Planetarium completes installation of new Digistar 7 projection system

The Planetarium at The University of Texas at Arlington has long been known as one of the best in the nation, but a recent technology upgrade has put it into some truly rarified space.

The UTA Planetarium — which features a 60-foot dome projection surface and provides educational entertainment to nearly 50,000 visitors each year — is now equipped with a Digistar 7 projection system, the most advanced technology commercially available to planetariums.

Digistar 7 uses six laser projectors for 360-degree ultra-bright high-resolution views. It features 3D models and instant real-time access to an extensive cloud of astronomy and science databases from NASA and NOAA to universities and planetariums worldwide, including the latest planetarium shows.

The new system was made possible through a generous $50,000 donation from Women Inspiring Philanthropy (WIP), a community of women who seek to transform the city of Arlington through high-impact giving. The WIP gift was matched through the University of Texas System’s Library, Equipment, Repair and Rehabilitation Budget.

“The Digistar 7 system has better rendering capabilities and more detailed images,” said Levent Gurdemir, Planetarium director. “It’s a major leap forward from the Digistar 6 system which we previously used in the Planetarium. It allows us to travel through the universe and make extremely detailed explorations of the planets.”

“Digistar 7 has so much sharper and more detailed graphics. It’s a really cool system and super versatile,” said McKenna Dowd, Planetarium program coordinator. “We can land on craters on Mars or the Moon, and everything has such amazing detail. People are really going to love it.”

The WIP donation, made in January, enabled the Planetarium not only to install Digistar 7, but also to add two new shows to the Planetarium’s lineup: Beyond the Sun and Atlas of a Changing Earth.

Beyond the Sun is geared toward younger audiences and is about an animated girl’s adventures as she explores the Universe, finds new Earths and learn about exoplanets. Atlas of a Changing Earth is for all ages and uses stunning imagery from space to take viewers into the dynamic processes causing coastal glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica to melt, and explores how rising seas could threaten coastlines the world over. The film’s images, produced by satellites and supercomputers, reveal Earth in an amazing degree of precise detail.

“The generous donation from Women Inspiring Philanthropy has really allowed us to take the Planetarium experience to another level for our visitors,” Gurdemir said.

Another initiative that the Planetarium started recently is live music in the Planetarium theater while an interstellar show is displayed overhead. The first show, featuring ambient music by area artists, was held in October 2022 and it was such as success that a second was held last month, featuring the band Tum Sun. The response has been so positive that plans are under way to make the concerts a regular feature.

“The music shows have been very well-received and both were close to selling out,” Gurdemir said. “The feedback from people has been great. They are telling us that they want more shows like this. The music is very good and with the visuals, it makes for a very unique and relaxing experience. We would eventually like to have one show per month.”

The Planetarium also plans to host weekly free meditation sessions starting Tuesday, September 12, for UTA students, faculty, and staff. The program, run by UTA Counseling and Psychological Services, was held in the Planetarium for the first time in spring 2023.

In addition, the Planetarium plans to make more use of its Park Central Observatory, located atop the Park Central Garage on the northeast side of campus. The observatory’s interior was recently completed, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is being planned for next month, along with star-gazing parties and an Observe the Moon Night in October.

The UTA Planetarium is one of the largest in the state of Texas, providing unparalleled views of the night sky, the solar system and distant galaxies. Each year, more than 30,000 K-12 students from North Texas attend shows led by expert astronomers, part of the Planetarium’s collaborative efforts with local school administrators to deliver curriculum-focused science lessons.

The Planetarium also hosts astronomy classes for UTA students in the Roundhouse, UTA’s original planetarium facility, located adjacent to Preston Hall.

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