The 3M Observatory, located next to the Planetarium, will be open for observations.
In honor of the Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium's 25th anniversary of bringing astronomy to the children and adults of New Jersey, the Planetarium will offer two special events in September and October.
The Branchburg-based Planetarium will present a free Total Lunar Eclipse Watch, Sunday, Sept. 27, from 9 p.m. to midnight. Participants are invited to watch the Full Moon glide into Earth's shadow. The 3M Observatory, located next to the Planetarium, will be open for observations. If the weather is poor, participants will go inside the Planetarium to watch a live-stream video of the event from another location.
The public is also invited to participate in Astronomy Day, Saturday, Oct. 17, from 2-5 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. The event will feature hands-on activities celebrating astronomy, science, and the Planetarium's 25th anniversary. Those attending may observe the Sun (safely) and the Moon through telescopes. Other activities including learning to use one's body to tell time on a sundial.
The 3M Observatory will be open for solar observing during the day and examining the Moon and other celestial objects in the evening sky. The event is appropriate for families with children ages six and older.
Astronomy Day activities are free of charge, but there are costs for the Planetarium star shows and laser concerts being offered on Oct. 17. These include AstronoMyths, 3 p.m.; Laser Pop Rock, 4 p.m.; Fall Skies, 7 p.m.; and Rock of Ages laser concert, 8 p.m. Shows cost $8 each, or $14 for two shows. Reservations are strongly suggested for all Planetarium shows. For additional information, call 908-231-8805 or visit www.raritanval.edu/planetarium.
Since the 100-seat RVCC Planetarium first opened in March 1990, the facility has grown from 6,000 visitors in its first school year of operation to more than 31,000 visitors during the 2014-15 academic year. This includes over 300 programs presented to visiting school and camp groups and more than 200 shows for the public.
In addition to traditional star shows and laser concerts, the Planetarium offers "The Sky Above," an astronomy and music show specially designed for families with children on the Autism spectrum or those with developmental disabilities, and "Meditation Under the Stars," in which participants learn to relax during a guided meditation under Planetarium's digital dome.
During the past few years, the RVCC Planetarium has been a leader in astronomy education and programming throughout the state. In late 2008 the RVCC Planetarium became the first New Jersey facility to offer an AllDome High Definition digital projection system, which enables visitors to be surrounded by images for an Imax-like experience.
The SkySkan DigitalSky AllDome system features six projectors located at the edge of the dome, creating one integrated image that covers the entire projection hemisphere. An array of computers and datasets is utilized to create both live interactive programs, as well as pre-rendered shows.
In the honor of the International Year of Astronomy (celebrating the 400th anniversary of when Galileo Galilei first used a telescope to look into space), in 2009 the RVCC Planetarium was the only New Jersey site selected to display two new galactic images taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory.
That same year, the RVCC Planetarium also was featured on an episode of TLC's Cake Boss. Baker Buddy Valastro created a tower of edible planets for the event that honored Galileo Galilei and the College's Galileo scholars, a select group of students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math.
In 2013 the Planetarium opened the 3M Observatory, which features a complex of three small buildings that includes a 16-foot dome and a 20-foot roll-off roof. The observatory, which was funded by a $100,000 grant from the 3M Foundation and several anonymous donors, houses several types of telescopes including a 16-inch Meade telescope.
In addition to offering educational programs for the public and school children, the Planetarium has been training teachers throughout the state since 1994. These teacher workshops began with a grant from the Merck Institute for Science Education to train teachers to use the Starlab portable planetariums.
In 1998, in response to the state's first science standards prominently featuring astronomy, the Planetarium began offering additional teacher professional development focused on astronomy. This included two national programs: Project ASTRO and Family ASTRO. Project ASTRO partners K-12 teachers with amateur and professional astronomers to help them work more effectively in classrooms. Family ASTRO is an informal astronomy education program that addresses the connection between families and strong performance in schools.
The success of the teacher professional development programs led to the establishment of a separate Science Education Institute in 2006.
Over the past nine years, the Institute has grown into a major professional development provider for teachers in science, including astronomy. This past school year, it offered over 40 days of professional development to nearly 1,000 K-12 educators both at the RVCC campus and in school districts.
The Science Education Institute is currently focusing on helping New Jersey school districts prepare for the Next Generation Science Standards, which will be implemented beginning in 2016-2017 for grades 6-12 and in 2017-2018 for grades K-5. All workshops are co-facilitated by K-12 educators from the NGSS Teacher Leader Program. This program, which is a collaboration among Princeton University, Rider University and RVCC, includes K-12 teachers from 20 different school districts.
The Science Education Institute is supported by multiple grants from the New Jersey Space Grant Foundation, the 3M Corporation, the Sanofi Corporation, and the PSE&G Corporation.
Raritan Valley Community College's main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg.