The Robert J. Novins Planetarium, on the Ocean County College (OCC) Main Campus, College Drive, Toms River, is offering a variety of holiday, children’s, laser and seasonal shows through Feb. 1.
Children’s shows
“One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure,” for children age 10 and under. Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a Muppet from China. A live presenter will give a brief tour of the night sky over New Jersey so children can learn where to look for constellations and visible planets of the season. Shows are at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 27, 28, 30 and 31; Jan. 4, 11, 18 and 25; and Feb. 1.
“Secret of the Cardboard Rocket,” for children age 10 and under. Two adventurous children use their imaginations, a refrigerator box and a helpful animated astronomy book to take a tour of the solar system. A live presenter will provide a brief tour of the night sky over New Jersey. Shows are at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 28, Jan 11 and 25, and Feb 1.
Holiday shows
“Season of Light” is a family show that explores some cultural festivals and takes a closer look at the most famous mystery of the season: the star of wonder. Also, learn about the season’s constellations and visible planets in the current night sky. Shows are 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 26, 27, 28, 30 and 31, and Jan. 4; 8:30 p.m. Dec. 27 and 28, and Jan. 4.
“Laser Holiday” is a family concert show featuring holiday favorites such as “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and others. Shows are at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 26; 4 p.m. Dec. 26, 27, 28, 30 and 31, and Jan. 4; 8:30 p.m. Jan. 3; and 9:45 p.m. Dec 27 and 28.
Sky shows
“Wonders of the Seasonal Sky,” for children age 8 and over, is an indepth tour of the current sky over New Jersey. The program explores the season’s constellations, bright stars, visible planets, deep-sky objects and celestial highlights. Shows are at 1 p.m. Dec. 28, Jan. 4 and 18, and Feb. 1; 7 p.m. Dec. 27 and Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31.
“Legends of the Night Sky: Orion,” for children age 8 and over, includes a brief tour of the current sky over New Jersey and the mythical story of Orion’s constellation. Shows are 1 p.m. Dec. 26, 27, 30 and 31, and Jan. 11 and 25; and 7 p.m. Dec. 28, and Jan. 3, 4, 11 and 25, and Feb 1.
Full dome shows
“Dawn of the Space Age,” for children age 10 and over, relives the early days of space exploration, from the launch of Sputnik to the American Gemini, Apollo and shuttle programs. Shows are 2:30 p.m. Jan. 11, 18 and 25, and Feb. 1; and 8:30 p.m. Jan. 10, 11, 17, 24, 25 and 31, and Feb. 1.
Winter laser fest
Experience dazzling laser art and spectacular digital and analog effects to the background music of “Laser Beatles.” The show, for family audiences, is set for 7 p.m. Jan.18.
The following are not recommended for children under 15, as the shows may contain lyrics that some parents find objectionable:
“Laser Zeppelin” on Jan. 18 at 8:15 p.m.; “Pink Floyd: The Wall” on Jan. 18 at 9:30 p.m.; and “Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon” on Jan. 18 at 10:45 p.m. Visit the website for playlists. All shows run about one hour. Attendees should arrive 15 minutes prior to showtime. There is no admittance or readmittance once the show has begun. The planetarium opens at 11 a.m. for daytime shows.
Admission per show is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors age 60 and over, and for OCC Rewards members with card; and $7 for children age 12 and under, unless otherwise noted. The family pack is $35 and includes two adults and three children.
Tickets may be purchased online at tickets.ocean.edu. Tickets also go on sale at the door a half-hour before the first show. All major credit cards are accepted. No checks.
A separate ticket is needed for each show. To view more than one show on a given day, ask for a multishow discount of $1 off per show.
Special group rates are $7 per person and are available for groups of 15 or more with advance contract.
For more information, call 732-255-0343 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For recorded show information, call 732-255-0342.