Long Beach City College Astronomy Open Houses
Presented by Courtney Seligman, Professor of Astronomy, Long Beach City College
Free admission, open to all
There is no entry after the doors close (at 7:30 pm)
Reservations recommended (email courtney@cseligman.com), but not required
Remaining 2010 Shows (all Friday evenings in D326):
September 17, October 22, November 19
At each open house, autographed copies of my novels may be purchased for $15 per copy, but they have nothing to do with astronomy or the open houses, so those not interested in reading my books may safely ignore the display.
Seating and Show Information
Reserved seating starts about 7:10 pm. Individuals without reservations may be seated at the same time, if there are unreserved seats. Reserved seating ends about 7:20 pm, at which time anyone may enter, subject to seating availability (see Standby Seating for more information). There is an astronomy presentation during seating.
All laptops, cell phones, and other devices which emit light must be turned off during the show.
The planetarium presentation runs from 7:30 to about 8:55 pm. Weather permitting, there will be telescope viewing on the roof, from about 8:55 to 9:45 pm. It can get very cold on the roof, so dress warmly if you plan to attend the telescope viewing.
Critical Information / Planetarium Etiquette
During full-dome presentations, the planetarium is completely darkened. For safety's sake, there is no entry after the doors close at 7:30 pm. If necessary, you may leave the planetarium during the show, but you will not be able to return.
Although "all" are welcome, children younger than four or five should not be brought to the show, as it disturbs the rest of the guests if they become restive.
On-campus parking requires an LBCC parking permit (regular or 1-day; see warning at http://cseligman.com/planetarium/visit.htm#parking).
Donation envelopes are available at the door for those who wish to make a donation to the LBCC Foundation, which provided most of the funds for the planetarium. There is no requirement that you make a donation; but if you choose to do so, please indicate account #1156 on your check or donation envelope to show that it was in connection with a planetarium show.
No food or drink is allowed in the planetarium, save for bottled water.
The best seating is inside the circular footprint of the dome, near the central aisle, but not so close to the planetarium projector that it blocks your view. If you can comfortably view the top of the dome and the area above the operator's console, you should have a good view of the entire show.
No photography is allowed during presentations. The deliberate or inadvertant use of flash photography not only spoils the show for everyone else, but is completely pointless. All that a flash photograph shows is the blank white dome that is visible when the lights are on. |
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Telescope Facilities
The rooftop observatory consists of a 12 foot diameter dome which houses a permanent pier, originally used (from 1974 to 1998) to hold a 14 inch diameter telescope, which is no longer in proper working order. The dome is also in very bad shape, and needs to be razed and replaced; and there are no funds available for the purpose, so it cannot be used for the foreseeable future.
As a result, observations are done with two mid-size (8 inch diameter) telescopes which are currently stored in an office on the third floor, and carried upstairs for use in the lab class and open houses (weather permitting).
Even though the dome is unusable it makes a nice landmark, so telescope observations are done from the area on the south side of the dome.
Rooftop Access
Normal rooftop access is through a service stairwell on the north side of the building, opposite the third floor elevator exit. When I am holding a rooftop Open House, the door will be open or ajar, so you can go up the stairs and out onto the roof. Once on the roof, there is a padded pathway to the west through a maze of pipes and vents, which is partially lighted. You should follow this path to the west end of the building and the telescope dome. Please do NOT stray from the pathway, as there are a number of small drains and other pitfalls on the roof. Also, do NOT open or go through any doorway other than those needed for roof access, or fool around with any of the rooftop equipment, as some of it is dangerous or expensive, and if someone damages the equipment or is injured, future use of the rooftop facilities may be forbidden.
It is also possible to reach the roof by means of the elevator on the south side of the building (the North elevator only goes to the third floor, but the South elevator goes all the way to the roof). Rooftop access requires a special key, available only to staff members. As a result, individuals who cannot use the stairs and need to use the South elevator must ask me to escort them to the roof prior to the start of rooftop observations.
Aerial photo of D Building |
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