DATE	TIME		DESCRIPTION
09.05.08	7:30pm		Summer Sky Show: Come and see and learn about stars and constellations and planets visible in the sky during the summer of this year.
09.05.08	8:30pm		Hubble Vision: A fascinating tour of the cosmos - from Earth's orbit: Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided incredible images of unprecedented details to astrono- mers, and made an astonishing array of discoveries from nearby objects in our solar system to the most distant galaxies at limits of the observable universe. In this all-new production, major themes in current astronomy are presented. We catch glimpses of solar system objects, including the Moon and Venus, clouds on dusty Mars, a comets crash into Jupiter, storms on Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, and the faraway worlds of Pluto and Quaoar. Beyond our solar system we explore proto- planetary disks in Orion and other regions of star births across the cosmos; we also view the deaths of stars like our Sun and the cataclysmic aftermath of a supernova explosion. Finally we observe colliding galaxies, jets of particles shooting from active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes, the effects of gravitational lenses, and deep-field views of the most distant galaxies ever seen.
09.19.08	7:30pm		Summer Sky Show: Come and see and learn about stars and constellations and planets visible in the sky during late summer of this year.
09.19.08	8:30pm		The Voyager Encounters: Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft were launched in August of 1977 and their primary missions were to collect data and to take images of the four largest planets of our solar system and their moons. After successfully accomplishing that part of their missions and after traveling for 30 years away from the Sun in different direction, both Voyagers have recently reached the region in space at the edge of our solar system where the solar wind (a stream of charged particles escaping from the Sun) runs up against the thin gas that’s between the stars. This boundary is about 100 times farther from the Sun than the Earth and it is called termination shock. Tonight’s slide program, with recorded narration by Patrick Stewart, commemorates and highlights results obtained by both Voyagers during their visits of the four largest planets of our solar system.
10.03.08	7:30pm		Autumn Sky Show: Come and see and learn about stars and constellations and planets visible in the sky during the autumn of this year.
10.03.08	8:30pm		The Dark Side of Sunspots: Sunspots are some of the oldest celestial phenomena observed by mankind that harbor magnetic field. Today we know that the sunspots are the sites for large explosions on the Sun that effect the space weather. Only last year we had the opportunity to observe them from the space and that reveals greater details of these locations on the Sun. Dr. Debi Prasad Choudhary, a CSUN astronomer, will describe the new findings on these objects using not only the space observations but also CSUN’s own ground based observations that were obtained at San Fernando Observatory which is operated by the CSUN’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
10.17.08	7:30pm		Autumu Sky Show: Come and see and learn about stars and constellations and planets visible in the sky during the autumn of this year.
10.17.08	8:30pm		Building Palomar’s Big Eye: This year, 2008, marks 60th anniversary of the dedication of Palomar Observatory 200-inch Hale Telescope. After its dedication it was for many years the largest optical telescope in the world. The construction of the 200-inch telescope was an epic story that spanned the Great Depression and World War II. Palomar Observatory’s Scott Kardel will present that story and share many rarely seen photographs, movies and stories of the telescope and the people who built it.
10.24.08	7:30pm		Autumu Sky Show: Come and see and learn about stars and constellations and planets visible in the sky during the autumn of this year.
10.24.08	8:30pm		TBA

Please be prompt. For our guests' enjoyment, there is no admittance after the program starts.


UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Fall 2008 TBA

For show information: call 818.677.5601

ADMISSION
General admission: $5 for one show, $8 for two shows
Student admission: $3 for one show, $5 for two shows
Recommended for ages 8 and up

TICKETS
Tickets are available at the door prior to show time. To ensure a seat, advance ticket purchase is recommended.

To order tickets, call the A.S. Box Office: 818.677.2488 [Monday - Friday: 10:00 - 5:00]

PARKING & DIRECTIONS
Parking is enforced 24/7 everywhere on campus. All parking lots have parking permit dispensers and/or an attendant booth. Purchase your parking permit and follow the posted parking instructions before you walk over to the Planetarium. We recommend using Lot G4, located on Zelzah Avenue. The cost of the parking permit is $4.00 per vehicle.

Campus Map
Directions to CSUN

PAST SPEAKERS

For your convenience, here is a list and accompanying descriptions of our past speakers.

ABOUT THE BIANCHI PLANETARIUM

The Donald E. Bianchi Planetarium is operated by CSUN's Department of Physics and Astronomy. It is named after the founding dean of our College of Science and Mathematics, who was instrumental in obtaining the funds for Science Buildings III and IV and the Planetarium. The late Dr. Adrian Herzog was the first planetarium director, and the design concept is his.

With the support of Dean Edward J. Carroll, Jr., the planetarium began offering regularly scheduled public shows for the first time in 2002.

At the heart of our 105-seat star theater lies the Spitz-512 Star Projector, capable of recreating the night sky on our 40-foot dome with accuracy and brilliance. Over 2,000 stars, the five visible planets, and all of the apparent motions of the sky come alive overhead in a unique and relaxing environment. The Bianchi Planetarium is also equipped to support large format image projection and captivating digital sound.

For rental information, or to schedule private shows, please call 818.677.5601 or email us.

PLANETARIUM STAFF

Dr. Jan Dobias, Program Director
Jan.Dobias@csun.edu - 818.677.5601

Dr. Jan Dobias is the Program Coordinator for our informal space education outreach. Dr. Dobias received his Ph.D. in Astronomy from UCLA in 1987. He is a lecturer at CSUN and is a Research Associate at the San Fernando Observatory. He teaches Astronomy at CSUN and has also taught classes at Antelope Valley College, Santa Monica College, and UCLA summer school. His experience adds significantly to our Donald E. Bianchi Planetarium program series.

Jeff Batten, Senior Electronics Technician

Jeff Batten has worked at the Caltech Seismological Laboratory, Caltech's Lindhurst Laboratory of Experimental Geophysics, and JPL. An avid amateur astronomer and eclipse chaser, he has been at CSUN since 2000.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

General Links

www.at-la.com
@LA has been received numerous honors and awards, including being designated as "Best Community Site in the U.S." and now has over 88,000 links, classified in 8,500+ categories.

General Astronomy

www.universetoday.com
An excellent site with exciting information on the space sciences.

www.badastronomy.com
The brain child of Dr. Phil Plait, "The Bad Astronomer." This site dispells the myths and rumors that flood the sciences.

www.space.com
www.astronomy.com
Everything current in the space sciences

www.jpl.nasa.gov
JPL's site containing information on current NASA missions and much more.

Other Planetaria

Drescher Planetarium, Santa Monica, CA
www.smc.edu/planetarium

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, CA
www.griffithobservatory.org

Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh, PA
www.buhlplanetarium.org

Hayden Planetarium, New York, NY
www.haydenplanetarium.org