the Greeks to Galileo, began to unravel some of its mysteries. The invention of the telescope has allowed for still more discoveries. Fly by all the planets in our solar system, then travel beyond to view the birthplace and death of stars, and still farther to the myriad galaxies in our Universe. The program includes a brief tour of the current night sky. Weather permitting, the 3M Observatory will be open after the show. (Recommended for ages 10-adult)
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Laser Ladies
Saturdays, March 5, 12, 8:00pm
Women have
unquestionably made big splashes in the music industry. Aretha
Franklin, Madonna, Gloria Estefan, Beyonce, and Shakira are just a
few of the ladies highlighted in this energetic laser concert.
(Recommended for ages 10-adult)
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Rock of Ages laser concert
Saturdays, March 19, 26, 8:00pm
Enjoy a
laser concert with songs drawn from the popular Broadway show and
feature film. Sing along to “We Built This City” by Starship, “I
Wanna Rock” by Twisted Sister, and “Talk Dirty to Me” by Poison.
(Recommended for ages 10-adult)
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Shows for Our Youngest Visitors
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Rockin’ Rocket
Ride
Saturday,
March 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,
March 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, March 5
3:00 pm - Perfect Little Planet
4:00 pm - Laser Pop Rock
7:00 pm - Astronomy Tonight
8:00 pm - Laser Ladies laser concert
Saturday, March 12
3:00 pm - Perfect Little Planet
4:00 pm - Laser Pop Rock
7:00 pm - From Earth to the Universe
8:00 pm - Laser Ladies laser concert
Saturday, March 19
3:00 pm - Perfect Little Planet
4:00 pm - Laser Pop Rock
7:00 pm - From Earth to the Universe
8:00 pm - Rock of Ages laser concert
Saturday, March 26
3:00 pm - Rockin' Rocket Ride
4:00 pm - SkyLights music concert
7:00 pm - From Earth to the Universe
8:00 pm - Rock of Ages 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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Saturdays,
March 5, April 2, May 7, 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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We're
celebrating Women's History Month with our popular "Laser
Ladies" laser concert on the first two Saturdays of March, and
with a display of female scientists throughout history. The display
is up in our lobby all month.
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There are no
naked-eye planets visible in the evening sky this month.
Venus, Mars,
Saturn, and Mercury are low in the southeast in the predawn sky. Mercury
drops from the scene very early in the month. Venus passes 3.9
degrees north of Mars on March 16. Venus passes about 2 degrees north
of Saturn on March 29.
Of the three
planets Venus, Mars, and Saturn, Venus is the brightest, followed by
Saturn, with Mars the faintest of the three.
Jupiter is not easily visible until next
month.
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Daylight
Savings Time
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We
"Spring Ahead" on Sunday, March 13.
On Saturday
evening, the Sun will set at 6:01 pm. On Sunday evening, the Sun will
set at 7:02 pm.
Sunrise is an
hour later too.
Do you prefer
more light early in the morning or in the evening?
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Vernal Equinox
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Rumor has it
that you can balance an egg on end on the equinox. True? Yes! But
it's also true every other day of the year as well.
The Vernal Equinox is on March 20th.
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Moon Phases
New Moon March 2
First Quarter March 10
Full Moon March 18
Third Quarter March 25
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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)
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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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