Best Observatory Torrance Near Me

4worldlovers:
In the spring of 2005 the El Camino Planetarium installed a new GOTO Chronos planetarium projector with star plate technology that projects 8,500 stars (down to magnitude 6.5), planets, and the Milky Way. Thirteen of the brightest stars in the sky are projected in their natural colors. In addition to stars, the Chronos projector can accurately display 26 of the most popular celestial objects like the Adromeda Galaxy and the Orion Nebula with dedicated projectors for the Magellanic clouds.


More recently, a fulldome LCD projector, by Ash Warped Media, was added. The Planetarium is now able to show fulldome, high resolution movies and images. The Planetarium currently offers three fulldome features; New Horizons, Universe, and Stars of the Pharaohs, for public viewing.

For more information on public shows visit our Planetarium Show webpage.

4worldlovers: The park features two lighted baseball fields, picnic facilities, restrooms, lighted tennis courts, children's playground, a community room, museum and observatory.

Garvey Ranch Park is one block south of Graves Avenue. The park is on the north side of the Garvey Reservoir. It measures approximately 28 acres.

4worldlovers: There is plenty of life here on Earth, but where else might it be found? In Signs of Life, we discover what it took to put life in the universe in the one place where we know it exists. We see how the laws of chemistry and physics drive cosmic evolution, and we travel through the solar system, the Milky Way Galaxy, and beyond in a search for more signs of life.

Travel to the farthest reaches of the universe and into the microscopic building blocks of life. Live presentations immerse you in the wonder and meaning of the cosmos.

People have always looked at the sky and wondered what is really out there. Our 60 exhibits make you an observer and show you what we know.

The largest urban-wilderness municipal park in the United States, Griffith Park is filled with trails, trees, trains, attractions… and the Hollywood Sign!

Anyone can be an observer, and we are here to help. You may look through our free public telescopes or use our astronomical information to observe from your own backyard. Check out the weekly Sky Report to see what you can observe in Los Angeles.

Live shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, live Tesla Coil demonstrations, and your chance to observe with our public telescope observing are offered every day. Check the schedule!

Virtual and in-person programs – including public star parties, All Space Considered, and the Sunset Walk-and-Talk – return each month as reliably as the phases of the Moon!

Griffith Observatory reliably connects you to unusual sights in the sky, the changing seasons, visiting astronomers and their latest discoveries, and more.

4worldlovers:
Thanks to the generosity and vision of the late John Drescher, Santa Monica College is the home to a computerized planetarium theater. At its heart is the Evans & Sutherland Digistar II planetarium projector, which was the first of its kind on the West Coast. Using digital technology, audiences can fly beyond the solar system and soar among the stars. We can transport you across our galaxy to the limits of spacetime.


January 27th's telescope observing event on campus was a success and we would like to thank all those who attended and helped make it a memorable evening, including the faculty and members of the SMC Astronomy Club who helped out - not to mention multiple audience members who offered help with putting equipment away.

We intend to follow up with more similar events but will probably schedule them for Saturday evenings rathe than Fridays. Watch this space for developments.

Invitation links to the live online events are generally posted the Thursday before. These programs are only available LIVE on Friday evenings, and on the occasional Matinee dates, normally Sundays. Clicking on the Zoom links at other times will not work.

Please scroll down beyond the calendar for notes on upcoming 8 p.m. programs

We also look forward to the expanded capabilities of the new planetarium SMC is building for opening in Fall 2024.

The Night Sky programs will last roughly 30 - 40 minutes, followed by a short question and answer period where guests can type questions into a chat box and we will answer as many questions as possible. There will be a short intermission at approximately 7:50 p.m. prior to the start of the Feature program at 8 p.m.

Sunday afternoon matinees feature a condensed presentation combining elements of the previous Friday night's programming.

Note that all 8 p.m. feature programs are preceded by the 7 p.m. “Night Sky” program described above.

Currently all presentations are online ONLY, with the exception of occasional observing programs.

May 12th: The Life Cycle of Stars: A Walk Along the Main Sequence

May 19th: Skylab: America's First Space Station - A 50 Year Retrospective, Part One

4worldlovers: A visit to the UCLA Planetarium has three parts: a special topic presentation, a current night-sky show, and (weather permitting) a telescope viewing.

The special topic presentation lasts about 30 minutes, with a slide or video presentation about a specific area of astronomy, and is shown in the planetarium immediately preceding the night-sky show. Special topic presentations are designed to be interesting and meaningful for anyone who comes to our planetarium. A different topic is offered at each week’s public show.