Seeing Stars: New Planetarium for Harrison High School

Harrison High School will soon have a spacious, newly updated addition: an improved planetarium.

Since the school's construction in 1974, the space that will now serve multiple functions, including the new planetarium and a Black Box Theater, was once an unused planetarium with outdated equipment. In-house renovations were done to update the space this past summer, according to Superintendent Louis M. Wool.

 "We were lucky enough to collaborate with Harrison Educational Foundation, who purchased the new, state-of-the-art surround sound system. The planetarium, which will be convertible to a Black Box Theater, is actually dedicated in the honor of the foundation," Wool said. "We've decided to name it the Sirius Black Box Theater, after the Great Dog Star Sirius, which compliments the Harrison High School Huskies. The plan is for it to double as a Black Box Theater so that other activities, for instance the school's new dance program, a science department, and even small choral groups can hold practices and classes there."

Frank Napolitano is the planetarium director. He issued a statement on the renovations:

"The support we receive is extremely valuable to us, as it enables us to work without restraint toward our mission: to promote a knowledge of the scientific method, and thus encourage objectivity in the everyday affairs of mankind; To engage in instruction and research in the sciences in order to educate students of Harrison in the concepts and principles of science; To deepen our understanding of the universe and our place in it; To motivate and stimulate young people to seek careers in science."

The planetarium features a modern but versatile projection system, which was financed for $170,000 by the Harrison School District.

The planetarium includes an outreach program, which involves students getting the opportunity to do hands-on science labs.

Inside, the Spitz System 512, or the most popular modem for planetariums, has the ability to project over 4,000 stars onto its 30-ft. dome. This enables the Planetarium to present educational shows to the Harrison High School students.

The available shows, pre-recorded, include informative specials on astronomy, space exploration, and even extra-terrestrial studies.

Opening day for the new planetarium is scheduled, tentatively, for later this month. Visitors can check the Harrison High School Web site for updates and more information.