Sky’s the limit at MJC planetarium shows

Taking in a planetarium show Saturday is a fun way to get the kids back into learning mode as spring break comes to a close.

The planetarium within the Science Community Center on the Modesto Junior College West Campus has three shows, each about 45 minutes long. “Earth, Moon & Sun” begins at 10 a.m., “Ultimate Universe” at 11:30 a.m. and “Tour of the Galaxy – Pilot Choice” at 1 p.m.

Tickets are available in the Great Valley Museum Nature Shop prior to each show. Admission to each show is $6 for age 13 and older; $4 for ages 4 to 12 (must be with an adult); $5 for seniors 55 and older and MJC students with ID; and $20 for a family of up to six. Museum members get a discount. Strollers and children under 4 are not permitted in the planetarium, which seats 100.

According to the MJC website for the planetarium (www.mjc.edu/instruction/sme/gvm/planetarium.php): “The planetarium itself consists of a Zeiss Skymaster ZKP-4 LED/fiber-optic star projector coupled with the Zeiss Velvet Projection System. Together, these top-of-the-line projection instruments display unparalleled images of the night sky and full-dome planetarium films onto a 40-foot suspended dome ceiling.”

This story was originally published April 10, 2015 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Sky’s the limit at MJC planetarium shows."