Palomar College Planetarium, San Marcos

About Palomar College Planetarium

Palomar College Planetarium is a facility where visitors sit under a 50-foot dome to watch immersive astronomical presentations. The theater holds 138 seats that tilt back slightly, each with a folding tablet arm, and accommodates wheelchairs. The dome itself consists of 42 perforated aluminum panels painted with highly reflective coating. Presentations use Digistar 7 technology, a system that combines two JVC digital projectors equipped with wide-angle lenses to create 4K images across the dome's interior. The audio system delivers 5.1 surround sound through eight speakers using 11,000 watts of power. A Panasonic digital projector handles presentations not requiring the Digistar 7 system. The planetarium opened to the public in 2012 and ranks among California's largest. Public shows take place on Fridays, offering visitors an opportunity to experience deep-space imagery and astronomical content in San Marcos, California.