State-of-the-art planetarium set for liftoff at Science Museum

OKLAHOMA CITY — Science Museum Oklahoma staff are performing their final checks and readying for the countdown to the launch of their new high-tech, world-class Love’s Planetarium, the result of nearly a decade of planning and almost two full years of construction.

Friday, September 20th will see the official ribbon cutting for the museum’s newest addition, which was built inside of the long-defunct OmniDome theater space.

Featuring a state-of-the-art “hybrid” blend of 4K digital projection technology and an advanced form of the more traditional “star ball,” offering direct, precise light projection of stars through fiber optics, the new attraction will not only rank as Oklahoma’s most advanced planetarium but as one of the world’s finest.

“This has been on our strategic plan for years,” Science Museum CEO and President Sherry Marshall told Free Press during a pre-opening behind-the-scenes visit. “So when we started thinking about what that would look like, we knew it needed to be worthy of the Oklahoma community, and it would have to be one of the best in the world.”

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A bold hallway greets visitors as they are about to enter the new Love’s Planetarium at the Oklahoma Science Museum (B. DICKERSON/Okla City Free Press)

World-class tech

As the new planetarium’s Space Age façade was getting its final paint and finishing touches, we got a first-hand look at the newly constructed attraction and the groundbreaking technology that powers it.

“When you look at the technologies that people are introducing into the field, it will be a long time before they can top this,” Marshall said. “This type of technology can be found in other planetariums, but the amount of this type of technology can’t be found anywhere else but China right now.”

That’s because the Love’s Planetarium boasts eight 4K digital projectors – each powered by two dedicated computers – all working in conjunction with the center-mounted star ball with its delicate fiber optics projecting pinpoint-accurate stars across the dome.

“If you’re recreating stars, it’s really the size that matters most,” said Planetarium Director Waylon Troyer. “It’s that pinpoint shape that you need. Digital projection alone can’t do that, and LED screens and domes can’t do that.”

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The star ball that projects pinpoint light to emulate stars in the night sky is not as big as the previous one, is more powerful and is augmented by numerous LED projectors embedded in the walls. (B.DICKERSON/Okla City Free Press)

The result is a breathtaking recreation of our night sky and light years beyond, with celestial bodies rendered in deep, realistic color and depth across the massive overhead dome, bolstered by the minute detail and accuracy of the optically projected stars.

It’s all fully interactive and malleable, perfect for educational use and even allowing for immediate downloading and integration of brand-new data.

“If NASA makes a discovery at 8:00,” Marshall said, “we can download it into our system here and be talking about it by 8:30 and presenting it with the most accurate representation possible.”

Major renovations

Though the Love’s Planetarium was built inside of the Science Museum’s old OmniDome structure, the theater space inside had to be completely gutted and rebuilt from scratch in order to accommodate the best layout for a world-class planetarium.

“If you ever saw a movie in the old OmniDome, you’ll remember how steep it used to be,” Marshall explained. “Well, if you try to just change that into a planetarium, it really doesn’t work. That’s just not a good angle for a planetarium.”

Instead, construction crews had to pull out all of the seating, dome screen, and eventually even the entire floor and structure beneath to design and build a second floor with a completely new, more level seating structure and a purpose-built new 50-foot planetarium dome.

“What really makes it special is the accessibility,” said Marshall. “The comfort. The wide rows. There are more ramps along the side. There’s hearing assistance. There’s lots of flexible seating too. So it’s much more handicapped accessible, and it’s also more accessible for things like programs or meetings.”

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Leadership for the development of the new Love’s Planetarium are L-R: Science Museum CEO and President Sherry Marshall, Abby Wolfe, Director of Communications, and Planetarium Director Waylon Troyer. (B.DICKERSON/Okla City Free Press)

Astronomical donations

After years of planning and consideration, groundbreaking on the new planetarium’s construction took place in 2022, kicking off nearly two whole years of work while the rest of the museum – including the decades-old, original planetarium – continued to operate.

While the project’s budget was originally eyed at roughly $5 million, the financial requirements for construction quickly reached $8 million.

That meant a stronger focus than ever on major donations from SMO’s community partners, particularly Love’s Travel Stops, who provided $3.5 million to aid in the project and secure the naming rights.

“Love’s has been such a big part of the Oklahoma community, and they really, truly are committed to education in Oklahoma,” Marshall said. “So, it was a natural partnership.”

Lighting a fire

When the ribbon is finally cut Friday on the Love’s Planetarium by Science Museum leaders and representatives from the project’s major donors and funding partners, it’ll be the end result of an idea that stretches back years, sparked by an unfortunate mini-disaster.

“The real story is that, years ago, the console in our old planetarium literally caught fire,” Marshall told Free Press. “So that put us at a crossroads.”

Rather than simply repairing the old console and continuing on with that setup indefinitely, the decision was made to make the repairs, but begin earnest considerations of moving the museum’s planetarium element firmly into the 21st Century.

“We knew that our roots as a planetarium were really important to the community, and so if we were going to do this, we really had to do it right,” she said. “That fire really gave us the nudge that we needed. It really lit the fire for us to move forward.”

The Love’s Planetarium at Science Museum Oklahoma opens to the public on Friday, September 20th following an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

For museum hours, admission, and more, visit sciencemuseumok.org.

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The entryway to the Oklahoma Science Museum invites visitors of all ages to the many interactive exhibits including the new Love’s Planetarium. (B.DICKERSON/Okla City Free Press)

Author Profile

Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.