The Zeiss projector that dazzled audiences in the original Buhl Planetarium is on exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center.
Credit: Carnegie Science Center, Buhl Planetarium

May 6, 2024

Gazing at the night sky with the brilliant clarity of stars seemingly only a fingertip’s distance away is an unparalleled experience. City lights distract us in our modern age, but the movements of stars and planets have captivated and fascinated human curiosity for centuries. Indeed, our starstruck view of the heavens connects us to our ancestors and each other.

We need to travel back only one century to celebrate a breakthrough method of chronicling the stars. On May 7, 1925, the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, brought the sky to light with a Mark I projector illuminating 4,200 stars on a domed ceiling. It was the beginning of public planetariums, as popular in their inaugural operations as they are today.

Pittsburgh holds the honor of hosting the fifth major Planetarium built in the United States. Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science opened on October 24, 1939. The “Theatre of the Stars” boasted a 65-foot-wide dome. A Zeiss Mark II projector nicknamed “Jake” made a dramatic entrance, rising from the floor on a Westinghouse-produced worm-gear elevator, thrilling onlookers.

Star projectors and planetariums evolved exponentially. Buhl Planetarium’s digital projectors not only accurately display dazzling celestial delights, but audiences can also soar on flights through the solar system and beyond. Join the Science Center’s Buhl Skywatch on Saturday, May 10. Honor planetarium anniversaries by viewing Pittsburgh skies under the dome and on the roof.

Are you as fascinated by the night sky as we are?

Join us for SkyWatch: Carnegie Science Center’s monthly opportunity to catch a glimpse of the stars with professional telescopes. Get a great view of the Pittsburgh skyline as you stargaze with other space enthusiasts. Plus, watch a feature show at the Buhl Planetarium and participate in fun, astronomy-themed activities.