RUM Planetarium facts for kids
The RUM Planetarium is a special place in Puerto Rico where you can explore the stars and planets! It's the very first planetarium ever built in Puerto Rico. You can find it on the fourth floor of the Physics building at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
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Exploring the Cosmos: Planetarium and Observatory
The Physics Department at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez manages both the RUM Planetarium and its amazing Astronomical Observatory. They both opened their doors in 1973 and have been helping people learn about space ever since!
What is a Planetarium?
The Planetarium is like a giant movie theater for the sky. It has a big, round screen that looks like the inside of a huge dome. On this screen, special projectors show you nearly 4,000 stars! It can even show you what the sky looks like from different places on Earth, or at different times of the year.
The Planetarium has comfortable seats for 64 people. These seats can recline, so you can lean back and get a great view of the starry dome above. In the middle of the room, there's a special star projector that creates the amazing sky show. It's all controlled by a computer!
Besides being used by university students, the Planetarium is a fantastic resource for schools across Puerto Rico. It helps students learn about physics, astronomy, Earth sciences, and space sciences in a fun and interactive way.
The Astronomical Observatory
Right next to the Planetarium is the Physics Department's Observatory. This is where they have a powerful telescope! This telescope has a main mirror that is about 16-inch-diameter (410 mm) wide. It's also controlled by a computer, which helps scientists and students get clear images of distant objects in space. They can even send these images to a screen using a special camera!
Visit the Stars!
The Planetarium and Observatory also welcome the public, especially people from the western part of Puerto Rico, known as Porta del Sol. They often have "open house" nights once or twice a month. During these special events, you can arrange to visit both the Planetarium and the Observatory to see the wonders of the night sky for yourself!
See also
- Arecibo Observatory
- List of astronomical observatories
- List of planetariums
