Despite the highly sophisticated equipment within, the Bakersfield College planetarium doesn’t boast a very striking image when viewed from outside. It’s just another part of the Math and Sciences building. However, stepping inside reveals a 36-foot in diameter dome, where the images of the stars surrounding the Earth can be shown from any time of the year and any position on the planet.
In the fall of 2006, BC received a brand new planetarium after using the same one for decades, and the current technology used is very updated and very pricey. The SciDome projector, which is used to give viewers a tour of the solar system, galaxy and beyond, cost $195,000.
That very issue is a major concern of astronomy Professor Nick Strobel, who is responsible for working the planetarium.
“I think maybe it’s another thing BC will have to do some long-term planning for,” he said. “Five years from now, we’ll probably have to replace it.
“I’m not sure if my higher-ups are aware. I have told my department chair. I’m not sure if they are planning. Some of this equipment, like the SciDome, has a limited lifetime.”
When that time comes, it will cost the school approximately $200,000.
And, since the SciDome is what Strobel jokingly pointed out as being responsible for the “cool shows,” there’s a good chance the school will want to make that investment.
The second projector within the planetarium, the Chronos, which is used for showing a view of the night sky, cost over twice as much as the SciDome projector, but Strobel expects that it will last much longer.
“As long as we keep up the preventive maintenance, that thing should last decades,” he said of the Chronos. “I expect it to be here when I retire, and my successor won’t have to worry until the middle of his or her career.”
Before the transition to the new planetarium was made, BC had to work with a very outdated system. Instead of the two projectors and the large dome, the planetarium was comprised of a 24-foot dome with center-facing chairs, a single “1950s style” projector and no sound system. Televisions, which are still in the room, were the only way that moving images could be shared with the audiences. Those televisions attempted to do the job that the current SciDome projector does.
“It was still good,” said Strobel. “School kids and teachers liked it. Students liked it. But it was limited.”
The current system provides a service for both the community and the campus. Strobel uses the planetarium in his three astronomy courses that he teaches on campus. When it’s not being used strictly for BC students, members of the community and grade school students can attend.
Shows provided for the community – there are three each semester – sell out quickly and regularly. During Tuesdays and Thursdays, grade school students can attend, and their school only has to foot a $120 charge. People can even “rent” the planetarium for an evening – private screenings are given for $360.
Despite the amount of money the planetarium brings in, all of the funds do not go into any sort of planetarium account. BC receives all of the money that the planetarium earns.
Strobel spoke on why astronomy, and therefore the planetarium, is important.
“Well, the more we learn about other things out there, it helps us understand the Earth. It helps us get in touch with beyond. We’re all a part of a huge cosmos.” He paused to chuckle, and then he added, “That’s more of a touchy-feely thing.”
Returning the more practical issues, he explained that only through comparisons – such as comparing the Earth to worlds – could people truly understand how things actually work.