OCC Planetarium Public Shows Calendar
Tuesday, August 19
Magic Tree House: Space Mission
4:00 pm
Travel with the brother-sister duo Jack and Annie in their Magic Treehouse as they learn about how scientists uncover the mysteries of the universe. With the help of a real astronomer, astronaut, and of course, a pile of books, Jack and Annie are take non a wondrous journey of adventure and learning to the edges of the universe.
Based on the popular book series by Mary Pope Osborne.
Recommended ages: 5-10
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5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI
5:00 pm
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is creating the most detailed map of our nearby universe. Installed on the Mayall telescope on Kitt Peak in Southern Arizona, DESI's 5000 independently operated robots can measure the light from thousands of galaxies at once. Join us as we explore the science, instruments, and people behind this global endeavor.
Recommended ages: 12 and up
The Great Solar System Adventure
6:00 pm
Join showman extraordinaire "The Great Schiaparelli" as he takes the audience on a death-defying space-time adventure within his wondrous Observatorium.
From the sun-scorched surface of Mercury to the icy expanses of Pluto and beyond, prepare to be subjected to the myriad dangers and wonders of our Solar System, on a breathtaking tour that reveals just how precious our home planet really is.
Be warned though, the Observatorium isn’t just for show. It will transport the audience right to the heart of some of the deadliest locations in our slice of the heavens. It’s going to take some fancy flying to get everyone back in one piece!
Recommended ages: 6 and up
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Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon - LAZERDOME
7:00 pm
Experience the psychedelic sounds paired with brilliant laser light imagery to transport yourself to the Dark Side of the Moon.
Recommended for adult audiences
Laser light shows feature loud music and flashing lights. These programs are not recommended for those with sensitivity to light or sound.
Thursday, August 21
One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
11:00 am
Explore the night sky with your favorite friends from Sesame Street in Big Bird's Adventure: One World, One Sky. Follow along with Big Bird, Elmo, and their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, as they take you on a journey of discovery to learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun, and the Moon.
Recommended ages: 3-6
Two Worlds Beyond
12:00 pm
Eight other worlds share our solar system, each one stranger and more interesting than the last. Travel from the surface of the sun all the way to the icy realm of comets. Volcanos the size of France, storms bigger than the Earth, and clouds that rain acid are just some of the incredible things to discover on worlds both big and small as you make your journey through the Solar System.
Recommended ages: 8 and up
Capcom GO! The Apollo Story
1:00 pm
This show is a staff favorite!
An immersive, historical documentary that showcases the achievements of the Apollo program and what it took to put the first human on the Moon. It introduces a new generation to the immense challenges they overcame and will inspire them to become the explorers, designers, engineers, thinkers and dreamers of the future.
Recommended ages: 8 and up
Parking Fee
Parking on-campus is $5 for the day, 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. The fee can only be paid through the Passport Parking phone app or website and the parking permit is linked to your car's license plate number. We highly recommend parking in Lot E off of Merrimac Way (Google Maps "OCC Lot E").
Public Star Shows!
Public programs are a cornerstone of the Planetarium's mission. Regular showings are offered on weekends so anyone can come enjoy a rotating schedule of breathtaking full-dome experiences.
For all public shows, please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled show begins. There will be no late admittance due to safety concerns.
We advise against bringing children younger than 5 years old to planetarium programs. The planetarium theater gets very dark and the visuals can be alarming to young children. However, bringing young children for One World, One Sky Big Bird's Adventure is strongly encouraged!
All programs are approximately 45 minutes long.
Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable.
**The Planetarium adheres to a strict No Late Admittance policy. Once the doors have closed, the show is underway and must not be interrupted due to safety concerns.**
Skylark Speaker Series - Friday, September 26, 2025
Dr. Kyle Kremer, UCSD
The Dynamic Lives of Black Holes, Neutron Stars, and White Dwarfs in Globular Clusters
The dense centers of globular clusters are home to a whole zoo of exotic astrophysical phenomena. I study the unexpected events experienced by compact objects — black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs — within these dense stellar systems. Over the past decade, the groundbreaking detections of gravitational wave signals from merging compact object binaries by the LIGO/Virgo detectors have opened a new window to the cosmos. I will discuss ways these gravitational wave events may have originated in globular clusters, made possible by the unique dynamical activity of compact objects within these systems.
Gift Certificates
Whether it's for an astronomy enthusiast, a curious mind, or someone eager to explore the mysteries of the cosmos, our gift certificates are a stellar choice. Grab yours now and let the journey into the stars begin!