About the OSU Planetarium
The OSU Planetarium is a 61-seat 30-foot dome theater located on the 5th floor of Smith Laboratory on the OSU main campus in Columbus, Ohio. We have been offering educational programs on the night sky to OSU students and the central Ohio community since 1968.
Our original projector was a venerable old Spitz A3P opto-mechanical star ball installed in 1967 when the department moved into the then-new 5th floor extension of Smith Laboratory. Designed by Spitz Inc., the A3P projector system is one of the most successful commercial planetariums ever made, sold to many colleges and schools throughout the US in the 1960s and 70s. By the early 1970s, more than half of school planetaria in the United States were Spitz A3Ps, and about a hundred of them are still in operation today. Our projector can show up to 1500 stars, the solar system in the past and future, and the full range of solar and lunar motions.
By 2011, however, the Smith Planetarium was beginning to show its age. The roof sprang multiple leaks, causing extensive water damage to the dome as well as minor damage to the A3P control console. The old fiberglass classroom seats were getting worn out and could no longer be replaced, and ceiling tiles had begun to decay and fall down.
With funding from the Astronomy Department and the Arts and Sciences College, we began a project to redesign and retool the planetarium for the 21st century. Starting on June 1, 2012, the OSU Planetarium was temporarily closed for an extensive renovation and modernization. The upgrades include repairing our leaky roof, a new NanoSeam projection dome, energy-efficient LED lighting, a 5.1 digital surround-sound system, and installation of a state-of-the-art high-definition Spitz XD digital full-dome projection system to replace the A3P.
The old A3P isn't going to be junked, however. We have donated it and our old project dome to the Perkins Observatory in Delaware Ohio where we hope it will enjoy many more years of service.
We plan to re-open to the public at the start of Autumn Semester 2013.
Watch this space or follow us on Facebook as the renovation proceeds for updates.
