After two years of half-capacity shows, social distancing and masking, the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center hopes to once again engage the public with innovative science and technology.

This semester, the center introduced a 4K laser planetarium projection system. The new system has six times the contrast of his current system and offers 6.5 times the brightness, says Morehead Rosario Vila, manager of marketing and communications for his planetarium.

Nick Eakes, the center’s astronomy educator, said:

Eakes said the planetarium medium is more robust than it has been in the past. Shows inside the dome include detailed and interactive images of the sky from different perspectives at different stages of the day.

Each presentation also includes a brief introduction to everything about planets, stars and the universe. Planetarium educators, such as her science education expert Amy Sayle, walk audiences through previewed images, providing details along the way and answering questions.

Sayle said he was surprised when he first saw the new projection system in production. The reaction of the visitors was also lively, and I was particularly impressed by the group of school excursions.

“They were blown away by it,” Sayle said. “They were screaming with excitement. I didn’t know what it looked like before because it was new, but how vivid it was, how good it looked and what it looked like.” They seemed really responsive, Saturn was about to land on them.”

Another advantage of 4K laser systems is that they are more reliable and can be expected to last longer. The overall hope is that the sky and stars displayed by this advanced technology look more realistic than before, Eakes said.

“It’s amazing given all the resolutions you can fit in your smartphone and your pocket, so we want to catch up on that here and make sure the high-quality images you see in the dome are unlike anything else on the internet. What you can see and what is more immersive,” said Eakes.

In addition to the Morehead Planetarium’s dome function, the museum also includes the Gateway Gallery and an innovative hub that focuses on the history of the planetarium as well as research at UNC.

With 5,000 square feet of exhibit space, the center is committed to providing a holistic, hands-on experience for the community, Vila said.

“The whole idea is to make it very interactive so that we are an informal science education center, which means getting people into science,” says Vila.

Eaks highlighted the Morehead Planetarium as a resource and place for UNC students. In particular, it is the first planetarium built on a university campus. The center also offers students a $5 discount ticket.

The Morehead Planetarium is open to the public Friday through Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM depending on the day.

@dailytarheel

University@dailytarheel.com