Planetarium Maintenance

Did you know that in 2009, the Valley City, North Dakota, State University's planetarium had an expensive breakdown? Seems that the old projector, installed in 1973, was not receiving enough maintenance. That's a problem across the country nowadays, what with finances squeezed and paid attendance down. Planetariums have to take care of expensive equipment, but often postpone routine maintenance. The result is a mix of corroded wires, rusty moving parts, and compromised optical and acoustic systems.

The real crime is that planetarium maintenance is cheap compared to repair costs. Valley City, North Dakota, had to shell out almost $900 a day for repair personnel, plus the cost of replacement materials. At the UCLA Planetarium, professors and students have had to resort to a fundraising program to repair an aging building. Dating back to 1957, the school admits that repairs and maintenance are overdue. Three generations of star projectors have been featured at UCLA, but the equipment now needs repair or replacement to restore operations. In addition the seats and flooring of the planetarium building need a lot of work - much more work than would have been necessary with adequate scheduled maintenance.

One reason planetariums are so important is that, in smog-choked cities, they offer the only way for local residents to see what the city's night sky looks like. While sky projectors are complex and expensive, they are usually sturdy enough to withstand years of daily service, if they are maintained properly. Unfortunately for UCLA, their 1973 then-state-of-the-art Viewlex Mark IIA sky projector has seen better days. The 4,000-star projector can no longer provide moon and planet projection due to aging parts. The control panel and multimedia computer projection system also needs to be replaced.

Often, the key to finding a rich donor is to give him or her naming rights. In New York, the completely revamped Hayden Planetarium resides in the new Frederick and Sandra Rose Center for Earth and Science. True lovers of New York, their foundation has also made considerable contributions to Lincoln Center, among other venues. And let's not forget the significant educational and programming support role played by NASA. Other institutions, like state and city government, and corporations like Kodak, provide welcome assistance. It might be worthwhile for all good donors to remember that a can of rust remover and some elbow grease can extend the life of their favorite facilities for years.