October 1st Parkland planetarium will be hosting a show that features one of the most iconic pieces of Parkland history
Anyone who’s ever made a trip to Parkland college’s William M. Staerkel Planetarium is probably familiar with “Carl”, the Planetarium’s ‘retired’ Zeiss projector. This October, in honor of the Planetarium’s 35th Anniversary, there will be a special event to showcase this unique piece of Parkland and planetarium history
William M. Staerkel Planetarium.
“Carl”, as the projector in commonly referred to as, is a Carl Zeiss M1015 projector that was manufactured in East Germany. It is the first one to be installed in the western hemisphere and one of 2 left in the world. As opposed to a digital projector it projects over 7,000 stars with just light and precision cut metal plates. The machine is capable of showing not just stars but the movement of planets and phases of the moon.
Erik Johnson, Planetarium Director had this to say about the Zeiss projector and its upcoming show: “We have been happy to offer the planetarium to the public for 35 years. Although the digital projector system we purchased in 2010 has been a vast improvement in our presentation capabilities, we know that the Zeiss projector captures the attention of many who come into the dome. We also know that the machine still produces more realistic stars than a digital system. For the Staerkel Unplugged show, we are pleased to welcome Dave Leake to use the system he maintained so well for 30 years and to show the audience how the staff operated before the 2010 installation.”
For so long the projector has been an oddity that the public has heard of but never really seen in action. The Carl Zeiss projector is a piece of history for not just the college but for planetariums overall. And in a fairly crowded city, seeing the stars is a novelty for many, outside of projected images.
HeatherAnn Layman, operations assistant for the planetarium, says “The Carl Zeiss machine is one-of-a-kind, and this show presents a unique opportunity to see the stars through the lens of a machine that was manufactured over 35 years ago. The incredible beauty of our universe captured in this machine is truly inspiring to see.”
Staerkel Unplugged: The Zeiss- Only Experience will show on October 1st at 2 pm in the William M. Staerkel Planetarium. Tickets can be purchased at the door.