I missed the 11 a.m. press conference today, announcing the lift and placement of the Noble Planetarium dome at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, but it doesn’t matter. Thanks to the FWMSAH site, I can watch a live feed of the construction project. (It appeals to my inner Maynard G. Krebs.) The 50-foot-diameter dome is 25-tons, which might very well be average size and weight or domes. The full release is after the jump, but I especially liked this part:
“[The planetarium] will feature the first Zeiss-manufactured hybrid planetarium system – immersive all-dome video combined with fiber optic dual-hemisphere star balls to see more than 8,000 stars.
Sounds cool.
MEDIA ALERT
FWMSH Construction Reaches Milestone
50-foot Planetarium Dome To Be Lifted And Placed
WHO: Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
WHAT: Lift and placement of the Noble Planetarium dome
Members of the Media are invited to witness/document the lift and placement of the 50-foot diameter, 25-ton steel dome onto the Planetarium structure, and to interview Museum/Planetarium officials.
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009
11 a.m.
WHERE: Meet in front of National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
1720 Gendy Street
Fort Worth, TX 76107
Roof access will be available for the best visual vantage point
WHY: Opening in late fall 2009, the new, state-of-the-art Noble Planetarium will be unequaled in the Southwest. It will feature the first Zeiss-manufactured hybrid planetarium system – immersive all-dome video combined with fiber optic dual-hemisphere star balls to see more than 8,000 stars. An exhibit area that will provide large screens with up-to-the-minute views of the Sun, as well as downlinks offering the latest information from the Hubble Telescope.
BACKGROUND:
The Fort Worth Children’s Museum was the first children’s museum in the world to house a planetarium, which it received in 1949. It was an oblate spheroid, 18 feet in diameter, constructed of plywood and cardboard erected under a tent in the museum’s backyard. It was in this setting that one of Spitz’ first instruments, a model “A,” was used. The seating consisted of steel folding chairs.
When the Museum moved to its present location, a new Spitz A-1 was purchased and placed under a spherical 30-foot dome of plaster. In 1955, this planetarium was dedicated to Miss Charlie Mary Noble, a local teacher of mathematics. It was the first planetarium in the world to be named for a woman.
In 1968, the Fort Worth Children’s Museum became the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
-30-
FACT SHEET
FWMSH Noble Planetarium
1. Overall Dimensions of the Noble Planetarium: Height of the center point of the circular dome – 55 feet; Diameter of steel dome – 50 feet (exterior); 40 feet (interior).
2. Weight of the steel Dome: 25 tons
3. Method of Lifting the Dome: A 150-ton mobile crane will be used to lift the dome. The dome was constructed with welded pick points on the structure to allow this to happen.
4. Construction Materials of the Dome: The dome structure is steel with metal decking. The roofing of the dome is constructed over the steel decking and consists of two layers of 1/2 sheathing, waterproofing and then standing seam metal roof.
The signature purple metal roof on the Planetarium Dome will involve a fully articulated, pie shape segmented configuration to maintain the lowest profile and smoothest finish for the very visible roof surface.
5. Illumination of the Dome: Using cold cathode, the lower portion of the Planetarium Dome will be illuminated and will gently fade out toward the top.
6. New Noble Planetarium Details:
♣ The new Noble Planetarium will feature the Zeiss SKYMASTER ZKP 4 star projector which will project thousands more stars more clearly than ever before.
♣ Two (2) star balls will cover the entire sky – both the northern and southern hemispheres.
♣ New software – Sciss UniVeiw – will fly Planetarium visitors to the edge of the universe and back. This live-action software will allow real-time visits to any location in the known universe.
♣ The new Planetarium’s 890-square foot, pre-show area will feature:
o an official Sputnik satellite;
o a replica of NASA’s original Manned Maneuvering Unit, which allowed astronauts the ability to fly without a tether to the Space Shuttle;
o four (4) large plasma screens presenting real-time images from the Charlie Mary Noble Solar Observatory at the University of North Texas; and
o an ever-changing exhibit case.
7. Planetarium Consultant: Visual Acuity, Limited.; Brighton England/San Francisco, California
8. Museum Architect:
Design Architect – Legorreta + Legorreta
Architect of Record – Gideon Toal
-30-
QUOTATIONS
FWMSH Noble Planetarium
“Lifting this dome into place is really an enormous step forward in reaffirming our dedication to Charlie Mary Noble and the work she did. The illuminated dome symbolizes what Miss Noble stood for and our dedication to expanded planetarium programs that will continue to touch the lives of children and their families.”
“From an architectural standpoint, the Noble Planetarium’s position on the south side of the Museum gives balance to our guests as they enter the facility. As it sits adjacent to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Planetarium’s architectural style transitions perfectly between the Museum of Science and History and the Cowgirl Museum.”
Van A. Romans, President
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
“Our new Noble is a giant leap into the 21st century, incorporating the very latest cutting-edge technology in the planetarium field. Guests to our new facility need to bring only one thing – their imagination – and we will whisk them away as real-time explorers through the incredible wonders of our universe!”
Linda Krouse
Noble Planetarium Director
