Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium - Museum of Natural History - Cleveland, OH
N 41° 30.686 W 081° 36.770
17T E 448860 N 4595714
Located inside the Museum of Natural History in Cleveland, Ohio. Opened in January 2002.
Waymark Code: WM5V5V
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 02/14/2009
Views: 2
Quoted directly from the Museum website:
When the Museum opened the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium on January 15, 2002, it raised the bar for astronomy education in Northeast Ohio. This state-of-the-art facility, designed by Cleveland architectural and engineering firm Westlake Reed Leskosky, continues to offer audiences unparalleled opportunities to learn about the universe.
The Shafran Planetarium also set a new standard for midsized planetaria worldwide. It blends modern technology with the Museum's commitment to science education that emphasizes real-world experiences.
The Skymaster ZKP3/S projector can display more than 5,000 stars. It also can show nebulae, galaxies, the Sun and Moon and the positions of the five planets visible from Earth without a telescope. This projector was custom-built for the Museum by Carl Zeiss of Jena, Germany.
A second projection system, SkyVision, works in concert with the Skymaster to display video. This four-projector system was created by Sky-Skan, Inc., of Nashua, New Hampshire. The system can simulate a visit to the International Space Station, a voyage past Jupiter's moons, a supernova explosion and more.
Rounding out the planetarium's technology are "All Sky" and "Panorama" slide projection systems, a digital sound system and an Internet link that allows Museum astronomy staff to download images and video from NASA and other sources of space information.
Images from the projection systems appear on a 40-foot-diameter aluminum dome. This structure is perforated to create a favorable acoustical environment and disguise overhead HVAC and sound equipment. Astro-Tec of Canal Fulton fabricated and installed the dome.
The exterior of the Shafran Planetarium is as functional as the inside. Titanium-coated stainless-steel panels give the planetarium a space-age look. A fiber-optic light is embedded in each panel. At night, this lighting system gives the building a subtle glow that does not contribute to the light pollution in the skies above University Circle.
The sleek structure was designed with a chamfered roof tilted at 41 1/2 degrees. Visitors can use this slope to locate Polaris, the North Star, in the clear night sky.
The Museum has offered planetarium shows delivered live by a staff astronomer since 1936. Maintaining this aspect of programming was a key part of the plans for the Shafran Planetarium.
Planetarium Address:
1 Wade Oval Drive,
Cleveland, OH USA
44106
Planetarium Website: [Web Link]
Cost:
$9 for museum entrance, then another $4 for the planeterium
Hours of Operation:
10am to 4pm
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