Welcome to the SCCS Planetarium Website
We want to welcome you to the Southern Cayuga Planetarium, where every journey begins with a single star. Prepare to embark on a celestial adventure unlike any other letting your imagination soar as we explore the wonders of the cosmos together. We are currently offering two ways to experience the mysteries of space!
Family/Community Shows -- Spring 2024
Our final Family/Community show for the school year:
Tuesday, June 11, 2024:
‘One World, One Sky’
(Reserve your seats here!)
One World, One Sky is a brilliant spectacle of light and color that follows Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a new friend from China. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth.
There are two show times for this evening: 5:00pm and 6:00pm.
This event will be a 'Bring Your Own Blanket' event. We invite all children attending to bring a beach towel or small blanket to lay on while enjoying the show from 'ground level'. The center of the dome will be reserved for our youngest viewers to enjoy the show from a new perspective!
Each family will be provided with a 'To Go' activity to be completed at home.
School Field Trips
Visits are FREE of charge and can be personalized to meet your curricular needs! Teachers should send requests to Heather Snyder via snyderh@southerncayuga.org. Shows typically last 40 minutes. Seating is limited to 50 people for each show. There is no fee for school related trips.
For more information on the grade level shows for school visits listed below, please contact
Heather Snyder at snyderh@southerncayuga.org.
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The Southern Cayuga Central School Planetarium
Fall 2019
Over the past seven years, countless parents and community members have shared stories of their long ago visits to the SCCS planetarium. Now is the time to rekindle those memories and to inspire the next generation of students to explore the skies above.
The Southern Cayuga School District is pleased to announce that renovations are complete and a new state-of-the-art digital projection system is operational. Over the summer of 2019, contractors upgraded all major mechanical systems, electrical, lighting, heating, and ventilation, and created a new robotics lab for our high school students. The new digital projection system will provide full-dome shows, real-time visualizations, and flight simulations through space. The technology has come a long way since the original Spitz projector was installed over 50 years ago. SkySkan Projection Systems of Nashua, New Hampshire, has provided training to a core group of staff members to operate the new projection system. I promise you’ll enjoy the show.
All are welcome to attend and check out the new projection system and visit the robotics lab. SCCS is hosting monthly shows for the families of Southern Cayuga and field trips for students from across Cayuga County.
Special thanks goes out to our community for their approval of the project and to Bob Parker & Tony Cavallaro of J&B Installations for donating and overseeing the complete roof replacement. Special thanks to Senator Pam Helming and Assemblyman Gary Finch for securing a $50,000 in state grants to purchase the new projection system. Special thanks to the Friends of the Planetarium for their continued advocacy. Most importantly, special thanks to the SCCS Board of Education for their leadership in bringing this project to fruition.
Patrick Jensen
SCCS Superintendent
