Our Mission
To inform and inspire the public and college community about the foundations and frontiers of modern astronomy. To spark and sustain public interest in astronomy and science. To enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and encourage the next generation of STEM students. To provide educational opportunities and resources for the public, college community, educators, and students of all ages.In order to accomplish this mission, The Montgomery College Planetarium & Observatory will provide innovative engaging educational experiences including:
- Public planetarium shows
- Public astronomical viewing with our campus observatory
- Classes and workshops for the college and local community
- Planetarium and observatory tours, displays, and presentations
- Community outreach including lectures, star parties, and educational events
About the Planetarium
The new planetarium in the Catherine and Isiah Leggett Math and Science Building features 100 movable seats under a tilted 30-foot dome. With the dual digital projectors, we are able to simulate the night sky including planets, nebulae, galaxies, and a host of celestial objects and imagery. Additionally, we have capability to support interdisciplinary programming including art, history, architecture, geology, biology, chemistry, and physics.We host public events for the community as well as private events for school groups, scouts, non-profits, and clubs. Our current event schedule may be found here.
About the Observatory
The observatory is located on the roof of the new Rockville Science Center. It is home to one 14-inch Celestron (CGE PRO 1400 HD) telescope and one 17-inch astrograph inside a rolling roof structure as well as piers for three 8-inch Celestron (CPC 800 GPS) telescopes surrounding the observatory. The roof-top area also has lots of open space for the set up of portable telescopes and tripod mounted binoculars.Additional instrumentation includes CCD cameras, photometry equipment, spectrometer, and filters for solar observing (white light and H-alpha). The observatory also has specialized scopes for solar observing, including a Coronado SolarMax 90 and Coronado PST.
The observatory is used as part of the astronomy course curriculum, student research, as well as education and public outreach projects.