Long Beach City College Astronomy Open Houses
Presented by Courtney Seligman, Emeritus Professor of Astronomy, Long Beach City College
Free admission*, open to all
There is no entry after the doors close (at 7:30 pm)
For reservations contact courtney@cseligman.com
(See Standby Seating for how seating is handled for people without reservations.)
On Hiatus Until At Least 2013
Planetarium show is in D326; telescope viewing is on the roof of the D building
I am retiring in May, so the April 27 astronomy open house was the last one I'll be presenting for now. I have not completely ruled out doing other shows in the future, but will not be making any decision about that until the end of 2012; so the earliest any additional shows might be presented is Spring 2013. |
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 *A suggested donation of $1 per person to the LBCC Foundation (which provided virtually all the funding for the planetarium) is requested for admittance, but is not required (larger donations are of course gratefully accepted). Donation envelopes can be provided for those who wish to make larger donations; if a check or donation envelope is used, please indicate Account #1156 Planetarium on your check or envelope to show that the donation was in connection with the open house. |
Seating and Show Information
Check-in for reserved and standby seating starts between 7 and 7:10 pm. Individuals with disabilities whose disability makes it difficult for them to wait in the hallway may be admitted as soon as they check in, but regular seating starts about 7:10 pm. Parties with reservations are seated first, but some individuals without reservations may be seated at the same time, if there are unreserved seats. Reservations expire about 7:20 pm, at which time anyone may enter subject to seating availability (see Standby Seating for more information). This means that even if you have a reservation, you may be turned away if you arrive late, and there is too large a crowd to accommodate everyone.
There is an astronomy presentation during seating, from about 7:10 until the doors close at 7:30, at which time the planetarium presentation begins.The planetarium presentation runs from 7:30 to about 8:55 pm. 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.
Weather permitting, there will be telescope viewing on the roof after the planetarium show, 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.
Planetarium Etiquette
During planetarium presentations, the planetarium is completely darkened. All laptops, cell phones, and other devices which emit light must be turned off during the show.
Although "all are welcome", children younger than four or five should not be brought to the show, as it disturbs the other 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).
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. Aside from questions of copyright violations, the deliberate or inadvertant use of flash photography spoils the show for everyone else, and 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; however, although we still have a 14-inch telescope, it is not in the dome, because the dome leaks like a sieve and needs to be repaired or replaced, and there are no funds available for either purpose. So the telescope now sits in a box in my office, and the dome serves only as visual evidence of the sad state of the state's finances.
Despite this, telescope observations can still be carried out using two mid-size (8 inch diameter) telescopes which are also stored in my office on the third floor, and are carried upstairs for the open houses (weather permitting).
Telescope observations are done from the area on the south side of the dome, as shown in the image below.
Rooftop Access and Safety Considerations
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 telescope viewing the door will be propped open, so you can go up the stairs and 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 lit. You should follow this path to the west end of the building and the observing area. Please do NOT stray from the path, as there are a number of 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 much of it is dangerous or expensive, and if someone damages the equipment or is injured, future use of the rooftop facilities may be forbidden.
Individuals who cannot use the stairs can 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). However, rooftop elevator 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 let my assistants know, prior to the start of rooftop observations, so someone can operate the elevator.
Aerial photo of D Building |
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