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Boise State Raising Money For New Traveling Planetarium

Boise State University

The Physics Department at Boise State University wants to buy a digital planetarium to help teach kids about STEM. And they’re hoping to raise money to pay for the project.

“Digital planetariums are state of the art when it comes to astronomy outreach,” says Brian Jackson, a physics professor at Boise State. He wants to buy the portable unit to use on campus and to take on the road as part of his department’s STEM outreach program.

“It looks a little bit like an inflatable tent. So you blow it up with a fan and everyone goes inside and you project whatever you’re interested in looking at on the inside of the dome,” says Jackson.

The dome can hold about 30 people at a time. Jackson says standard planetariums are stuck in one spot, but this one will travel the state to bring the technology to communities that don’t have it. He wants to bring it to schools, libraries and community centers around Idaho.

Jackson hopes to raise $10,000 for the project in 30 days through Boise State’s PonyUp fundraising arm.

Find Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio

Copyright 2018 Boise State Public Radio

As Senior Producer of our live daily talk show Idaho Matters, I’m able to indulge my love of storytelling and share all kinds of information (I was probably a Town Crier in a past life!). My career has allowed me to learn something new everyday and to share that knowledge with all my friends on the radio.

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