11.01.2005
Death of a Planetarium
I love a planetarium, especially my local, favorite one.You can sit in a cushy chair in a dark room and see the stars, the Sun, Moon and planets as they appear in the night sky at any time of the year, projected onto a hemispherical dome. (Or, experience things like SonicVision, a popular show of cool computer-generated 3-D visualizations set to techno and rock music.)
Loch Ness has a catalog of links to 433 U.S. and 388 international planetariums. (Planetaria?) I'd visit all of them if I could.
I would even take a cruise on the luxury ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, just to see a show in the first shipboard planetarium.
So I am saddened to hear about what's happening to Toronto's only planetarium. And you bet the Canadian Space Society has something to say about it:
The Canadian Space Society is dismayed at the recent decision by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) to demolish Toronto's historic McLaughlin Planetarium, with no plans to reestablish a planetarium in Toronto. The planetarium building is to be replaced by a private condominium development.Condominiums.
Established in 1968, the Planetarium enjoyed over twenty five successful years, financially stable during its operation. It has inspired thousands, young and old alike, to contemplate the wonders of the universe we find ourselves in and to advance our knowledge of its workings. A landmark in Toronto, the Planetarium was a bastion of public curiosity and imagination, where the entire community, regardless of age or income, could come to gaze at the stars and galaxies.
I agree with CSS: it is dismaying.
According to CSS, public meeting is scheduled for today, Nov. 1 "to review the developer's plans." If you can stomach it.
