GOINGS ON : Gladwin Planetarium Visits a Fiery Planet : Two programs that run through March will focus on Mars. Area activities include workshop by glass artist Dale Chihuly.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has the perfect antidote for a winter chill: a trip to the fiery planet, Mars.

Yesterday, the museum’s Gladwin Planetarium began its presentation of “Mars and the Winter Sky,” which will be repeated each Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. through March. Admission is free with admission to the museum itself.

And beginning Saturday, the planetarium will present “The Return of the Red Planet,” which will feature close-up images of Martian craters, riverbeds and canyons (one of which is more than 2,000 miles long, 75 miles wide and four miles deep). The show will be presented each Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. through March. Admission is 50 cents, with admission to the museum.

The museum is at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. General admission is $5 (adults), $4 (teen-agers and seniors), $3 (children age 2 through 12).

*

Dale Chihuly has drawn plenty of kudos and streams of fans with his “Installations 1964-1994” glass art exhibit at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Those fans will get a chance to meet the artist himself, with several events scheduled this week.

On Friday, Chihuly will be on hand for a free book signing at the museum from noon to 1:30 p.m. Then on Saturday, at the museum’s Ridley-Tree Education Center, the artist will lead painting workshops based on the unique method he uses for designing his glass pieces. A workshop for adults will be offered at 11 a.m., with workshops at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. for adults and children. Cost is $40 each.

Later Saturday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., art created at Chihuly’s youth workshops in November will be on display at a wine and hors d’oeuvres preview of the exhibit, “Live Drawing: Chihuly and Friends,” which will run through March 19 at the Education Center. Cost is $15.

On Sunday, Chihuly will be back at the museum for the “Chihuly on Chihuly” lecture and wine and cheese reception. The lecture will begin at 4 p.m., the reception at 5:30. Admission is $18 for the lecture and reception, $10 for the reception only.

The museum is at 1130 State St. The Education Center is at 1600 Santa Barbara St.

*

Don Messick, voice of such cartoon stars as Scooby Doo, Boo Boo Bear, Ranger Smith and Papa Smurf, will use his familiar intonations when he narrates “Peter & the Wolf” Saturday at the Lobero Theatre. Messick will be backed by the West Coast Symphony. Santa Barbara storyteller Michael Katz will also be featured, as will 50 cartoon slides by Jamie Pfeifer.

Show time is 3 p.m. Tickets are $15.50 (general), $10.50 (seniors and students), and $5.50 (children and the disabled). Call 963-0761 for tickets, or 962-6609 for more information. The Lobero is at 33 E. Canon Perdido.

*

A traveling exhibit of 100 photographs capturing, predominately, the everyday lives of African Americans in Los Angeles, will make a stop at Westmont College’s Reynolds Gallery beginning Monday.

Titled “Life in a Day of Black L.A.,” the collection is intended to present a positive look at life in the African American community. The photos capture family gatherings, adults at work, children at school, cultural performances and civic events. There is also a separate section of work dealing with events following the announcement of the Rodney G. King verdict.

The show was organized by Toyomi Igus, managing editor of publications for UCLA’s Center for Afro-American Studies, and Roland Charles, founder of the Black Gallery in Los Angeles and director of Black Photographers of California.

“Life in a Day of Black L.A.” will run through March 3, with a reception Jan. 21 from 3 to 5 p.m. Westmont College is at 955 La Paz Road. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

*

The Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra will welcome back violinist Sheryl Staples, the ensemble’s former concertmaster, as a guest soloist in an all-strings concert Tuesday at the Lobero Theatre. Current concertmaster Michelle Kim will be the other soloist.

A presentation of Mozart’s “Serenata Notturna, K. 239,” is scheduled to open the concert, followed by Kohjiba’s “Hiroshima Requiem,” Rossini’s “Sonata for Strings, No. 3 in C major,” and Schnittke’s “Concerto Grosso No. 3.”

General admission is $20, $24 and $27, with $14 tickets available for students and seniors. Call 963-0761. The Lobero is at 33 E. Canon Perdido.