MCC planetarium, shows now open to the public

McHenry County College has officially opened the doors of its planetarium to the public.

Each month, community members are invited to dive deep into outer space and explore the vast expanse of our universe through entertaining documentaries, engaging fictional tales, and interactive children's shows.

The planetarium originally opened in August of 2018 as part of MCC's new Liebman Science Center, a state-of-the-art facility catering to students pursuing careers in biology, chemistry, health care and astronomy.

Through the planetarium, students experience hands-on learning opportunities that help them take the next steps in a career in astronomy, meteorology, earth science and more.

"The technology available in our new planetarium has truly transformed our students' learning experience," said Paul Hamill, astronomy instructor at MCC.

"We're excited to invite the community to take advantage of this resource and welcome everyone to join us for an up-close examination of our planets, the stars and the universe around us."

MCC is one of only four community colleges in Illinois with a planetarium. The planetarium's digital projection system displays an accurate arrangement of the stars and planets on an 8.3-meter dome, along with theater-style seating for 45 adults and five wheelchair-accessible seats.

Upcoming community shows include Out There - The Quest for Extra-Solar Worlds, Attack of the Space Pirates, Dark Matter Mystery, and Let it Snow, an animated singalong. Admission is free.

To see the full upcoming show schedule, reserve seats, and learn more about the planetarium, visit www.mchenry.edu/planetarium.