Largest Planetarium In Western Hemisphere Opening In Jersey City

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere opens this weekend at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

The Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium is the fourth largest in the entire world, outsized only by domes in China and Japan. From floor to ceiling is 60 feet, roughly the height of four giraffes stacked on top of each other.

“You can fit any other planetarium in the Western Hemisphere inside the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium,” said Liberty Science Center president and CEO Paul Hoffman. “Add in the state-of-the-art technology and you have a spectacular unique theater like none other in the world. Visitors will be able to fly through the universe, experience the grandness and vastness of space, roam planetary surfaces, navigate asteroid fields, and watch the latest full-dome movies.”

The planetarium was built in the old IMAX dome. To convert it, the dome was given a new 8K digital projection system and screen (the IMAX theater used film). It's one of only two planetariums with true 8K image quality.

Patch previewed the planetarium Thursday morning with planetarium director Mike Shanahan, seeing snippets of two planetarium shows: "Wonders of the Universe," and "To Worlds Beyond: Journey Through The Solar System."

"Wonders" is a fully live show that will incorporate breaking astronomy news, taking you through the night sky into the universe. "To Worlds Beyond" is a fulldome movie, followed by an interactive live presentation. Both have stunning visuals of the sky, accompanied by educational narration.

Shows with live components can be customized depending on audience interest, Shanahan said. As he chatted with this reporter about the summer's solar eclipse, the projection transformed from the sky just after dawn to the middle of a partial solar eclipse.

In addition to outer space, the planetarium can also show you places on Earth, including the tri-state area at night and Easter Island.

The Chalsty Planetarium will preview a brand-new recreation of the Orion Nebula before its' official release at the American Astronomical Society in Washington, D.C., next year. Beginning in January, attendees can see the full video, which explores the nebula in stunning color.

"Inside this vast world of gas and dust, so distant that even its light takes 1,400 years to reach our eyes, we see star and planet formation in more beauty and detail than in any other place in the cosmos. Our full-dome, immersive recreation of the Orion Nebula will allow our planetarium visitors to experience what it’s like to travel into the heart of this nebula in a level of detail never before seen," Hoffman said.

Shanahan said the planetarium is looking to show the latest recreations and discoveries in space as they're released by organizations.

Liberty Science Center closed the IMAX theater for renovations on Aug. 1. The process of took four months, Shanahan said, an unusually fast renovation. The work was made possible by the planetarium's namesake, board member and former science teacher Jennifer Chalsty, who donated $5 million to the center.

The state-of-the-art lighting system can show over 281 trillion different colors, creating realistic images of the farthest reaches of the galaxy and beyond. Thats nearly 17 times as many colors as a computer screen, which displays 16.8 million colors. Ten projectors are placed around the dome, projecting images onto the nearly seamless screen.

There will be a strong focus on school groups and education standards, Shanahan said. Five shows have been developed to meet different core science standards based on grade level, and will be available to schools during two special weekday showings.

The planetarium is handicap accessible, but strollers must be parked outside. Because the dome is tilted, attendees won't have to crane their necks to take in the show.

In addition to showing the night sky and touring the universe, the planetarium will also show educational films, laser shows, and more. It can be rented out for events, including an upcoming wedding, Shanahan said.

The Chalsty Planetarium opens on Dec. 9. For showtimes and ticket, visit the Liberty Science Center website here.

Image via Liberty Science Center