LOUISVILLE, Ky. 鈥 Old technology will be celebrated in a new exhibit at the University of Louisville Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium.
聽An optomechanical star machine that for more than a decade recreated the Earth鈥檚 sky on the planetarium鈥檚 domed ceiling will be permanently displayed in the lobby.
The Star Ball was installed in 2001 when the planetarium opened and was replaced in 2013 by a digital projection system, SciDome. The complex Star Ball鈥檚 service to planetarium visitors will be recognized Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at a .
鈥淭he planetarium鈥檚 recently retired optomechanical star machine is an amazing piece of engineering, able to accurately and dynamically represent the entire sky visible from Earth,鈥 said Thomas Tretter, director of the planetarium.
The Star Ball, state-of-the-art technology in its day, has more than 4,000 tiny holes for light to shine through.
鈥淭his exhibit allows visitors to get a close-up view of the complex and intricate inner workings of the original Star Ball machine.鈥 Tretter said. 鈥淒uring the celebration, we will take visitors into the planetarium dome to show them highlights of what the legacy Star Ball was able to do, such as project the night sky from any location and date on Earth. Then we will demonstrate some of the enhanced features our new digital projection system allows us to do, including a virtual trip through space to the edges of the known universe.鈥
The Star Ball will be available for viewing during weekend public shows; the schedule is posted on . Additionally, visits to the planetarium can be scheduled for weekdays by calling 502-852-6665 or emailing planet@louisville.edu.
For more information: or Paula McGuffey, 502-852-5855.
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