Glendale Community College hosts weekly shows in its planetarium, located on the second floor of the Cimmarusti Science Center (CS) building.

Presentations are held every Wednesday from 12:30 – 1 p.m., lasting half an hour each. The events are open to all and are free of charge.

The planetarium room is large and features a sizable seating area with chairs that are reclined throughout the duration of the experience. Typically, one of the shows will draw a turnout of approximately 20 people, but planetarium coordinator Barbara Falkowski said that there is room for more. Lights are turned off during each event for maximum immersion. When the presentation starts, the planetarium coordinator reclines everyone’s seats and begins a journey throughout the stars. Shows are typically educational, with the presenter teaching about topics related to astronomy and using the planetarium’s technology as a visual aid.

Every week, there are new topics covered in the planetarium, providing repeat attendees with fresh and engaging experiences. “We try to do different topics, so that people want to come back week after week and they’re not just seeing a replay of the same thing,” said Falkowski. Currently, Falkowski is responsible for maintaining the equipment, as well as being the planetarium operator and presenter.

Attending a planetarium show at GCC can also be beneficial to students that are a part of the school’s PromisePlus+ program. “PromisePlus+ counts this as one of the success activities students can go to if they are looking for things to do,” Falkowski explained. “Even if you’re not into science, it’s a very relaxing environment; nobody judges you if you doze off because if you come in here often enough, someday you’re going to be tired and it’s going to happen!”

Falkowski also mentioned that the planetarium team is seeking submissions for a collection of stories. “We’re trying to make a collection of stories that somehow relate peoples’ culture to something in the sky,” Falkowski stated. She continued by explaining that these submissions can be broad in nature, coming from various people and places. Ideally, the team would like to find individuals who are open to being recorded telling their submitted story, but this is not mandatory. 

As per the Glendale Community College website, it is important that students and other event goers are on time. Latecomers are most often not allowed into an active show because the dark room creates a tripping hazard. Food, drinks, or other messy items are not allowed in the seating area but can be stored on counters in the room until the end of the show.

There is also a GCC planetarium YouTube channel where those interested may view recordings of past events.

The planetarium can be contacted by either phone or email.

Planetarium phone number: (818) 240-1000, Ext. 5275

Planetarium email address: [email protected].  

Lucas Lignini can be reached at [email protected].