History of the Planetarium

The Randall Planetarium at Mt. SAC has been serving the community for over 40 years since opening its doors in 1968. The facility is used as an instructional facility (astronomy classes, presentations for local schools) and for public productions that open our remarkable galaxy to the community at large. The Randall Planetarium facility has a 35-foot-diameter hemispherical dome and seats up to 75 persons. 

More than 3,000 college astronomy students per year use the facility as a learning lab, and over 8,000 school children per year come to explore the stars and planets.

Thanks to donations from The Foundation, individuals, students, and the community, the planetarium was renovated and re-opened in December 2010 with a new Digistar digital star projector to explore the solar system and view brilliant nebulas as well as a Zeiss SKYMASTER ZKP 4 for focused stunning star-lit skies.   Enhanced with surround sound the newly renovated Mt. SAC-Randall Planetarium now provides a truly immersive planetarium experience.  

PLANETARIUM PROJECTION SYSTEMS

The Mt. SAC-Randall Planetarium is powered by two planetarium projection systems: Digistar 5 and Zeiss SKYMASTER ZKP-4. Enhanced with surround sound the Mt. SAC-Randall Planetarium provides a truly immersive planetarium experience

Digistar 5

Digistar 5 is the latest in digital planetarium technology.  Audiences can enjoy a 360 degree full dome experience with spectacular full dome video quality.  Fly to planets, stars and even other galaxies, using the new integrated digital universe database which accurately maps the size and positions of stars and galaxies. 

Zeiss SKYMASTER ZKP-4

With brilliant high resolution and color accuracy the Zeiss SKYMASTER ZKP-4 presents our most realistic night sky in the Mt. SAC-Randall Planetarium.  With over eighty years of German engineering, the Zeiss projector uses a combination of fiber optics, LED lights, counterweights, gears, lenses and programming to achieve this exquisite night sky. 

(Equipment description is a courtesy from our equipment providers)

The Mt. SAC - Randall Planetarium 
(Building 26C) 
Mt. San Antonio College 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut, CA 91789 
Phone: (909) 274-5795 | E-mail: planetarium@mtsac.edu