The new Dr Lois Veath Planetarium in the Chadron State College COIL – Math Science Center of Innovative Learning – is proving to be even more popular than expected after its first academic year.
     Manager and Physical Sciences instructor Kinsley Mason says 2,404 people attended events in the planetarium from last September to August.
That’s more than double the number that visited the planetarium in its final year before its renovation and expansion as part of the COIL.
April was the biggest month with 612 visitors while the Friday programs, designed to attract students from the Chadron Public Schools on early-release days, drew 486.
New Free Friday shows are being offered in collaboration with the One Sky Project and the Fiske Planetarium at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Mason says the planetarium also hosted 42 visits from schools in Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota plus one student group from Alaska.
The Earth, Moon, and Sun show was the most popular with younger crowds while Oasis In Space, a tour of the solar system with a focus on sources of water throughout the solar system, was the top choice of the general public.
Mason says the reaction to the new planetarium was strongly positive with a lot of visitors saying they’d never been in a 360-degree theater and it really blew them away.
     She adds that many told her they either worked in or visited the old planetarium and how beautiful the new one is.
Its handicapped accessibility features also drew raves from both those with mobility problems and parents of kids in strollers.Â
Mason says the first-year success of the planetarium and the response to the facility itself has fostered conversations with potential partners for collaborative events such as the CSC Guitar Ensemble performance scheduled for next spring.
She’s also bringing back wellness events for students that allow them to sit and unwind while listening to music and watching visuals on the dome with guided meditations
Other planned events for this school year include the return of the Creepy COIL Crawl on Halloween. Last year saw faculty, staff, and students dress up, provid treats, and host games for children.
Wonderful experience!