Planetarium Hosting Exciting Line-Up of Shows for Fall 2024
By Deanna Rea
Opened in the Fall of 1962, Bakersfield College's William M Thomas Planetarium has presented shows for over 4,500 K-12 students each year, offering a memorable educational experience while highlighting astronomy and science. This semester, the Planetarium is thrilled to present an exciting series of shows, culminating with the holiday evening shows in December.
Each show begins with a special presentation that explores the different constellations and planets visible in the night sky. Dr. Nick Strobel, Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Planetarium and, begins with a short tour of the evening sky using the Goto Chronos star projector and the Spitz SciDome video system, illuminating the largest dome in Central Valley with thousands of minuscule lights and projecting the wonders of the cosmos: constellations, the Milky Way galaxy, and much more.
On Thursday, November 7th, audiences are invited to explore the past, present, and future of our Solar System, along with the landmark discoveries scientists have made by sending spacecraft to visit tiny worlds, in the fascinating, all-dome documentary ‘Incoming’ narrated by George Takei. Later this month, on November 21st, the Planetarium will present an all-dome show from Moonraker VFX called 'Moon Base: The Next Step.' Narrated by former NASA astronaut Nicole Scott, this presentation will showcase how humankind pushes scientific and technological advances to the limit as we work toward realizing the dream of living on the Moon.
On Thursdays December 5th and 12th, the Planetarium will be presenting the popular holiday evening show ‘Season of Light.’ This festive program guides audiences through an educational journey that interweaves the holiday customs and traditions of varying religions and cultures with the natural wonders of the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere.
Students, families, and children aged five and up are all welcome to attend! Please visit BC’s Online Events Calendar for ticket information, showtimes, parking details, and more.