Herbert Trackman Planetarium

Dedicated to continuing its tradition of outstanding astronomical instruction and entertainment, the Trackman Planetarium features a 30' diameter dome and a state-of-the-art OmniStar Digital Projection system. Planetarium shows include interactive sky tours exploring constellations and planets, followed by a stellar full dome production on a wide range of astronomical topics.

April Planetarium Shows

As Spring emerges, warmer nights lie ahead for ideal stargazing opportunities. Visit the Trackman Planetarium to learn about the constellations in your own backyard, explore cosmic curiosities, and experience the wonders of the universe! 

Trackman Planetarium shows are always free, always fascinating, and always open to the public.

 

✧ Tuesday, April 2 at 6pm ✧
“Exploring Eclipses” – The week of the Great 2024 Solar Eclipse! Experience the rare and beautiful phenomena in our immersive dome. Learn why eclipses happen, how to safely view one, and prepare for an unearthly event.

 

✧ Thursday, April 4 at 6pm ✧
“Exploring Eclipses” – The week of the Great 2024 Solar Eclipse! Experience the rare and beautiful phenomena in our immersive dome. Learn why eclipses happen, how to safely view one, and prepare for an unearthly event.

 

✧ Tuesday, April 9 at 6pm ✧
“The Hot and Energetic Universe” – Experience the natural phenomena of High Energy Astrophysics. This full dome film immerses viewers in real life imagery and visualizations of gaseous reactions within supernova remnants, galaxy clusters, neutron stars, and supermassive blackholes. Observe the perpetual reactions and processes within the depths of the cosmos, helping shape our understanding of the universe.

 

✧ Thursday, April 11 at 6pm ✧
“Out There: The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds” This show tells the story of how human curiosity has driven us to look outwards for millennia - to discover and explore new and distant worlds and to find the unfamiliar and extraordinary forms of life that could exist in the mysterious realms of the Universe. As we have traversed more and more of the universe, what we have found so far has surpassed even our wildest expectations - There are planets everywhere! A huge diversity of different worlds are out there... Just waiting to be discovered... at the Trackman Planetarium.

 

✧ Tuesday, April 16 at 6pm ✧
“Climate Change in Our Backyard” discusses the topics of ecology, conservation, and environmentalism protecting our remarkable world. Learn how and why our climate is changing, humanity’s impact on Earth, the presence of Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere, and what we can do in our own homes to support sustainability. Travel the world in our dome – From the peaks of mountaintops to the pits of Arctic ice.

 

✧ Thursday, April 18 at 6pm ✧
“Voyage to Distant Worlds” takes place aboard a spacecraft that can travel faster than the speed of light. Take an immersive tour of objects in our solar system – from the Sun to the outermost regions of our solar system, beyond the Kuiper belt. A space adventure for all ages!

 

✧ Tuesday, April 23 at 6pm ✧
✩ Donors Are Superstars! A special event with guest speakers in partnership with the Illinois Secretary of State’s National Donation Awareness month. ✩
“Body Code” Explore the complex systems of the human body – from the skeletal structure to the vital organs… our eyes, brain, ears, veins and arteries. In this show, we shrink down to microscopic size to fly through the body and into the DNA that comprises all living things. Along the way, we see how the body fights diseases at a cellular level.

 

✧ Thursday, April 25 at 6pm ✧
“Atlas of a Changing Earth” is the story of how a revolution in map-making is revealing the planet’s changing landscape in the wake of rising global temperatures. This award-winning full dome production uses stunning, latest-generation imagery from space, taking viewers into the dynamic processes causing glacial melt and coastal changes. See the Earth in striking detail and gain and understanding of rising sea levels.

 

✧ Tuesday, April 30 at 6pm ✧
“Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” A classic planetarium production! This full dome show follows two kids as they traverse the solar system in a cardboard rocket alongside their navigator, a talking Astronomy book. Investigate the Sun, meet our neighboring planets, dodge asteroids while learning some amazing space facts! A kid friendly show.

About the JJC Planetarium

The public is invited to visit the Trackman Planetarium in F-1001 on the Main Campus. We have 55 theatre-style seats available in the dome and no registration is required. Free events are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6p.m.

Interested in booking a field trip to the Trackman Planetarium? We are currently offering Field Trip opportunities on Mondays and Wednesdays for Summer 2024. Educational groups are encouraged to schedule programs during the school day. These free, public service presentations are curated to the grade level and understanding of your students. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility. 

Social and community organizations are invited to schedule unique programs for their members. Private presentations are available during daytime school hours or on select Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Contact fieldtripcoordinator@jjc.edu for more information.