New LBV Science Center and Planetarium now open at TAMIU

Texas &M International University recently inaugurated its new Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center and Planetarium with dedication ceremonies on the university campus.

The Trust provided a $2.5 million gift in support of the Center in 2002. The total construction cost was $24.5 million. Architects for the Center and Planetarium are Kell-Muñoz Architects of San Antonio who also served as architects for Phase One and Two of the TAMIU campus.

The three-story Science Center is 79,000 square feet in size and includes 40 distinct science labs in addition to classrooms, computer labs, an auditorium, and the Planetarium. The facility now also houses both science and social sciences faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The signature feature of the building, the 86-seat planetarium, includes powerful new generation digital projectors -- the Digistar 3 System -- the only one of its kind in the area, which integrates graphics hardware and software to project immersive full-dome images on the interior surface of the dome. Viewers sit in comfortable recliner-like seating and watch shows overhead.

The planetarium is open to the public. Audiences can catch a glimpse of Earth from any part of the known universe, look through powerful telescopes and get a view of the actual sky at night, and learn about the stars and find out where to look for constellations and planets.

The university is committed to allowing everyone access to the Planetarium through approximately 45-minute shows designed for audiences from school children to adults.

The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket is a program for grades Pre-K - 5. It follows two children who build a cardboard box rocket and then travel through the solar system.

Destination Saturn is a program for children in grades 6-12 and looks at how understanding of Saturn has changed over history. As the Cassini probe enters the Saturnian system this summer, this program will explore how the mission might answer questions or maybe ask even more.

Wonders of the Universe is designed for upper grades and adults. The show allows audiences to peer deep into space and take a tour through the eyes of the Hubble Space Telescope, travel back billions of years in time, witness the formation of galaxies, and explore nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered.

Shows schedules are 7:30 and 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, and 3 and 6 p.m., Sundays. General admission tickets are $5 and tickets for children under 12 are $3. Group rates are also available for groups of 20, but reservations are required.

Every Friday night, once the last show is finished, the Planetarium will host telescope-viewing sessions that give views of the actual night sky. All Telescope Nights are subject to cancellation without notice due to weather or viewing conditions.

The Planetarium also features skyshows which are suitable for all audiences and provide an up-to-date look at the night sky as seen from Laredo, South Texas, or from anywhere in the world. The show teaches audiences where to see Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn and where to find constellations such as Orion the Hunter.

Visit the Planetarium's website at www.tamiu.edu/coas/planetarium for more information on show schedules and coming attractions. The website also has information and reservation request forms for private shows, or call (956) 326-2460.

For questions concerning the operation of the TAMIU Planetarium or about astronomical happenings in the current sky, contact Planetarium director Dr. John Winfrey at jwinfrey@tamiu.edu or Gerardo Perez at gaperez@tamiu.edu or call (956) 326-2668.

Interesting Facts about . . .

The Lamar Bruni Vergara

Science Center and Planetarium

• The Center is the most complex building to date on the TAMIU campus.

• There are over 290,000 linear feet of fiber cable, the equivalent of 55 miles,

providing the Center connectivity with the world.

• The exterior tiles that sheath the tower feature are stainless steel and feature

a stylized treatment of the Western Hemisphere.

• The pyramid is 36 feet tall.

• There are 1,160 computer jacks and 300 phone jacks in the Center.

• The Planetarium offers an “immersion theatre viewing” experience with comfortable

chairs and images that surround the viewer in a full-dome video experience.

• There are only 21 international installations and 14 domestic installations of the

Digistar 3 System, the world's leading digital planetarium system. Laredo's system

joins sites in Amarillo; Shreveport, Louisiana; London; Athens, Greece; Shanghai,

China; Kiev, Russia; and Kobe, Japan.