Although Abrams Planetarium hasn’t experienced a major technological change since 2004, it does house several rarely seen technologies.
The night sky is projected on the dome by a star projector that can display the stars from several vantage points, including other places on Earth and points in the universe.
The planetarium has a slide projector that is controlled by a computer in the back room and can display several full-screen images ranging from cloud formations to galaxy clusters to the inside of a spaceship.
Approximately 30 slide projectors, one video projector and several special effects projectors line the inside of the dome.
A new dome is in store for the planetarium and should be installed by the start of the fall 2009 semester.
An astronomy class and several public shows are presented in the planetarium.
Abrams Planetarium is expected to have a new dome in place when students return for the start of the fall 2009 semester, John French, planetarium production coordinator, said.
Asbestos problems and general usage have signaled the time for a change, French said, and the university is set to cover costs for the project, which includes removal of the current dome, asbestos removal, placement of the new dome and new seating.
French said the costs could reach about $1 million.
“The dome is old and has collected lots of dents over the years,” French said. “We’re going to try to have the new one ready by the end of August.”
Although Abrams hasn’t experienced a major technological change for three years, the planetarium, which houses an astronomy lab course and several public shows, has made many upgrades since opening in 1963.
The current star projector, which Abrams has used for about 15 years, is controlled by one of two computers in the planetarium’s back room.
The star projector can show the night sky from several different places on the planet and the solar system, as well as any date throughout history and into the future.
The computer that controls the star projector also is used for animation purposes as staff members occasionally need to create a feature for a public show.
A new sound system was implemented in 2004 that allows for lower frequency sounds and is a big improvement from the last system, French said.
“It can do a space shuttle launch that actually feels pretty real,” French said.
Jennifer Westbrook, a teaching assistant for ISP 205L, Visions of the Universe Laboratory, a class that meets in the planetarium, said Abrams’ features help the class run more smoothly.
“In this class, we use the digital sky projector and the clickers, and having a planetarium makes teaching astronomy infinitely easier,” Westbrook said.
Breghan Hill, a no-preference sophomore and ISP 205 lab student, said the learning atmosphere of the planetarium is a welcome change.
“This makes it a lot more interesting because we get to see things from a different perspective,” Hill said.
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