Herbert Trackman Planetarium

Dedicated to continuing its tradition of outstanding astronomical instruction and entertainment since 1973! 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.

October Planetarium Shows

Autumn brings longer nights for excellent Fall stargazing opportunities. Visit the Trackman Planetarium to learn all about our current night sky and upcoming celestial events. Explore cosmic curiosities, experience the wonders of the Universe, and embrace the stars at JJC. Planetarium shows are always free and always fascinating. All ages welcome!

✮ SHOWS BEGIN PROMPTLY AT 6PM

 

✧ Tuesday, October 1 ✧
“DARK: Understanding Dark Matter” Explores the nature of dark matter - the hidden 80% of all mass in the universe.  This show addresses what we know about its existence, and uses science to attempt a greater understanding of the unknown structure of space. Journey through a completely immersive simulation of the cosmos and dive deeper into the mystery of dark matter.

 

✧ Thursday, October 3 ✧
“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.

 

✧ Tuesday, October 8 ✧
“Cosmic Mashups: Gravity, Galaxies, and Supermassive Blackholes” Uncover the awe of imploding stars, galactic collisions, and monstrous blackholes found at the heart of galaxies. Learn the science behind revealing their secrets and mysteries.

 

✧ Thursday, October 10 ✧
“The Little Star that Could” A planetarium classic! Travel through the universe with an average yellow star (our Sun) in search of planets of his own to protect and warm. Along the journey, he meets other stars and learns what makes each star special. Together, we discover the differences of the solar system and galaxies, stars and star clusters, and other space objects in the night sky.

 

✧ Tuesday, October 15 ✧
“Unveiling the Invisible Universe” For thousands of years, civilization's perspective of the cosmos was limited to the scope of our vision. Today, we can see beyond the capabilities of human eyesight - into the invisible universe. An astonishing film that peers into 13 billion light years of space evolution. Witness the collision of black holes, observe massive gamma ray bursts, see new images of the cosmos through X-rays and cosmic rays.

 

✧ Thursday, October 17 ✧
“The X-Planets: Discovering Other Earths” – Since 1995, scientists have discovered more than 5,000 exoplanets in our intergalactic region. What might these other worlds look like? What kind of organisms could survive such a hostile environment? Take an epic journey to solar systems beyond our own. Learn about the Kepler telescope revolutionizing our understanding of planets in the galaxy. Enjoy imaginative visualizations of other worlds orbiting stars far, far away.

 

✧ Tuesday, October 22 ✧
“Supermassive Black Holes: Uncovering the Invisible” Prepare for a journey into the deepest regions of spacetime where humans could never venture…until now. Explore formations of the Universe’s greatest phenomena. This full dome film will dazzle you with striking and immersive visualizations as we uncover the mysteries lurking inside supermassive black holes.

 

✧ Thursday, October 24 ✧
“Dark Matter Mystery: Exploring a Cosmic Secret” investigates the unknown… what makes up the structure of space itself? The hunt for dark matter challenges astrophysicists, scientists, and the minds of astronomers across the globe. We know it exists. But we cannot see it. Can you solve the dark matter mystery?

 

✧ Tuesday, October 29 ✧
“Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus & Andromeda” – This show brings the myth of Perseus & Andromeda to life in a fun-filled animated adventure. An imaginative retelling of the tale of a beautiful but unfortunate princess. In divine punishment, she is sent to the sea captured by a sea monster. A brave hero Perseus rescues the damsel in distress. Along the way, we meet humorous and exciting characters and learn the story of how the constellations were placed in the night sky, forever travelling throughout the seasons. Fun for the whole family!

 

🎃 ✧ Thursday, October 31 ✧ 🎃
“Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt for Dark Matter” showcases Science’s greatest mystery, the exploration of dark matter - from the Big Bang to galaxy formation to the Large Hadron Collider. Journey inside CERN, the world’s largest particle accelerator, to understand the hidden fabrics of the universe.

 

Come back next month for November's show schedule...

About the JJC Planetarium

The public is invited to visit the Trackman Planetarium located in F-1001 on the Main Campus of Joliet Junior College. We have 55 theatre-style seats available in the dome and no registration is required to attend. Free events are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-7pm.

Interested in booking a field trip to the Trackman Planetarium? We are currently offering field trip opportunities on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for the 2024-2025 school year! These free, unique presentations are curated to the grade level and understanding of your students. Prepare for a stellar journey exploring the fields of science, mythology, history, and more. 

Joliet Junior College welcomes all social and community organizations to schedule planetarium programs for their members. Private presentations are available during daytime school hours or on select Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

✮ Contact fieldtripcoordinator@jjc.edu or call (815) 280-2601 for more information ✮