Angelo State University is inviting the public to take part in the ASU Planetarium’s 40th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 1-5 p.m. in the Vincent Building at 2333 Vanderventer Ave.
The afternoon of free and family-friendly activities will give participants the chance to experience the past, present and future of the ASU Planetarium. Activities will include:
- Free Planetarium shows
- STEM activities with campus departments, student organizations and community partners
- Panel presentation featuring former long-time Planetarium director, Dr. Mark Sonntag, and other faculty who helped launch the facility in 1985
Sonntag was the first Planetarium director and held the position from 1985 until his retirement in 2016. The facility presented its first public astronomy show about Halley’s Comet on Dec. 15, 1985, and has since hosted 8,000 to 10,000 visitors of all ages every year. Dr. Kenneth Carrell has been the director since 2016.
The Planetarium underwent an extensive renovation in 2010 that was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. It now features:
- 50-foot tilted-dome screen, one of only eight like it in the world
- Sci-Dome HD digital projector
- Starry Night software
- Dolby surround sound
- 120 seating capacity
- Over 40 multimedia shows on astronomy, climate, nature, history and winter holidays
Additionally, the lobby at the entrance to the Planetarium features its own attractions, including:
- GeoDome Globe HD projection system
- Google Earth displays
- Plate from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
- Museum displays
- Flat-screen TVs with NASA programming
All the features and attractions included in the Planetarium facility will be on display and in use for the 40th anniversary celebration. More details on the Planetarium and its weekly public shows are available at angelo.edu/planetarium.
— From Tom Nurre Jr., ASU Office of Marketing and Communications
