Minnesota Planetarium Society facts for kids
 |
|
| Established | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2011 |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Type | Planetarium |
The Minnesota Planetarium Society (often called MNPS) was a group in Minnesota. Its main goal was to teach people about astronomy and get them excited about space. In 2011, the society joined with the Bell Museum of Natural History. After this, the Minnesota Planetarium Society stopped existing as a separate group.
A planetarium in Minnesota used to be open from 1960 until 2002. Plans for a new, modern planetarium were later canceled in 2011.
Contents
A Look Back: The Planetarium's Story
In 1889, the Minnesota Academy of Science got a special space. It was inside the Minneapolis Public Library for a science museum. When the Academy closed in 1929, the Library took over the museum. This partnership lasted for nearly 80 years.
The First Planetarium Opens
In 1960, the city of Minneapolis built a new main library downtown. To celebrate its connection with science, they added a planetarium inside. This was very special, as it was one of the only libraries in the world with a planetarium. In its early years, about 170,000 people visited to see the night sky shows.
From 1974 to 1982, the Minneapolis Library worked with the Science Museum of Minnesota. They ran the planetarium together. After that, a group called the Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library helped fund and manage it.
Why the Old Planetarium Closed
The Minneapolis Planetarium closed in 2002. This happened when the old central library building was torn down. A new library, designed by César Pelli, was planned. It was going to be paid for mostly by the city. The new plans included a modern planetarium on the fifth and sixth floors. Money for this new project was supposed to come from the State of Minnesota.
From when it opened until it closed, over 4 million people in Minnesota visited the planetarium. They enjoyed its star-gazing programs. Even in its last years, without new equipment or advertising, about 70,000 people visited each year.
When the Minneapolis Central Library was torn down, the planetarium closed. Everyone thought it would be rebuilt as part of the new library. However, in September 2011, the Planetarium Society joined with the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History.
The ExploraDome: A Traveling Planetarium
Since Minnesota did not have a public planetarium, the Minnesota Planetarium Society found a solution. In 2006, they bought a portable planetarium. This special dome could be set up in places like a school gym. It could show programs similar to those in big planetariums. One example is the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.
The ExploraDome uses special computer software called Uniview. This software was created by scientists in Sweden and at the American Museum of Natural History. It uses digital images to show the sky. Visitors can see what the sky looks like not just from Earth, but also from space! The ExploraDome can even show Earth as seen from space. You can watch how our planet has changed over time.
This amazing experience is shown inside a GeoDome Theater. It uses a special OmniFocus lens. This system was developed by a company called The Elumenati. The Uniview software lets you see anything from any point in time or space projected onto the dome.
The Minnesota Planetarium Society was the first group to buy this system. They named their dome "The ExploraDome." They called their program "the ExploraDome Immersive Learning Program."
Funding Challenges for a New Planetarium
Building a new planetarium needed a lot of money. Here's how the funding plans changed over the years:
- 2002: The Minnesota Legislature (the state's law-making group) agreed to give $9.5 million for the new planetarium. But Jesse Ventura, who was the Governor at the time, stopped this funding. He vetoed (rejected) many projects, including the planetarium.
- 2004: The Minnesota Planetarium Society asked for $24.1 million. They wanted to build the planetarium in the new Minneapolis Public Library. However, Tim Pawlenty, the Governor then, did not include it in his list of projects to fund.
- 2005: The Minnesota Legislature approved $22 million for the planetarium. This money was part of a "bonding bill" for big projects. The new planetarium was planned for the 5th floor of the new Minneapolis Public Library building.
- 2011: During a special meeting of the Minnesota Legislature, the $22 million that was approved in 2005 was canceled. This happened during a "Government Shutdown" session. Lawmakers wanted to free up money for projects that were ready to start right away. The Minnesota Planetarium project had not started construction yet. On July 14, 2011, Mark Dayton, the Governor, announced he would sign the budget that canceled the funding.
