Alaska's New Planetarium Opens This Weekend

0:00It's April 21st. I'm Corey with The Story, and this is Anchorage News Today, your AI-powered local news. Alaska's gearing up for a stellar new spot at the University of Alaska Fairbank's Museum of the North. The Walt and Marita Babula Planetarium, funded by a $7.4 million gift from a couple it's named after, opens its doors grand style, Saturday. It's the biggest in the state, packing 65 seats under a massive dome screen perfect for films on the northern lights and distant planets. The free public kickoff runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with quick 15 minute teasers of their main full dome shows, plus a 5 to 6 minute, live tour of the night sky. Hands-on activities from the Geophysical Institute will keep things interactive too. Local leaders are hyped. The museum director calls it the first planetarium in the interior, sets a host college classes and K through 12 kids. With the museum already pulling over 90,000 visitors a year, they expect this to boost numbers big time.

1:00Tourism folks from Explore Fairbanks have waited decades for this, seeing it as the ultimate add-on to their world-class Aurora viewing rep, Wall Art. Lines the path to the auditorium now, but expect meteorites, fine art, and rocket parts from Poker Flat Soon. Regular shows fire up next Monday, drawing crowds to Fairbanks and lighting up science for all ages. Most planetariums about to make the North even brighter.