It looks like a bouncy house on the outside.
But inside, the 23-foot-wide STARLAB portable planetarium fits 50 people and projects images of the universe on the walls and ceiling, including constellations, the motion of planets and the Milky Way galaxy.
The planetarium, which takes one to two hours to set up, is part of the university's efforts to beef up its astronomy program. The portable planetarium will be used for astronomy classes and extending the college's outreach to K-12 schools.
'We would like to have students realize what the opportunities there are at Cal State Fullerton if they come here someday,' said Joshua Smith, assistant professor of physics.
In class, professors can describe and show movies about astronomical events.
The planetarium allows teachers to show astronomical features to the students.
Curriculum will be developed specifically for the portable planetarium.
The planetarium's digital projector runs an advanced software called 'Starry Night,' which can project the surface of the moon or offer a 3-D model of what the galaxy looks like.
The university in September purchased the portable planetarium, thanks to a $100,000 donation from 1967 physics alumnus Dan Black, one of the largest donors to CSUF. He recently visited his alma mater to see the newly purchased portable planetarium, which was on display at CSUF.
Upon graduating, Black went on to be an entrepreneur - not a physicist, but he credits his physics background for his problem-solving abilities.
In 2002, Black helped launch the 'phys-biz' program at CSUF, which offers physics students a business background.
Dan Black Hall, where the science research labs are located, is named after him.
The Department of Physics, within the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, is expanding its astronomy offerings.
The university plans to develop three or more courses to create a minor in astronomy.
Astronomy can be a bridge to physics or science, Smith said.
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