Ritter Planetarium Upgrade 2011: A Photo Journal
This page documents in words and pictures our planetarium's progress through the upgrade of its star projector and interior furnishings. Entries are in reverse chronological order, most recent first. Unless otherwise credited, all images are by Alex Mak.
Our 44-year-old Spitz A3P' star ball is being replaced with a SciDome XD 3-dimensional computerized space simulator manufactured by Spitz, Inc. in Chadds Ford, PA. Also underway are general refurbishment of the planetarium theater's
interior and the dome exterior.
August 25, 2011
Brad is leaning on the projector and casting a shadow back on the dome. Most the day was spent aligning and calibrating the projector. It looks great!
August 24, 2011
Here is Craig installing our SciDome XD projector. We had "first light" late this
afternoon. Another two days and the
installation will be complete. Then the learning curve will start! (Image credit:
Brad Rush)
August 24, 2011
August 10, 2011
80 days to the grand reopening and counting!
August 9, 2011
Our 92 brand new seats have been installed! They are much more comfortable than the old ones were. The picture doesn't do justice to how nice they look. You'll just have to come and see it for yourself!
August 8, 2011
The new seats have arrived. Workers have been busy measuring and laying out the precise placement in the theater. We should have some nice installation pictures tomorrow.
July 20, 2011
Just in case you out-of-towners have any doubts, the dome exterior really has been repainted! (Images by Nancy Morrison)
Before (left): November 6, 2009. After (right): today
July 19, 2011
Our new "fun and funky" carpet has been installed! This picture doesn't do it justice! It is way out there!
July 18, 2011
Our system being built by a Spitz technician in Chadds Ford, PA (image by Brad Rush).
Here is our system at the factory (image by Michael Cushing).
July 12, 2011
We have a date! Installation of our Spitz Sci-Dome XD system is scheduled to start August 22! (Graphics credit Caroline Mak)
July 8, 2011
We seem to have reached a lull in the renovation work. The dome interior and exterior have been painted, the carpet and seats removed, and the lobby ceiling tiles removed. Today, finally, the bolts were removed from the floor. The pit in the center has been filled with stones, but we're still waiting for the final layer of cement.
This photograph shows two spare dome panels. The one on the left has been painted with the new color, while the one on the right has not been painted yet. Spitz suggested that we change the color of the dome interior from the traditional white to a light gray, which is the optimal color for fulldome projection systems.
June 30, 2011
Today our upgrade was featured in UT News.
June 25, 2011
Here's a picture taken from the upper catwalk behind the dome. The "infamous" ladder goes up from the lower left corner to upper right towards the zenith. Also visible is a strip of metal that used to hold the Sun canisters, part of our seasons "solar panel." The circle on the dome is where a Sun canister used to be. Image credit: Brad Rush.
June 23, 2011
Also, the center pit has been filled with stones, and the electrical connections have been brought up to the surface. Next, the opening will be covered with cement.
June 16, 2011
Today was a quiet day in Ritter. The pit has been filled with the stones, and the staff continues to sort through 44 years' worth of spare parts, projectors, and other assorted "junk."
The current issue of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association's newsletter (PDF, 8 MB), received today, includes an ad for the Spitz SciDome XD projector that we are getting! This is the first print ad I've ever seen for the XD.
June 14, 2011
The carpeting has been removed. Other than some leftover wiring, some bolts in the floor, and a few special effects behind the dome, the planetarium theater has been totally stripped.
June 13, 2011
Here's a pile of stones next to "our temporary dumpster." No, they're not meteorites. They will be used to fill the hole in the center of the planetarium where the old Spitz A3P' could be lowered. Once filled with the stones, the hole will be covered with cement.
June 10, 2011
In the lobby, the ceiling tiles have been removed in preparation for new tiles and light fixtures! Meanwhile in the dome, UT electricians continue to disassemble the console and the miles of wiring associated with it, while planetarium staff continue to remove obsolete equipment. Outside, the painters have paused for the day, apparently because of rain.
June 8, 2011
The interior of the planetarium has been gutted except for the old consoles and carpet. One of the UT electricians is working in the pit on a ladder.
June 7, 2011
The painters have begun stripping the paint off the exterior of the dome in preparation for painting it.
June 3, 2011
Marina and Dhruv remove the rotating Milky Way projector from behind the dome.
June 1, 2011
Two UT electricians move our beloved Spitz A3P' into storage.
Document custodian: Nancy Morrison