uaf just got stars

The Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium opened to the public at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum of the North on Saturday, April 25, on the museum's West Ridge campus. The project had been in planning for roughly thirty years and took close to a year to build.

The new dome theater uses full sky projections, letting visitors watch simulations of the aurora, the planets, or deep field imagery on a single overhead screen. For Fairbanks residents and Interior visitors, the planetarium gives the area a year round indoor venue for stargazing during the months when cloud cover or cold keeps people from viewing the night sky outside.

The planetarium was built onto the existing Museum of the North facility without a major change to the building's footprint. Regular public programming has already begun.

The Museum of the North already draws visitors for its Alaska natural and cultural history exhibits, and the addition of the Babula Planetarium gives the museum a new standing attraction on campus.