RANDOLPH, NJ — Stargazers have two new reasons to look up this fall as a pair of planetarium shows make their debut Friday at County College of Morris.
The college's Longo Planetarium will premiere "Astra and Sirius" at 7:30 p.m. and "Cosmic Mashups: Gravity, Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes" at 9 p.m. Both will return on select Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 12.
"Astra and Sirius" is a new 35-minute show recommended for ages 6 through 9. The adventure follows a young girl named Astra and her dog, Sirius, as they explore constellations and planets, including Mercury, Mars and Saturn. Their journey also takes them beyond the planets to the icy dwarf planets at the outer reaches of the solar system.
The 45-minute "Cosmic Mashups," recommended for adults and children ages 12 and older, explores supermassive black holes and galaxy collisions. The program looks at how collisions can trigger supermassive black holes, reshape galaxies and transform the night sky.
"At the core of almost every galaxy lies a dark, hungry giant: a supermassive black hole!" CCM said in its announcement.
The fall lineup also includes "Starlit Nights," a live guided tour of the evening sky with CCM astronomer Kevin Conod on select Saturdays at 5 p.m. The program uses the planetarium's Digistar 7 projection system to explore stars, constellations, nebulae and star clusters.
Tickets are required and cost $15 per person. CCM strongly recommends online reservations because only a limited number of tickets will be available for cash purchase at the door.
The Longo Planetarium is in Cohen Hall, Room 207, on CCM's campus at 214 Center Grove Road. Parking is available in Lot 7 near the Health & Physical Education building. From there, visitors can follow the path to the left of the building toward the center of campus, where blue planetarium signs provide directions to Cohen Hall. Late arrivals cannot be admitted after a show begins.
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