About the Planetarium

Burke's planetarium has a 24 foot diameter dome and a Spitz A3P star projector. It seats 55 people. Around the dome are a series of slide projectors and special effects projectors. The planetarium also has a VCR, laser disc player, access to NASA TV and cable TV, all of which can be displayed on the dome by a new CRT video projector and/or TV monitors in the corridor.

We also have a computer, with a DVD drive, which will allow us to demonstrate astronomical concepts and display the latest images from space. All of these can be displayed by the CRT video projector.

Three years ago, our planetarium was upgraded. Six slide projectors were dded in an arrangement called an all-sky system. This allows projectors with special wide angle lenses to combine partial images into one that fills the entire dome! They can also be used to project a panorama around part or all of the dome.

The planetarium has six other new projectors that work in two sets of three that dissolve images back and forth between sets. All the slide projectors are controlled by a new automation system that is synchronized with the sound track.