by Tyler Hale
A University of Arkansas research organization is reaching for the stars. The Center for Space and Planetary Science has launched a crowdfunding effort to support its purchase of a new mobile planetarium.
One of the center’s most popular outreach programs is its traveling planetarium, a large inflatable dome that allows space enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy a “tour” of the solar system and northern hemisphere constellations. However, the current mobile planetarium, built in the late 1970s, is wearing out and has obsolete technology. According to a University of Arkansas release, the planetarium has a multiple of issues, ranging from holes in its dome, projector issues and outdated projector slides.
To solve the problem, the center and Space Hogs, a U of A student organization that promotes interest in space and planetary science, are working to fund a new planetarium that features an all-digital HD projector, which will be capable of being updated, as well as a new dome.
The campaign, hosted on the University of Arkansas’ official crowdfunding platform, has a goal of $8,000. The campaign started Tuesday, Feb. 18 and runs through Thursday, March 19.
Already, the campaign is drawing contributions. At the time of this article’s publication onFebruary 19, $2,204 had been pledged by 19 donors toward the campaign – approximately 27 percent of the total requested amount.
Once the new planetarium is purchased, the Space Hogs plan to use it for outreach efforts. Using the current planetarium, the student organization reached approximately 2,000 individuals in the past year through its outreach efforts. In addition, the Center for Space and Planetary Science will also be able to use it for U of A astronomy courses.
Click here to visit the crowdfunding page.
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