The Liberty Science Centre’s brand new Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium and LSC Giant Dome Theatre opened this weekend.
The New Jersey attraction is reportedly the largest and most advanced planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. It is also the fourth largest in the world.
What’s more, it could swallow Manhattan’s Hayden Planetarium whole, and then some.
According to the New York Times, size really matters in this new star wars episode between flashy Manhattan and what NYT calls the ‘Rodney Dangerfield of states’.
LSC planetarium: 88 million pixels, 281 trillion colours
The rivalry spans decades but it looks like New Jersey is light years ahead in this particular contest. The new LSC planetarium boasts a resolution of 88 million pixels and a lighting system that can produce over 281 trillion individual colours. It also has new speakers capable of producing 30,000 watts of digital sound.
The new facility offers immersive experiences, films and laser shows.
Two shows are now open. They are Wonders of the Universe and To Worlds Beyond: Journey Through the Solar System. The latter includes a live show where a speaker takes over at the end of the film to point out where the planets will be in the night sky on that very evening.
