July 26, 2018, Santa Rosa, CA - The Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) planetarium, which was originally built in 1980, will temporarily close for the Fall 2018 semester in order to perform a technical and structural assessment of the facility.

The planetarium has previously hosted thousands of attendees in its 38 years in existence, for shows such as “How to Measure the Cosmos” and “Exploring the Depths of Our Summer Sky.”

Due to the age of the facility, which has never undergone structural renovation, the college plans to perform a full assessment of the viability of the building and equipment. Potential plans for renovation will be considered following this assessment. The planetarium will remain closed until Spring 2019 at a minimum. No date has been set to reopen the facility.

SRJC Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Victor Tam said that he was disappointed to have to temporarily close the facility. “The SRJC planetarium has delighted thousands of schoolchildren, students, and community members for over three decades,” he said. “But this assessment is necessary to ensure the continued excellence of any programs and shows we offer at SRJC.”