by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
For more than two decades, the Museum of Science & History’s Alexander Brest Planetarium has been a Downtown destination for education and entertainment. Generations of Jacksonvillians have attended shows to learn about the solar system or to experience the sound and light show known as a “Cosmic Concert.”
At 11 a.m. Monday, the 22-year-old Jena Spacemaster projector will throw the stars onto the planetarium’s 60-foot overhead dome for the last time. At the conclusion of the presentation, it will descend into the floor to mark the closing of the planetarium for a complete upgrade. The project also includes installation of a Konica Minolta Super MediaGlobe II, which has four times the video resolution of an HDTV.
The project is funded by a grant from the Bryan Family Trustees of the Henry and Lucy Gooding Endowment with additional support from the Nichols Family Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, EverBank and a MOSH capital campaign.
Following the $1 million transformation, the new Bryan Gooding Planetarium will debut Oct. 23 with a grand opening celebration.
For tickets to the vintage planetarium’s farewell performance, visit www.themosh.org or call 396-MOSH.
356-2466