Marvels at Mac: Stargaze under the dome of the McMaster Planetarium
Take in a show and travel through time and space at the planetarium, a true hidden gem at McMaster.
Marvels at Mac follows a student’s point of view, exploring campus and uncovering some of the super-cool places that students might not know about.
Have you ever sat and watched the stars on a late summer night? Asking yourself questions or theorizing with friends about the vastness of space and all that it contains?
There is a place on campus that can give you the answers.
Located in the basement of the Burke Science Building is the W.J. McCallion Planetarium, offering shows and experiences for everyone to enjoy.
When you get to the stairs to the planetarium, the lights are dimmed, and you are met with posters and photos of space and the stars that captivate you and encourage you to explore them.
This is only the prelude to the experience: When you reach the room at the bottom of the stairs, the real fun begins.
A wonderful dome caps the room, which seats a little more than 35 people. The dome creates acoustics that allow the audience to hear the presenters loud and clear without a microphone.
Looking up into the dome, a breathtaking display of stars and planets that mimic our own universe covers the entire curved ceiling, via a projector in the middle of the room.
It really feels as if you are drifting in the middle of space with the freedom to go and see whatever you want.
This is all made possible by the use of customized software named Stellarium. It allows presenters to go back and forward in time to show off the exact positioning of the stars on a specific date, showing constellations, the planets in our solar system. This software even allows you to see upcoming eclipses without the side effect of eye damage!
First introduced in 1949, the planetarium initially used a war parachute suspended from the ceiling as a makeshift dome to accommodate the projector. In 1954, the custom room in BSB was built to better suit the projector. The projector itself also went through its share of upgrades, changing four times since then. The planetarium is named after William J. McCallion, a former dean of what used to be the School of Adult Education.
Fun fact: The William J. McCallion Planetarium was the first planetarium in Ontario to offer shows to the public.
Planetarium shows are run by physics and astronomy graduate students. Shows typically last an hour and begin with a general introduction to the night sky before moving on to a specific theme. These range from an introduction to astronomy to learning how to navigate with the night sky, eclipses and many more. They also take special requests for specific themes.
This marvel at Mac is runs shows every Wednesday from 7 p.m.to 8:15 p.m. through the school year. Tickets are $7 per person, cash only.
