Once again, the community can literally reach for the stars at San Bernardino Valley College.
After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the George F. Beattie Planetarium at SBVC is once again open to the public and offering shows on Friday evenings.
"Every show starts with a talk on a particular topic, followed by a 'star talk' with the planetarium's simulated night sky," Stephen Cole, planetarium production and presentation coordinator, said. "Depending on the night and weather, we often have a telescope viewing after. Some shows are old favorites and some are new shows that I developed."
The planetarium offers a glimpse at the night sky that is hard to come by in the Inland Empire; because of light pollution, residents "don't get to see even a fraction of the stars overhead," Cole said. The shows are an "excellent" outreach tool and get people on campus, Cole stated, but more importantly, "in the planetarium we can see everything as if we were in a rural area. I think that's an experience that everyone deserves and sadly in cities, people don't get that experience very often."
Coming up, the planetarium will hold several themed events that tie into the season, with "Horrors of the Universe" set for Oct. 28th, just in time for Halloween, and "The Christmas Star" scheduled for Dec. 2nd, 9th, and 16th. With tickets starting at just $1, these shows are the best deals in town. "This is a public service," Cole said. "That's how I see it, anyway. This place isn't here to make money. The most expensive ticket is only $3, and that's just so we can keep light bulbs in stock."
RESERVATIONS FOR SHOWS ARE ACCEPTED.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation begins at 7 p.m. sharp, with no late arrivals allowed.
For more information, call Stephen at 909-384-8539.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up