Lindsey Chavers
Sep 11 2006 12:00AM
Renovated PJC Planetarium caters to all ages
Astronomers are redefining what it actually means for an extraterrestrial object to be a planet. Pluto is no longer a planet, and it is only a matter of time before other objects are added to the list of planets that have been planted in our minds since elementary school. But you do not have to go millions of miles into outer space to have contact with these celestial bodies. There is a planetarium just around the corner.
The Pensacola Junior College Planetarium is located in Bldg. 21 on the southwest corner of the Pensacola campus. It hosts shows on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, with shows ranging in design for pre-K children to 12th graders, as well as for astronomy classes and Dr. Wayne Wooten’s amateur astronomy club.
One show the Planetarium has to offer lets you see how the night sky looked at any date or time in history or in the future.
“It was pretty cool to see how the stars moved across the sky over the course of hundreds of years,” said Joshua Sullivan, a general studies major. He attended a show on the second day of his astronomy class. “I would go to more if they had more shows open to the public, and later in the day.”
Group reservations are all that are offered at this time, and those reservations must be made at least a day prior to the intended viewing date. Mostly, school groups are the ones who attend.
“It’s risky business [running a planetarium]. It’s really hard to run in the black. They’re usually running in the red. Having school groups normally come keeps it balanced,” said Mary Louise Winter, who is part of the technical team in charge of running the Planetarium.
The Planetarium also received some much needed upgrades before reopening this past June after it was forced to close because of damage from Hurricane Ivan.
“We have a lot of new equipment mixed with some really old, and then a little in the middle,” Winter said. They upgraded from the Digistar 1 system to Digistar 2. “There are only about four planetariums in the world still using Digistar 1,” Winter said. “If something was to break down, there wouldn’t be any way to get parts because it’s so old.”
Now there is no longer a problem with that, and viewers get to enjoy a more advanced show.
For many, the Planetarium is something they never forget.
“Stars burst out of the ceiling, and my sister screamed really loudly,” said Crystal King, a dual enrollment student. “I held onto the edge of my seat because these stars were flying at my face. It was exhilarating. I want to go again.”