There is definitely a new look waiting to greet you if you are heading to the Peterson Planetarium at Emporia State University.
Gone is the typical college lecture hall interior — think brick facade — and in its place is a vibrant interstellar mural wall featuring an image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Also added: a “mini-PULSE,” a scale replica of the full-sized PULSE equipment at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in California. ESU physics instructor and Peterson Planetarium Director Mark Brown says the full-sized PULSE is all about deep space communication.
The mini-PULSE is now on permanent display.
Renovations also include a Hornet TV display highlighting real-time communication status of different satellites like the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Voyager 2, as well as new sound equipment inside the planetarium.
The show schedule continues as well. The current show is “Space Explorers: The ISS Experience,” a four-part series giving attendees an up-close look at life inside the International Space Station. The first episode took place Thursday, with the remaining shows at 10 am Saturday, 6 pm Wednesday and 4 pm Aug. 28.
The September show is called “Exoplanets: Discovering New Worlds.” This show discusses how astronomers find exoplanets. Shows are at 4 pm Sept. 4, 10 am Sept. 6, 6 pm Sept. 10, 4 pm Sept. 18, 11 am Sept. 20 and 6 pm Sept. 24.
The planetarium is inside Cram Science Hall at Room 31. Less than 40 seats are inside the Peterson, so space is always limited. Residents can reserve space by calling 620-341-5636.
