In 1939 a Zeiss Model II Planetarium projector was installed at the Planetarium in Pittsburgh it weighed 6,000 pounds and was the last of 27 such projectors to come from the Zeiss factory. For the next 55 years it thrilled audiences with shows about the planets and universe.
John Radzilowicz is the director of Science and Education at the Carnegie Science Center.
“We talk about the projector as it has a Northern and Southern star ball, but we call the whole thing Zeiss two or Jake. The projector was the first planetary projector that could show all the skies in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It could also show the motions of the planets, the sun, the moon, and adjust for the Earth's procession so you could show the skies about a million years in the past and a million years in the future. The Zeiss model projector began what we really like to think about as the golden age of astronomy education and the golden age of the planetarium.”
During World War II the projector was used to teach the Army Air Corps pilots celestial navigation. It was in use for so long that parts became unavailable from the Zeiss Company. The Planetarium’s employees then custom made any parts that were needed.
The accuracy of its technology continues to impress the astronomers of today.
“We now do everything in terms of digital projection. However, the accuracy of the star field with the Zeiss Two and the motion of the planets are fantastic. The fact that in 1939 they could create a machine that could do all of those things that we now need computers to do is pretty impressive” said Radzilowicz.
Today Jake is on permanent display at the Carnegie Science Center. At 71-years-old it is an amazing artifact of optical engineering. It no longer gives shows, but still spins through cycles to allow visitors the chance to see how the lids opened and closed on the lenses.
“Jake was in service from 1939 until 1994 providing shows and educational programs to millions of people who passed through the planetarium. People often come back and talk about the projector got them interested in astronomy. We're actually having someone come here to speak today who claims that his career as an astronaut can be traced back to his time seeing star shows with this very projector” said Radzilowicz.
WEBSITE
http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/exhibits/zeiss/
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