SCCS Community/Family Planetarium Shows 2022-23

Upcoming Spring Show Dates:

SCCS Community/Family Planetarium May/June Shows...

On Monday, May 22nd we will be showing ‘From Earth to the Universe’ at 5:30pm.  The movie is 30 minutes long.  At the conclusion of the show we will spend 10-15 minutes learning fun facts about space. 

To reserve seats, please fill out the Google Form.  As always, families will be able to take home an activity to extend their experience even further!

Summary of the show: From Earth to the Universe (30 Minutes)

The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity's oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today's grandest telescopes, we invite you to experience From Earth to the Universe. Origins, telescopes, tour of planets, stars, supernovas.  Recommended 8 years and older. 

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On Monday, June 12th we will be showing ‘Out There: The Quest for Extraterrestrial Worlds’ at 5:30pm.  The movie is 30 minutes long.  At the conclusion of the show we will spend 10-15 minutes learning fun facts about space. 

To reserve seats, please fill out the Google Form.  As always, families will be able to take home an activity to extend their experience even further!

Summary of the show: Out There: The Quest for Extraterrestrial Worlds (30 minutes)

For thousands of years, mankind thought that the Earth was the center of the Universe. Thanks to our curiosity, imagination and urge to explore, we now know that planets like our Earth are nothing special in the cosmos. The Sun is just one ordinary star among hundreds of billions in our galaxy, the Milky Way. With the world’s most powerful telescopes, we are able to explore more and more of the Universe. What we have found so far has surpassed even the wildest expectations of scientists as well as authors of science fiction. Most stars have planets — it turns out they are more common than we thought.  A huge diversity of different worlds is out there, just waiting to be discovered.  Historical perspective, random exploration, exoplanets.

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(As a reminder, shows are limited to 50 participants, the Google Form links will be active as long as there are seats available!)

The Friends of the Planetarium is now scheduling shows open to groups of 20 or more. Private groups should contact Frank Benenati at friendsoftheplanetarium@gmail.com to schedule events. There will be a small fee for non-school related programs.

The Southern Cayuga Central School Planetarium 

Fall 2019

Over the past seven years, countless parents and community members have shared stories of their long ago visits to the SCCS planetarium.  Now is the time to rekindle those memories and to inspire the next generation of students to explore the skies above. 
 
The Southern Cayuga School District is pleased to announce that renovations are complete and a new state-of-the-art digital projection system is operational.   Over the summer of 2019, contractors upgraded all major mechanical systems, electrical, lighting, heating, and ventilation, and created a new robotics lab for our high school students.  The new digital projection system will provide full-dome shows, real-time visualizations, and flight simulations through space.  The technology has come a long way since the original Spitz projector was installed over 50 years ago.   SkySkan Projection Systems of Nashua, New Hampshire, has provided training to a core group of staff members to operate the new projection system.  I promise you’ll enjoy the show. 
 
All are welcome to attend and check out the new projection system and visit the robotics lab.  SCCS is hosting monthly star shows for the families of Southern Cayuga and field trips for students from across Cayuga County. 
 
Special thanks goes out to our community for their approval of the project and to Bob Parker & Tony Cavallaro of J&B Installations for donating and overseeing the complete roof replacement. Special thanks to Senator Pam Helming and Assemblyman Gary Finch for securing a $50,000 in state grants to purchase the new projection system.  Special thanks to the Friends of the Planetarium for their continued advocacy.  Most importantly, special thanks to the SCCS Board of Education for their leadership in bringing this project to fruition. 

Please contact SCCS-Planetarium@southerncayuga.org to schedule field trips. 

Patrick Jensen
SCCS Superintendent