The Georgia Southern Planetarium recently got an exciting upgrade to its technology and equipment. The planetarium is located within the College of Science and Mathematics (COSM) at the university, and Dean Michael Huggins made it one of his priorities after joining the department last summer.
While you may not immediately notice a difference if you were to walk into the planetarium itself, planetarium coordinator Dillon Marcy says "the magic happens" behind the scenes with a new server and DigiStar projection system.
Marcy says the new equipment is much more efficient and up-to-date than what they were running before, and the new setup should last them for at least ten years. It provides exciting new features and expands what the planetarium is able to offer not only to the public but also to the university community.
The new features, which can be operated using an Xbox controller (pretty awesome!), include things like being able to view a depiction of the sun and see sunspots that are occurring in real-time, as the data updates. Dillon is able to "fly" around the planets and zoom into details like craters, making for a much more interactive projection experience.
This system also features a wide variety of academic modules ranging from biology to earth science to chemistry and more. This offers up a brand new option for professors to have interactive lectures, which is a huge value added for the university.
They can also stream video on the dome now -- soon in full 4K -- and the planetarium crew has a few exciting ideas planned for when that feature comes through. Eventually, they will also be able to host "dome casting" shows, with live streaming of audio and visuals from other planetariums around the country.
Despite the fancy new equipment, tickets to planetarium shows remain very affordable at just $4 per show. They have a slate of public shows planned for fall, and the first one is a fan favorite.
Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon | September 12 & 13
The first public show of the fall is a brand new iteration of the Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon show. It features music from the album mixed with color, animation, and all new video footage of nature and famous landmarks. You won't want to miss it!
Two shows are available: Thursday, September 12 and Friday, September 13 at 6pm and 7pm each night. Tickets are on sale now here.
The Georgia Southern Planetarium is located on the second floor of the Math/Physics Building on the Georgia Southern Statesboro campus. Parking is available in the Russell Union lot, which is just a quick walk away from the building.
For more information and a list of fall show dates, visit www.georgiasouthern.edu/cosm/planetarium/.
