Buried inside Sloan Hall, surrounded by engineering classes, you’ll find the WSU Planetarium behind room 231. The planetarium was first built in 1962, and four years later, the showroom upgraded to a new projector that was in use until 2014. Later that year, a spherical-mirror digital projection system was installed that allowed for more mobility and greater exploration of the skies right here on Earth.
The showroom is a dome structure that displays the full range of the night sky including stars, planets, constellations and latitude lines displayed both realistically and with cartoon images to better understand the concepts being discussed. Additionally, the dome allows for movies to be played.
Dr. Guy Worthey has been working in the planetarium since 2001 and has a deep love for the opportunity to share his passion with students.
“As with any educator, I love it when I see the ‘lights turn on’ on someone’s face when they understand a concept,” Worthey wrote.
The planetarium is typically used by WSU astronomy classes, but the facility is also open to the public and often collaborates with local schools for tours and shows.
The planetarium has a library of different videos that play for public showings. These tours often feature the current season’s sky and discuss upcoming astronomical events. Showings range from life on other planets and how the retina of the eye works.
“We have two evening shows per weekend most weekends,” Worthey said. “These are open to the public and cost $5. We also host school groups and other educational groups. You can even rent the planetarium for your own event. Valentine’s Day and Halloween provide us with openings for our most popular shows.”
Money generated from general ticket sales go right back to the theater. It helps keep the system running, improving sound and display, as well as the ability to keep the planetarium running so they can continue to keep it open for the general public.
There are several aspects that Worthey hopes to improve in the future.
“There are technical aspects that I, as director, work to improve,” he said. “Better geometrical corrections, better sound, more pixels on the dome, and other minutia. I definitely have ambitions to produce home-grown full-dome videos. We have the software to do it, and the people’s talent is available in the vibrant WSU community. We could use a little funding to accelerate it.”
For more information about what shows are currently available, as well as prices and parking, visit WSU Planetarium’s website.
If you are interested in arranging a tour at the planetarium, contact Guy Worthey to schedule a time at [email protected].
