Explore With Us!
Explore the wonders of the stars, constellations, planets and the galaxies beyond at the County College of Morris’ Longo Planetarium. Join us on a field trip to the Universe! You can reserve a show for your school, summer camp, or scout group.
Fees & Registration
Programs are scheduled as our astronomer’s availability allows, so please email planetariuminfo@ccm.edu for available times and dates.
Admission for schools is $7 per person per show. Fees for all other groups, scout groups, nonprofits, rentals and the public are $10 per person per show. There is a 25-person minimum for group programs.
Reservations are mandatory and due in writing 30 days prior to the program. For questions about available dates and reservations please contact us at 973-328-5070 or useofcollegefacilities@ccm.edu. Programs are scheduled as needed and as staff time permits. The best days to schedule are generally Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The planetarium is closed on Sundays. Please do include what month, day of the week, and time you are interested in.
Admission fees are per person (everyone attending), non-refundable and cannot be used for any other show or time (unless the program is cancelled by the college). Payment is by check or bank transfer only; credit and debit cards cannot be used for school or group programs. Make checks out to “County College of Morris.”
Lunchroom space is available, but arrangements must be made as part of your reservation. For availability contact us at 973-328-5070 or useofcollegefacilities@ccm.edu. Any serving of food or beverages must have prior approval from the college.
Insurance Requirements
Note a Certificate of Liability insurance is required. It must indicate your organization has a general liability policy with limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and a $2,000,000 aggregate. The County College of Morris and the County of Morris must be named additional insured with a copy of the endorsement attached.
Seating
At the Longo Planetarium most shows are limited to 74 people. You must provide an accurate headcount including all students, teachers, nurses, adults and chaperones in your group. Overbooking is specifically prohibited. Keep in mind if you exceed the limit, under no circumstances will chairs be added or sitting on the floor be permitted (which obstructs aisles and is a violation of fire safety codes).
All programs start promptly at the times indicated. Late entry will not be allowed into the dome, so make sure to arrive early, and plan for unexpected delays in travel and parking.
Directions for School Groups
County College of Morris is located at 214 Center Grove Rd, Randolph, NJ 07869. Like many college campuses, you can’t drive directly to academic buildings.
For school groups, please proceed to Parking Lot #6. The group should enter the Student Center and proceed to the front of the building. The planetarium astronomer will meet you in the lobby area in front of the Campus bookstore. The group will then walk outside to the planetarium in Cohen Hall. This is a less than 5-minute walk.
For other groups and public programs, please use Parking Lot #7 and follow the brown and white signs down to Cohen Hall. This is a 5-minute walk to the planetarium.
Planetarium Programs for Schools and Groups
Cosmix
Recommended for grades 1-3; approximately 45 minutes
Maximum capacity: 74 people
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be an astronaut? This 14-minute animated trip into space is a spectacular journey to the International Space Station. You will learn how to sleep in space, to cook astronaut food, take a zero-g shower – and use a cosmic restroom! In the second half of the show, you will learn about what it is like to be an astronomer with an amazing live tour of the nighttime sky, its constellations and stars, plus a lesson on how to find the planets.
Invaders of Mars
Recommended for grades 4 to adults; approximately 1 hour
Maximum capacity: 74 people
Invaders of Mars highlights our ongoing exploration of the red planet. We explore the Martian surface as seen by Earth’s various spacecraft “invaders” and use the data gathered to explore the planet. We fly over the great chasms, canyons, and volcanoes, and descend amid the ice of a Martian polar cap and are buffeted by swirling dust devils. Blinded by the planet-wide storms which engulf this world from time to time we emerge to discover a whole new world which is the red planet Mars.
Forward the Moon
Recommended for grades 4 to adults; approximately 1 hour
Forward the Moon launches us on a journey beyond the Earth towards a sustainable future in space. NASA’s 21st century Artemis program, named after the Greek moon Goddess and twin of Apollo, is the next step in our mission to explore and return astronauts to the surface of the Moon. Using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before, NASA uses what they learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars. Narrated by Kari Byron from Crash Test World and MythBusters.
Maximum capacity: 74 people
The Amazing Telescope: Two Small Pieces of Glass
Recommended for grades 4 to adults; approximately 1 hour
Maximum capacity: 74 people
In 1610, Galileo Galilei became the first person to look at the heavens through a telescope and record his findings. What he saw changed our understanding of the universe forever. Since that time, telescopes have made it possible for us to explore our universe and discover amazing things. This program not only examines how telescopes work, but also unveils some of the discoveries made possible by the telescope — a tool originally made of a metal tube and two small pieces of glass.
New Horizons
Recommended for grades 5 to adults; approximately 1 hour
Maximum capacity: 74 people
Our exploration of the Solar System begins as we follow a comet through interplanetary space. On each of our exotic ports of call, real data and images from modern space probes are transformed into stunning wrap-around visualizations. From breathtaking landscapes, to violent volcanic eruptions, to Saturn’s icy rings, this show transports you on a majestic journey through the planets and moons of our celestial neighborhood.
From Earth to the Universe
Recommended for grades 5 to adults; approximately 1 hour
Maximum capacity: 74 people
A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity’s oldest dream. With this stunning voyage through space and time, viewers can revel in the splendor of the various worlds in the Solar System and the ferocity of the scorching Sun. Then launch into deep space to visit the colorful birthplaces of stars and beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of myriads of galaxies. Along the way, the audience will learn about the history of astronomy, the invention of the telescope, and today’s giant telescopes that allow us to probe ever deeper into the Universe.
Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt for Dark Matter
Recommended for grades 5 to adults; approximately 1 hour
Maximum capacity: 74 people
Phantom of the Universe showcases an exciting exploration of dark matter, from the Big Bang to the largest particle accelerator on Earth. The show reveals the first hints of its existence through the celestial dance of distant galaxies, then plummets deep underground to see the most sensitive dark matter detector ever built. From there, we journey across space and time to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, speeding alongside particles before they collide in visually stunning explosions of light and sound, while learning how scientists are collaborating to track down the constituents of dark matter.
Sunstruck
Recommended for grade level 5 and up; approximately 1 hour
Maximum capacity: 74 people
Travel back to the beginning of our Solar System and experience the birth of the Sun. Explore its layers, explosive activity, space weather and its impact on Earth. Discover how it came to support life, how it threatens life as we know it, and how its energy will one day fade away. NASA and has accompanying materials.
Starlit Nights
Recommended for grades 5 to adults; approximately 1 hour
Maximum capacity: 91 people
In this fantastic live tour of the night sky, our astronomer will use the planetarium’s Digistar system to project tonight’s sky up on the dome. From constellations and stars to beautiful nebula and star clusters, we will point out what is currently in your night sky. We will show you where to find the moon and planets, as well as feature some of the latest astronomy news from our space telescopes and planetary probes.
Seeing
Recommended for grades 5 to adult; approximately 1 hour
Maximum capacity: 74 people
Well-known astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson guides us through a photon’s journey across a vast distance in space to a human being’s eye. It then travels the neural pathways of the brain which creates the image the mind sees. (Note: this show focuses more on the biology of the eye and brain; for a program about astronomy or the night sky, select one of the other shows above).