UW Planetarium Renovations Scheduled Aug. 5-14

The University of Wyoming Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium will undergo renovations and technical upgrades early next month.

The planetarium will be closed Aug. 5-14 so that the facility’s two bulb-based projectors can be replaced with new laser projectors. In fall 2023, the planetarium began the procurement process to replace its projectors with a brand-new system. The successful search was completed in May.

With 4,015 pixels across the meridian of the planetarium’s dome, the upgrade will provide a full 4K resolution and a little over double the number of pixels. Importantly, for night-sky visualizations, the 12.5-fold increase in image contrast will produce a dramatic and immersive starfield for audiences, says Max Gilbraith, the planetarium’s coordinator.

“To support the rendering of high-resolution scientific visualizations, we also will be installing the latest generation of high-performance computers with hardware specific to our needs,” he says. “Our new computers will have 18.5 times the graphical processing rate of the previous system, allowing for flawless real-time images to be rendered at a 60 frames-per-second refresh rate of our 18-megapixel dome.”

Additionally, the planetarium dome will feature a live input capture and projection system, which will allow programming to seamlessly integrate standard formats, such as films and PowerPoint presentations, as well as virtual reality and full-dome and immersive content on the fly in full resolution on the dome.

“This will enable artists, educators and innovators to ‘plug and play,’” Gilbraith says.

Combined with the planetarium’s recent acquisition of live sound and lighting equipment, the venue is prepared to host more live DJ/VJ, musical and theatrical performances than ever.

“We look forward to continuing our collaborations with local, regional and national artists along with the UW Department of Music,” Gilbraith says.

Gilbraith says he is hopeful the planetarium’s first program after the upgrades will be scheduled either Thursday, Aug. 15, or Friday, Aug. 16.

For questions, call Gilbraith at (307) 766-6506 or email planetarium@uwyo.edu.