Get starstruck at Modesto Junior College on Friday

The Modesto Junior College Astronomy Club will hold a Telescope Night on Friday from 8 to 10 p.m., while the Great Valley Museum will offer planetarium shows that night and Saturday.

The telescopes are on the fourth-floor rooftop and the planetarium sits on the ground floor of the Science Community Center on the west campus, 2201 Blue Gum Ave.

Telescope Night admission and campus parking are free for the evening. Snacks and refreshments will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the student-based Astronomy Club. Each of the multiple 12-inch telescopes and a 28-inch telescope/camera will be staffed by a member of the MJC Astronomy Club who can explain what is being viewed and answer questions.

The planetarium shows are $5 a ticket, available in the museum nature shop before each show. Friday showings will be at 8:10 and 9:10 p.m. On Saturday, the planetarium will offer three shows. At 10 a.m., “Earth, Moon & Sun” will be projected; at 11:30, the “Ultimate Universe” will be explored; at 1 p.m., there will be a “Tour of the Galaxy.”

Children must be 4 years old to be admitted to planetarium shows. For more information, visit www.mjc.edu/instruction/sme/gvm or call (209) 575-6196.

Telescope viewing is dependent on the weather, and Friday is projected to be sunny, with a high of 73 degrees.

For more information on Telescope Night, contact professor Noah Hughes at hughesn@mjc.edu or (209) 575-6800. Information on the Astronomy Club is available at www.facebook.com/MJCAstronomyClub.

This story was originally published April 1, 2015 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Get starstruck at Modesto Junior College on Friday."