WSU Planetarium
The WSU Planetarium features a digital fulldome projection system. During a sky tour, audiences interact with the projected sky and the docent to learn about astronomy. The dome is a 24 foot diameter plastic-laminated glass-fiber dome installed in Sloan Hall in March, 1962. In 1968 the projector was upgraded to the Spitz A3-P. In 2014, an interim spheric mirror digital projection system was added, upgraded to 4k resolution in summer 2016. It is used for WSU astronomy classes, school groups, other groups, and evening public shows. If you have a group of twelve or more, you can arrange a free, one-hour sky tour during business hours. Contact Dr. Guy Worthey at gworthey(at)wsu.edu to arrange.
2024 Summer
$5 public shows
June 7 & 9: From Earth to the Universe
June 14 & 16: Two Small Pieces of Glass
June 21 & 23: Seeing!
June 28 & 30: Red-eye to the Stars
We are gratified that our series of informative and entertaining shows for the general public have proven popular. From 2014 to 2016, we installed a spheric-mirror digital projection system to enable a whole new layer of flexibility in the star theater, including the capability to show fulldome movies. Our dome was painted a friendly gray color in 2019 to reduce light echoes and improve contrast.
Funds from ticket sales maintain and improve our surround sound and full dome visual systems and guarantee an offering of even more spectacular public events in the future. The WSU Foundation will be happy to assist you if you wish to accelerate the upgrades with a financial gift (donate to “astronomy development fund”).
Our offerings:
- Day time groups ($0)
- Evening public shows ($5)
- Corporate facility rental
Currently scheduled by gworthey(at)wsu.edu
June 2024 Shows
From Earth to the Universe
Friday, June 7, 7 p.m.
and
Sunday, June 9, 5 p.m.
A tour of June night skies followed by a fulldome video presentation. From Earth to the Universe is like a compressed astronomy-101 course, hitting the highlights of astronomy basics and the mind-boggling physical scale of the universe.
Two Small Pieces of Glass
Friday, June 14, 7 p.m.
and
Sunday, June 16, 5 p.m.
A tour of June night skies, followed by a fulldome video presentation. Two Small Pieces of Glass follows the history of the telescope and its accompanying explosion of human knowledge.
Seeing! A Photon’s Journey
Friday, June 21, 7 p.m.
and
Sunday, June 23, 5 p.m.
A tour of June night skies followed by a fulldome video presentation. In Seeing! A Photon’s Journey, we experience the creation of photon, ride it through the Galaxy, and into a human eye. Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Red-eye to the Stars
Friday, June 28, 7 p.m.
and
Sunday, June 30, 5 p.m.
A tour of June and July night skies followed by a fulldome video presentation. In Red-eye to the Stars, we climb aboard the Sofia Infrared Observatory – a telescope built into a Boeing 747.
July 2024 Shows
August 2024 Shows
Directions
Directions from Stadium & Main: Turn up Stadium, immediate left at Nevada, immediate left at Washington, turn right on Spokane Street. Street spots and nearby parking lots are legal to park in after-hours. Otherwise, please arrange a temporary permit from parking.wsu.edu (the zone you want is called “green 3.”) The pedestrian bridge is the most convenient entry; come across the bridge, come in the building, then turn right. Twenty paces later, turn left and head down the hall to Sloan 231.
