The
planetarium dome is inside a four-sided glass pyramid that is topped
with 24-karat gold leaf.
(Laredo)—Dusk at Texas A&M International University brings out not only deer and javelinas, but on Fridays and Saturdays, area residents interested in the shows at the state-of-the-art Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center Planetarium that was opened in April.
Four times a week, audiences peer deep into the universe through the lens of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope, get a glimpse of how animals and plants are expected to change over the next five billion years or so, or visit the eye of a hurricane through the planetarium’s Digistar 3 digital projector.
Audiences also have looked deep into the night skies of Laredo—and anywhere else in the world—through a 12-inch Meade computer-controlled telescope.
“With this technology, our students are able to explore the universe with a level of detail and realism never before possible,” said John Winfrey, planetarium director and assistant professor of math and physical sciences at TAMIU.
The 86-seat planetarium has one of only 14 new-generation Digistar 3 digital projectors in the United States. Elsewhere in Texas, these projectors can be found in planetariums and museums in Amarillo, Abilene, Arlington and Dallas. One is scheduled to be installed at Texas A&M University-Commerce in October.
Digistar 3 replaces traditional planetarium equipment such as slide projectors, special effects projectors and video projectors with one easy-to-use computer console. It allows viewing from any part of the known universe, not just from the earth, so viewers can see structures previously accessible only through highly developed telescopes.
The projection system generates images that cover the inside of the “ball” that is on the underside of the planetarium’s dome. Viewers sit in recliner-like chairs and watch shows overhead.
“The planetarium is like a full-immersion movie theater except that it is very much darker,” Winfrey said. “Food, gum and drinks are not allowed, as in all our TAMIU theaters, but in our case it’s because of the sensitivity of the projectors.”
The dome is inside a four-sided glass pyramid that is topped with 24-karat gold leaf. The pyramid pays homage to the ancient Mesoamerican peoples who once lived in the region and the pyramids they used to measure time and the universe. The gold-leafed pinnacle is meant to evoke images of light and enlightenment, visually reflecting the purpose of the planetarium and the broader mission of the university as a whole.
“More than 11,000 people have visited the planetarium since it opened in April,” said Winfrey. “That includes 8,500 public school students and more than 300 Catholic nuns who came to TAMIU for a conference in June.”
The planetarium is part of a $24.5 million, 79,000-square-foot science facility that also houses 40 science labs, classrooms, computer labs, an auditorium and faculty offices. The state-of-the-art facility has more than 290,000 linear feet of fiber cable—equivalent to 55 miles—and has 1,160 computer jacks and 300 phone jacks.
The center’s namesake was a noted Laredo philanthropist. The trust she established has provided support to many TAMIU initiatives, including the Dr. F.M. Canseco School of Nursing, academic scholarships and the eight-acre park, named in her honor, that fronts the university’s Student Center.
In addition, representatives of the Bruni Vergara Trust announced the largest cash philanthropic gift in Laredo’s history—$10 million—to support graduate scholarships at TAMIU during the planetarium and science center’s dedication in April.
Architects for the facility were Kell-Muñoz Architects of San Antonio, who also served as architects for phases one and two of the TAMIU campus.