McCarthy Building Companies celebrated a project milestone with the placement of the dome for the International Dark Sky Discovery Center. The project, located in Fountain Hills, Arizona, will feature the Craig and Ruth Gimbel Hyperspace Planetarium, and is expected to be complete in summer 2025.
The domed theater will educate visitors with programs about astronomy, the night sky and other STEM education subjects. Planetarium programming may also include topics such as biodiversity, anatomy, aviation and more. The installation of the dome highlights the importance of a dark sky and the potentially harmful effects of light pollution.
Designed by SWABACK Architects + Planners and constructed by McCarthy Building Companies, IDSDC features five major components:
- Dark Sky Observatory featuring a large telescope
- Hyperspace Planetarium with a tilted dome design and immersive digital technology
- Inspiration Theater with 150 tiered seats, projection technology and sound systems
- Night Sky Exhibit Hall with interactive exhibits about the problems and solutions related to excessive light
- Einstein Exploration Station for hands-on teaching of the physics of light
For more information about the IDSDC, visit DarkSkyCenter.org.
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