The Robert J. Novins Planetarium on the main campus of Ocean County College, College Drive, Toms River, is offering a variety of special events and seasonal shows from January through March.
“Pajama Night: Story Telling Under the Stars” will be presented at 6 and 7 p.m. on Jan. 26, Feb. 16, March 23 and April 20. Storybooks will come to life with giant pictures floating among the stars to accompany the tales. Visitors may wear their pajamas and bring a pillow or blanket. Reservations are recommended.
“Winter Laser Fest,” which consists of four laser shows, will be presented on Jan. 19. “Laser Beatles” will begin at 7 p.m., followed by “Laser Zeppelin” at 8:15 p.m., “Laser Metallica” at 9:30 p.m. and “Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon” at 10:45 p.m.
“Romance Among the Stars” will be offered on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. Attendees will hear some of the tales of romance represented by the constellations of the night sky.
The following three shows will be held on Feb. 15 and 18:
“Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” will be presented at 11:30 a.m. Children ages 10 and under will use their imaginations and a refrigerator box to take a tour of the solar system. A brief tour of the night sky over New Jersey will teach children where to find some of the constellations and visible planets of the season.
“Laser Fun” will be presented at 1 p.m. The planetarium dome will fill with color and music as brilliant lasers dance among the stars.
“Wonders of the Winter Sky” will be shown at 2:30 p.m. Children ages 10 and older will tour the current night sky and explore the constellations, stars, visible planets, deep-sky objects and celestial highlights.
Six “Winter Sky Shows” will run through March 17. These three shows are recommended for children ages 10 and under.
“Legends of the Night Sky: Orion” will be shown on Fridays at 7 p.m. Laser imagery brings the story of the bright winter constellation Orion to life in an exciting adventure.
“One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” will be presented on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. Big Bird and Elmo from “Sesame Street” welcome a friend from China, and together, they watch the stars twinkle over Sesame Street and discover that people around the world see similar stars. This interactive show is recommended for children age 7 and under.
“The Stars from My Backyard” will be offered on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. Beginning with a beautiful sunrise, young children will learn about the sun, moon, weather, constellations and planets visible in the current sky.
The following “Winter Sky Shows” are recommended for children ages 10 and older:
“Wonders of the Winter Sky” will be shown on Fridays at 8:15 p.m., Saturdays at 1 and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. Attendees will tour the current night sky from day to night.
“Cosmic Colors: An Adventure Along the Spectrum” will be shown on Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Discover why the sky is blue or why Mars is red. Tour a plant leaf and journey inside the human eye. Investigate X-rays by voyaging to a monstrous black hole and then back to your doctor’s office. See the actual color of a dinosaur based on recent evidence.
“Dawn of the Space Age” will be presented on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Learn about the International Space Station, private space exploration ventures and the possible future of human exploration.
Admission for “Pajama Night: Story Telling Under the Stars” is $8. Admission for all other shows is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors ages 60 and older and Ocean County College Rewards Members (with card); $7 for children ages 12 and under and Ocean County College students (with ID); or $35 for a family pack, which includes two adults and three children. Tickets are required for each show and are available by calling 732- 255-0343 or visiting www.tickets.ocean.edu. Tickets are also available at the door 30 minutes before each show. For more information, visit www.ocean.edu/planet.htm.