Fiske Planetarium facts for kids
 |
|
.jpg)
Fiske Planetarium in 2022
|
|
| Established | September 19, 1975 |
|---|---|
| Location | 2414 Regent Dr, Boulder, Colorado, United States |
| Owner | University of Colorado |
The Fiske Planetarium is an amazing place in the United States where you can learn all about space! It has been teaching people about astronomy (the study of space) and astrophysics (the physics of space) since 1975. It's one of the biggest planetariums around.
At Fiske, you can watch incredible movies that fill the entire dome above you. They also have live talks, fun laser light shows with music, and special events about space and NASA. The planetarium is part of the University of Colorado Boulder.
Fiske Planetarium has a unique round, aluminum dome that is 65 feet wide inside. This makes it the largest planetarium between Chicago and Los Angeles! The theater can seat up to 200 people. It uses a special projector called a Megastar IIA and a Digital Sky 2 system. This system is super powerful, showing about 59 million pixels, which means incredibly clear images of space. Fiske was the first place in the Western Hemisphere to have such an advanced system.
History of Fiske Planetarium
How Fiske Planetarium Started
The Fiske Planetarium opened in 1975 thanks to a generous gift from Wallace Franz Fiske. He was a student at the University of Colorado back in 1917. When he passed away in 1966, he left $1.13 million to the university. A small part of this money went to the music department. The rest was specifically for building and equipping a planetarium. By 1971, the money for the planetarium had grown to $1.61 million.
.jpg)
Gerrit Verschuur became Fiske's first director in 1971. James Sharp, an engineer, helped design the building and set up the staff. The planetarium officially opened on September 19, 1975. The very next day, it welcomed the public! Early shows included a short film about exploding stars called "Stardeath." Fiske Planetarium is a sister facility to the Sommers–Bausch Observatory.
Exciting Events and Upgrades
In 1976, Fiske Planetarium hosted a big conference for planetarium educators. That same year, they started offering laser shows in the theater. These shows were popular and helped train students in technical skills. In 1983, the university began offering "Science Discovery" classes at Fiske, giving more students a chance to learn about science.
In 2003, the planetarium had a big flood because of a broken water pipe. Luckily, the main projection system was okay. However, most of the theater was damaged, so they installed new carpet and chairs.
In 2004, Fiske created its first planetarium show for people all over the world. It was called "Deep Impact: Rendezvous with a Comet." NASA helped fund this show. Since then, Fiske has continued to make many more amazing fulldome films.
In 2007, a "Science On a Sphere" exhibit was added to the planetarium's lobby. This cool exhibit shows images and videos on a giant globe. In 2013, Fiske got a major upgrade. They retired their old Zeiss Mark VI Star projector, which had been there for 38 years! This projector, nicknamed Fritz, is now on display in the lobby.
