Reaching for the Stars

Georgia Southern’s Newly Renovated Planetarium Opens

Students, alumni and visitors looking to find the “wow” factor at Georgia Southern University may want to visit the newly renovated Planetarium in the Math/Physics building. Gone is the obsolete star projector that was installed nearly 40 years ago when the building was initially constructed. In its place is the Digistar 4, a full dome digital projector system that has been packing in crowds from school children to adults with its breathtaking, high- definition productions revealing galaxies, molecules and even mathematical constructions.

“In addition to displaying the night sky with wonderful fidelity, the new system is capable of much more, such as 360-degree full-dome movies with surround sound and real-time tours of the solar system with flybys of the planets and their moons,” said Planetarium Director Clayton Heller, Ph.D. Guests also actively experience moving through the galaxy and exploring the universe beyond, courtesy of the state-of-the-art immersive astronomy laboratory, he added.

“We can display real time data from satellites and have a NASA high definition feed to watch live events. All of these things give a “wow” factor that the older mechanical projector could not provide,” said Heller, about the 63-seat facility that also accommodates wheelchair disabled visitors.

The University Planetarium is also unique because it serves a number of purposes. “It stands alone among other campus facilities in that it supports teaching, public outreach, research, and training interns, many of whom may go on to become teachers themselves,” Heller explained. Last year alone, the Planetarium hosted approximately 10,000 visitors, a number that is expected to increase with the recent renovation.

In addition to enhancing the recruitment of prospective students visiting campus, the Planetarium also reaches out to the community by offering free daily shows and monthly events designed for all ages. Popular presentations like the “Lamps of Atlantis,” which takes visitors on a search for the legendary lost continent of Atlantis, and “One World, One Sky – Big Bird’s Adventure” have attracted full houses for back-to-back shows.

“With this fantastic asset now in operation we are actively looking to establish an endowment to secure the long-term stability of the Planetarium and allow us to continue to deliver great educational programs free of charge to Georgia Southern students, public schools and the residents of southeast Georgia,” Heller said. “The endowment and the Planetarium would be named in recognition of the individual who established it and would be a great opportunity for someone to support science education in their community.”

Sandra Bennett