Opening of the Tessmann Planetarium - el Don News

College President Erlinda Martinez along with district board members and faculty, were at the opening of the renovated Tessmann Planetarium. / Emilio Rodriguez / el Don

by

College President Erlinda Martinez along with district board members and faculty, were at the opening of the renovated Tessmann Planetarium. / Emilio Rodriguez / el Don

By Jose Servin

Tessmann Planetarium is now open.

Santa Ana College President Erlinda Martinez hosted the opening of the renovated planetarium and the Veterans Resource Center today at a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Steve Eastmond, professor of astronomy at SAC, and Bob Menn, planetarium educator, led a tour of the Tessmann that featured a preview of A Tour of Our Solar System, a new show that opens April 13.

“We are not just citizens of earth, we are citizens of the solar system,” said Menn, as the lights dimmed in the projector room and stars illuminated the planetarium’s ceiling.

Updates to the building include a new roof, improved HVAC units, an updated lobby, and reupholstered seats in the projector room.

The renovations were funded by Measure E, a $337 million bond approved by voters in 2002 to update buildings in the Rancho Santiago Community College District.

“We built it so it lasts not one hundred years, but one thousand years,” said Larry Labrado, President of the Board of Trustees for RSCCD.

el Don News

Previous Story

Wild Play Puts Dons in First

Next Story

From The Streets of Japan, Formula Drift Takes America By Storm

Latest from Blog

LIVE UPDATES: Entering Phase Three allows county to reopen barber shops and nail salons, as well as churches.

As of June 6, 2020, updates on this page have been discontinued. Here’s what we know: As the county begins to reopen, what does that mean for you? Orange County bars, gyms,

In Photos: Gas Crisis (Here we go again)

In the early 1970s, and again in 1979, gasoline shortages triggered by conflicts in oil producing regions resulted in gas rationing and long lines locally. My brother and I were in our

Max’s Munchies: How to elevate simple foods on a college budget

As a college student, especially one without a job, I’m always looking for ways to eat without spending a fortune. If I spend money on food, it’s usually to order some greasy

A man in a green shirt and black shorts hitting a small blue rubber ball

“Ayy foo, you’re on court five”: handball culture in Orange County

As the sun sets on El Camino Real Park in Orange, you hear cars passing by, making the drive home from work. In between cars, you hear music you would normally hear

The beauty of Santa Barbara

I transferred to the University of California Santa Barbara in 2017 and graduated three years later during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over that period I learned more about myself outside

The resistance economy of the Beaumont Outdoor Market

If you drive 90 minutes east towards Palm Springs on any given Sunday, you’ll find the Beaumont Outdoor Market. Since the late 1980’s, these merchants have functioned as a thriving desert micro-economy,

Go toTop