Discover Chemeketa's Planetarium 

Chemeketa's Planetarium has offered astronomy presentations since 1977. The theater seats 60 people under a 35-foot dome where realistic images of stars, planets, sun and moon are projected onto the ceiling for visitors to study and enjoy.

Each year, four to five different shows are scheduled that address topics ranging from our solar system, our galaxy of stars and the universe of galaxies.

Current Show

Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt for Dark Matter

Show Dates: Sept. 29; Oct. 6, 13, 20, & 27; Nov. 3 & 17; Dec. 1  

Show Time: 7:30 pm. 

Phantom of the Universe is a planetarium show that showcases an exciting exploration of dark matter, from the Big Bang to its anticipated discovery at the Large Hadron Collider. The show reveals the first hints of its existence through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term “dark matter.” From there, it journeys across space and time to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, speeding alongside particles before they collide in visually stunning explosions of light and sound, while learning how scientists around the world are collaborating to track down the constituents of dark matter. 

All shows include a brief introduction that explores the night time sky over Salem during this season of the year.

The Chemeketa Planetarium is located in Building 2, Room 171 on the Chemeketa campus off Lancaster Dr.  Use the Blue parking lot. Tickets are sold at the door about 15 minutes before show time.  Seating is limited to 60 and once the show begins, sorry no admission. Seat reservations are not taken at this time. For more information, please call 503.399.5248.