After a million-dollar upgrade, the planetarium at Tallahassee's Challenger Learning Center was a place for celebration over the weekend of May 10. The facility was marking the 100th anniversary of the world's very first planetarium.
The planetarium's visitors were getting a real sky show on Saturday, as the narrator presented a program focused on the various constellations that populate the view of the cosmos from Earth.
"Hello and welcome to the Fogg Planetarium and the Challenger Learning Center," he began as the mixed audience of kids and grownups turned their gaze to the vast, curved ceiling.
A $750,000 gift from the Fogg Charitable Trust last year led to the renaming of the planetarium. Now, after a million-dollar makeover, Challenger Center Executive Director Alan Hanstein said the facility was ready to throw a party.
"May 7th was the 100th anniversary of the 1st public planetarium show ever in Germany. Which is amazing when you think that planetaria are younger than airplanes. My joke this week has been, 'I don't understand; before planetaria, how did people see the stars?'"
Actually, the Challenger's all-digital projections give people a much clearer sky view than is possible in real life nowadays. Hanstein said new seats and laser music show capability will soon be added to the local planetarium's attractions.
