An Evening Under the Stars: Planetarium Farewell
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Join us for our farewell celebration for the Zeiss star projector at the Museum’s Albert Einstein Planetarium! When the National Air and Space Museum opened in 1976, this Zeiss projector was the official gift from West Germany to the United States for the American bicentennial. After more than 40 years of service, the Zeiss projector will be retired when the Planetarium closes for renovations this fall. This complex machine uses lights, optics, gears, and motors to reproduce a starry night sky even more realistic than today’s advanced digital projectors.
Joining us to describe how the Zeiss projector came to the Smithsonian and how it actually works are David DeVorkin, senior curator at the National Air and Space Museum, and Andrew Johnston, vice president for astronomy and collections at the Adler Planetarium. Come see this amazing machine in action for its final performance and be completely immersed in the night sky!
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online.
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
6th St. and Independence Ave SW. Washington, DC 20560
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