YSU Planetarium Engineer: Dome replacement 'very likely' after fire
The Ward Beecher Planetarium put on its first show since a fire damaged the planetarium in January, but not in the way you'd expect.
Friday night, the planetarium put on a virtual show in the form of a live stream on its Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The presentation was an installment in the Planetarium's "Keep Looking Up" series. A series of live streams featuring planetarium Engineer and Producer, Kurt Spivey and a group of YSU students.
During the live stream, Spivey provided an update on the aftermath of the fire. Spivey says the factor that will be holding back the reopening of the planetarium the longest is the dome.
The planetarium's current dome was installed in 1967.
"We've talked to several experts and what they're telling me is this is never going to look the same again in its current form, and to fix the damage behind the dome, the dome has to be out of the way for that," Spivey said.
Spivey says the dome is going to be taken down and that it is very likely that a new one will be installed.
"We're probably looking at at least eight or nine months probably more on the order of a year before we're going to be able to be back up and running," Spivey said.
When the time to reopen does come, Spivey says the planetarium will be a whole new room. However, Spivey says he is not yet at the point where details are being discussed for fundraising.
In terms of other equipment, most survived the fire with minimal damage to the point where the room is able to be used as a classroom again. However, some equipment does need repaired or replaced.
"Chronos made it through the fire just fine. Our video system for the most part did. We lost one of our cameras that actually helps make the two video images sync and our masks that make the two images meet together and make one, those are shot, those are going to have to be redone and the video lenses are kind of splotchy," Spivey said.