Wisconsin Man's Awesome Planetarium Project

I checked the private Calumet Astronomical Society’s group discussion board earlier this week, and saw a post from a former member who has relocated to Texas. He’d seen a story on CBS News (be sure to watch the video, too) about a Wisconsin man, Frank Kovac, who loves astronomy, but couldn’t pursue a career as a professional astronomer. Kovac harnessed his passion for the night sky by building a planetarium in his backyard. He built the largest moving globe planetarium in the world; pretty impressive for an amateur astronomer.

Winters here in Northwest Indiana are harsh enough, so I’m not going to drive to northern Wisconsin to see Kovac’s planetarium for awhile, but I’d like to see it next spring. Admission for adults is $12, and reservations are required, but Kovac personally delivers the presentations. I admire Kovac’s dedication, and really hope that this turns into a success, attracting amateur astronomers from around the country, and anybody else curious about astronomy. I feel that it’s important to get word out to support Frank’s efforts, especially because they are so closely related to what I do with People’s Astronomy. Check out the Kovac Planetarium website, and if you get a chance, make a trip to Wisconsin to say hi to Frank, and thank him for his hard work. Hopefully in the coming months I will be reporting my experience at Kovac Planetarium. Good luck Frank!


Follow these threads on Chicago Astronomer and http://welovegarrettreisman.blogspot.com/2010/12/wisconsin-man-builds-backyard.html