Exhibit Features U.S. Space Program

The California Museum of Science and Industry will mark the first International Space Year with an exhibit on the past, present and future of the nation’s space program.

Included in the exhibit is a Mercury capsule that carried the first primate into space--the chimpanzee Ham--a glove worn by Neil Armstrong during the first lunar landing in 1969 and models of a Saturn V rocket and the space station Freedom.

The exhibit runs through Jan. 3. Call (213) 744-7400.

ASTRONOMY

The Santa Monica College planetarium program “Explorers” will examine exploration from Christopher Columbus’ voyage 500 years ago to the exploration of space today and in the future, Fridays through Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. after the night sky show at 7 p.m. in Room 214 of the Art Building. Call (310) 452-9396 for tickets, (310) 452-9223 for information.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s fall planetarium programs will run through Dec. 27. “Saturn, the Jewel of the Night Sky” will be featured on Saturday evenings at 8. Weekend afternoons, “The Sounds of Space” will be shown at 1:30 and 3 p.m., with “A Guide to the Fall Sky” at 4 p.m. Call (805) 682-3224.

Tours of the historic Mt. Wilson Observatory, including the famous 100-inch telescope, will continue through October, after which they will be on hiatus for the winter months until spring. Tours sponsored by the Mt. Wilson Institute are held Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. Call (818) 793-3100.

SCIENCE FOR KIDS

The William O. Douglas Outdoor Classroom will be sponsoring “Canyon Tykes,” a nature walk for children ages 4 through 7 accompanied by an adult on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Sooky Goldman Nature Center. Reservations are required. Call (310) 858-3834.

Children ages 6 and older can learn to use a compass while learning about the history of exploration in “Kidspace Expedition” at the Kidspace Museum on Saturday at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Call (818) 449-9144.

HERPETOLOGY

Hundreds of species of reptiles and amphibians will be on display at the 11th annual live reptile and amphibian exhibit presented by the Southwestern Herpetologists Society on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake View Terrace Recreation Center. Conservation displays and educational exhibits will examine the environmental problems facing these animals. Call (310) 399-4621 or (818) 780-5179.

PHYSICS

Ronald Drever, Caltech professor of physics, will discuss gravitational wave detection at the Caltech Physics Research Conference on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Room 201 E. Bridge St. Call (818) 356-4652.