Penn State Science Proposes the Explorarium, a Digital Planetarium Concept at the Arboretum at Penn State
For decades, the Penn State department of astronomy and astrophysics has been providing students and the public with the opportunity to explore space. With the acquisition of the first Spitz Model A planetarium projector in the 1930s, to the more modern Spitz starball projector, to the current 3D GeoWall projectors, the department has been able to educate and immerse thousands of people each year in the wonders of the sky. To continue educating students and the public, the department envisions building a state-of-the-art, easy-access public science education facility at the Arboretum at Penn State.
With today’s technology, Penn State Astronomy can showcase their research through locally developed shows, and can also highlight astronomy using the same shows that play in New York’s Hayden Planetarium. These shows can reach far beyond the traditional star presentation by using high resolution and special purpose videos, for example results from the study of black holes made by the Penn State Swift mission.
In the same facility, the department can also provide visitors a tour of a rainforest canopy and let the audience become lost in the view from below. While the department wants to share these amazing experiences with everyone, space in the current facility is limited to 30 per group.
Throughout the year the department welcomes K-12 teachers to bring hundreds of students on field trips to the planetarium and rooftop observatory. While not all schools bring large groups of students, those who do need to be split up into smaller groups.
In addition to the class visits and weekly public stargazing nights, the department holds their signature event, called “AstroFest”, during the July Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. This annual event has been a mainstay for ten years.
During AstroFest, dozens of faculty, staff, and students bring astronomy to as many as 700 visitors per night. Given the current limit of 30 per showing, most of the attendees experience lengthy waiting periods.
To eliminate the wait and have the ability to educate these groups, the department envisions building a large, state of the art digital domed theater. They will create new custom shows with a Penn State Science focus for presentation in our facility, and will have the ability to share these shows with similar facilities at other universities and public institutions throughout the country. Whether it is the night sky, the rainforest, or the ocean, the new Explorarium will allow visitors to explore the world inside and the Universe through exciting, immersive virtual experiences.
This new facility, which will be part of the proposed Arboretum Education Center complex, will include 200 seats in a 50-foot dome. The Explorarium will enable Penn State to host large audiences for space shows, as well as other educational experiences.
Interested in learning about the astronomy department or how you can support the Explorarium? Contact Larry Ramsey, Department Head, Astronomy & Astrophysics at 814-865-0410.