Santa Rosa Junior College Planetarium

Want to learn more about the interstellar comet visiting us this December, which will be the focus of our upcoming holiday shows? Check out this article! https://www.sfgate.com//An-alien-comet-from-another-star-i

**TICKETS ON SALE NOW** NOT TO BE MISSED! We're reopening our doors for two special holiday shows about the first known interstellar comet 2I/Borisov!... Event Dates and Times: Friday, December 13, 2019: 7:00 PM Saturday, December 14, 2019: 2:00 PM Purchase tickets at: http://bit.ly/srjccomet Come join us for this special event which will include a talk on this interstellar visitor, a visualization of the night time sky on our planetarium dome, and a live demonstration of how an icy comet is formed.

**ANNOUNCING TWO HOLIDAY LECTURES IN THE SRJC PLANETARIUM** We are opening our doors for two shows this December to greet a new interstellar visitor. Watch out for details soon on how to get tickets to this special event! Event Dates and Times:... Friday, December 13, 2019: 7:00 PM Saturday, December 14, 2019: 2:00 PM Ticket Information: General Admission: $10 Children (6-12 years): $5 Show is not suitable for children under the age of 6. ***CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES ON HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE*** A Holiday Visitor, the First Known Interstellar Comet: Just in time for the holidays, the comet 2I/Borisov has travelled for millions of years from a distant star to make its closest approach to Earth in December. Its discovery in September of this year marks the first time that human beings have ever observed a comet from beyond our solar system, giving us clues about the nature of other star systems and our own origins. Join us for a special holiday lecture to learn about the birth of the solar system, comets, and our special interstellar visitor. The show will feature a visualization of the night sky projected on our dome, and an exciting hands-on demonstration constructing an icy simulated comet.

This is an update to the status of the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) planetarium. Originally built in 1980, the planetarium closed temporarily in Fall 2018 to perform a feasibility study of the aging structure and equipment. The planetarium still remains closed for public shows but is open for instructional purposes to support the Astronomy program. The study is now complete, which outlines a variety of options and costs that address the issues of equipment and technology... that is nearly four decades old. A full renovation of the planetarium is estimated to cost approximately $2.5M to $3.5M. In addition to a one-time renovation cost, another consideration to re-opening is the ongoing staffing costs required to offer shows to the public and K-12 schools. Tied to decisions around a possible renovation is SRJC is currently addressing an ongoing budgetary deficit. Careful consideration is required before moving forward with a renovation to address multiple fiscal pressures. Understanding these constraints, SRJC is considering a variety of creative options to provide an educational resource in astronomy and the sciences to the community. No overall decision has been made, but SRJC is exploring multiple solutions that are fiscally responsible and long-term. We will update the community soon with our efforts regarding the future of the planetarium space.

We will be temporarily closing for the Fall 2018 semester for important structural assessment work. Please follow link to press release for more information: https://pr.santarosa.edu/srjc-planetarium-temporarily-closed Thank you for everyone's support and we look forward to updating you as more information becomes available.

Don't forget that this Friday is our last First Friday Night Skies of the season! Due to limited space we're first come, first serve! No seat saving! Free show, free parking! Come out for a fantastic night!

Next Friday is our last First Friday Night Skies of the season. We have no new updates for next semester. As soon as we know anything, we will share the news! Please remember that we only have 90 seats, first come first serve. No seat saving allowed, unless running to your car to put your parking pass on the dash. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you and sharing our amazing sky with you. Mark your calendar, and May the 4th be with you!

There WILL be a First Friday Night Sky program this upcoming Friday, April 6th at 7pm! Please understand that our planetarium can only safely seat @95 people. Due to limited seating, it is STRICTLY first-come, first-serve, and no seat saving will be allowed. (Unless you're running to place your parking pass on your dashboard!) Doors open at 6:30 and suggest arriving early to ensure a seat. Parking passes are given at the door. We look forward to seeing you there! https://www.facebook.com/events/384311165314255/

With the conclusion of the Planetarium for the season, we decided to put together a little goodbye. These are our humble team members who helped bring the Planetarium alive for the public every weekend. In the description of each photo is a quote from them on their experiences and feelings about our beloved Dome of Stars.

Today is the last day of public shows for the foreseeable future. We have one show at 4 p.m. (doors open at 3:30 p.m.) and another show at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). The latter is the last showing of the "Measuring the Cosmos" program, so don't miss it! We again extend our thanks to everyone who has supported usyou are all stars and members of the Planetarium Family.

PSA (a little late): We do not have the resources to accept credit or debit at the door. Unfortunately, we never had a chance to integrate a means of conducting credit and debit transactions when buying tickets in person. HOWEVER, here is a reminder of our online tickets, which you CAN purchase with card. Thank you all for understanding! EDIT: Just know, as of right now, every show past this weekend is cancelled. So do NOT purchase tickets for shows after the 17th of March.