Skip to main content Skip to navigation
CAS in the Media Arts and Sciences Media Headlines

New planetarium system unique in Inland Northwest

Michael Allen
Michael Allen

The constellations are shining brighter at the Washington State University Planetarium thanks to a new digital projection system.

“It is kind of like the Google Earth of the stars,” said Michael Allen, planetarium director and senior instructor of physics and astronomy. “There is really nothing else like this in the Inland Northwest.”

Mounted at the far end of the circular room, the system uses a high end digital projector, specially cut mirrors and Stellarium, a free open source software that projects a realistic sky in three dimensions, just like you would see standing in the backyard on a clear night.

The planetarium’s fall series kicked off Sept. 19 with “Maiden Voyage,” a show about the highlights of the fall sky and the digital projection system’s new features. The series will include four more shows, each running twice, through Dec. 7.

Learn more

Honors invites astronomer to ‘Speak with E.T.’

Michael Allen
Michael Allen

”Speaking with E.T. – We’re All Ears,” will be discussed by the director of the Washington State University planetarium in a free, public presentation at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 22, in the Honors Hall lounge. Refreshments will be served.

Michael L. Allen was selected by WSU Honors College students to present the annual invited lecture sponsored by the Honors Student Advisory Council.

Allen supports the thesis that earth’s first contact with alien life will be with a technological alien species. His support is based upon the supposition that technological activity is the most pervasive type of lifelike activity that exists.

Read more about talking to aliens at WSU News >>