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 September
$5 public shows
Sept 6 & 8: Forward to the Moon
Sept 13 & 15: Mars: The Ultimate Voyage
Sept 20 & 22: From Earth to the Universe
Sept 27 & 29: One Sky (star lore of many cultures)
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
Upcoming $5 shows
SEPTEMBER
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FORWARD TO THE MOON Friday, Sept 6, 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept 8, 5 p.m.
A tour of September night skies followed by a fulldome video presentation. Forward to the Moon lays out NASA’s plan for manned missions to the moon: the Artemis program. |
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Mars, The Ultimate Voyage Friday, Sept 13, 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept 15, 5 p.m.
A tour of September night skies followed by a fulldome video presentation. Mars, The Ultimate Voyage lays out concrete plans for manned missions to the Red Planet amid the considerable difficulties of such a voyage. |
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From Earth to the Universe Friday, Sept 20, 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept 22, 5 p.m.
A tour of September night skies followed by a fulldome video presentation. From Earth to the Universe is a 30-minute voyage through space and time that illustrates the vastness of space, the expanse of time, and the complexity of planets, stars, and galaxies. |
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One Sky Friday, Sept 27, 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept 29, 5 p.m.
A tour of September/October night skies followed by a fulldome video presentation. One Sky collects 7 award-winning fulldome presentations that sample a small portion of the world’s sky knowledge and legends, including Pacific Islanders and their reliance on the sky for navigation. |
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.
