by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Five minutes either way might have made all the difference.
That’s how Thomas Webber, director of the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium at the Museum of Science & History, looks at the event that led him from a career in theoretical physics into a career as a planetarian.
Webber, who as a youngster dreamed of being a starship captain like James T. Kirk on the television series “Star Trek,” was eventually educated as a physicist at Butler University in Indianapolis.
To make extra money to finance the essentials of college life, like pizza and entertainment, he took a part-time job at the college’s Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium.
Fast forward a few years to when Webber was engaged in post-graduate studies at the University of Tennessee.
One day, he said, the department head was escorting a representative from a nearby school district who was recruiting a staff for a new planetarium.
When the department head walked past Webber’s office, he remembered Webber worked in a planetarium and suggested an interview.
“If I had gone down the hall for five minutes, I might not be doing what I’m doing today,” said Webber.
That chance meeting led to a position as director of the Heritage Planetarium in Maryville, Tenn., near Knoxville.
Webber came to Jacksonville in October, a few weeks before the $1 million renovation of the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium in the Alexander Brest Space Theater at the Museum of Science & History was unveiled.
Webber said he doesn’t regret leaving academia for a career in education. He interacts with people of all ages who may or may not know they’re interested in physics and astronomy before they attend a show at the planetarium.
The job also allows Webber to express his personality.
“I’ll admit I’m a bit of a ham. I enjoy getting in front of a group and making them laugh. I’ve been to too many planetariums where some bored guy just pushes a button. We don’t want that here. It’s got to be fun,” said Webber.
The planetarium offers programs designed for all ages and interests, including “Cosmic Concerts” that combine music with a laser show on the 250-seat auditorium’s 60-foot dome.
“No two days are alike,” said Webber.
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