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Giving

Support the New Planetarium

A New Planetarium at Penn State

Interior concept art image of the new planetarium.

New planetarium concept image showing a cut-away profile image.

Map of the Arboretum at Penn State with the location of the new planetarium.

A Planetarium has been a fixture at Penn State since Dr. Henry Yeagley operated a planetarium in Osmond Lab in the 1940s. In the 1980s, Penn State opened a new, 30-seat planetarium in Davey Lab that is still in use today for education and outreach events.

While the Davey planetarium is popular, it is small and hard to access during normal class hours while Penn State courses are in session. The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics plans to build a new, larger planetarium at the Arboretum Education Center complex at the Arboretum at Penn State, which will include 150 seats in a 50-foot full dome.

The new planetarium will include one of the latest fully digital, ultra-high definition video projection systems, which will allow us to immerse visitors under the night sky.  However, this new technology will also allow us to move beyond the night sky visible to the naked eye to feature visually rich images and video of the latest astronomical discoveries.  This immersive technology will also allow us to move beyond astronomy altogether to feature additional interactive presentations that explore the Earth, with shows that might feature coral reefs, tropical rainforests, or the Earth during the time of the dinosaurs!

Are you interested in helping to make this new planetarium a reality?

 

Make a Gift

Thank you for choosing to make a gift to the building of a new planetarium, part of the Arboretum Education Center complex. Your support is greatly appreciated.

If you wish to contribute to the planetarium fund, go to PENN STATE'S GIVE ONLINE FORM.

To search for the fund enter "planetarium" under the search for funds option then press Enter. The Planetarium at the Arboretum option should be selected. Proceed to checkout.

 

Giving Contact

Have questions about the planetarium fund? Need help with deciding on how to direct your gift? Please feel free to contact:

Office of Development and Alumni Relations

Eberly College of Science

430 Joab L. Thomas Building

University Park, PA 16802

Phone: 1-800-297-1429