Day 63: Santa Monica College Planetarium

 I went as a chaperone today on Beckett's class trip to the Santa Monica College Planetarium.  We walked from Roosevelt to 14th Street, to catch the Big Blue mini bus.  This bus costs 1.00, and it is incredibly clean and reliable.  Good qualities in a bus.

I live less than a mile from Santa Monica College, and from driving by I have to say I had NO idea how nice the campus is.  I guess I had only ever been to the pool and the track -- today was my first time on campus.  Most of the buildings are modern and architecturally really interesting.  The kids had lunch in a common hang out area with cafe tables.  Then, at 11:45 we herded everyone up to the planetarium.  It isn't huge, but it is a gorgeous, state-of-the-art planetarium. Here is a brief spiel that I am too lazy to re-type:

Thanks to the generosity and vision of the late John Drescher, Santa Monica College is the home of a computerized planetarium theater. At its heart is the Evans & Sutherland Digistar II planetarium projector, the first of its kind on the West Coast. Using digital technology, audiences can fly beyond the solar system and soar among the stars. We can transport you across our galaxy to the limits of spacetime or into the heart of the atom.

We are open to the public every Friday night, offering public planetarium shows designed for the whole family. We can also provide weekday special shows for schools and other groups.

The planetarium director (I forgot his name) was incredibly knowledgeable and animated, and did a great job of talking to the kids on a level that was understandable for them.  The show was fantastic, informative and pretty darn spectacular.  I can't wait to look at the night sky tomorrow with the kids and look for some of the constellations and planets that we learned about today.  Highly recommend.