Planetarium of the Future

Over the last decade, hundreds of planetariums worldwide have adopted digital “fulldome” projection as their primary projection and presentation medium. This trend has far-reaching potential for science centers. Digital planetarium capabilities extend educational and cultural programming far beyond night-sky astronomy. These “digital domes” are, in essence, immersive visualization environments capable of supporting art and live performances and reproducing archeological sites, as well as journeying audiences through the local cluster of galaxies. Their real-time and rapid-update capabilities set them apart from giant screen cinemas. Studies suggest that well-designed immersive mediums communicate concepts better, create a greater interest in learning, and are more effective than a movie screen or television at conveying scientific concepts. This article introduces digital domes as a new medium, then discusses ways in which the potential of these environments might be tapped in the future to meet scientific and cultural needs in museums of all types.