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Morehead History
Part 5 – The Planetarium Grows
Many more people than James Lovell and his fellow astronauts have learned about the stars at Morehead Planetarium. By Morehead’s 50th anniversary in 1999, more than five million spectators – half of them schoolchildren – had visited its Star Theater to learn about the cosmos. Over the past half-century, these five million spectators have all benefited from ongoing updates to the planetarium’s facilities.
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| Planetarium Director Tony Jenzano, who put together the planetarium’s original Zeiss II star projector, signs off on the delivery of a new Zeiss VI projector in 1969. The Zeiss VI remained in use until April 2011. Image courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library. |
In 1973, John Motley Morehead’s full vision for his building was realized when the building's East Wing opened. The addition included the Morehead Observatory, which is fitted with a 24-inch Schmitt-Cassegrain telescope and is operated by UNC-Chapel Hill's department of physics and astronomy. This observatory is open, upon reservation, for the public each Friday night during the academic year.
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| Planetarium Director Tony Jenzano greets Tommy Bryant of Burlington, N.C. – the planetarium’s three millionth visitor – in the early 1980s. Image courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library. |
In 1984, Morehead became one of the first planetariums to utilize computer automation for its programs. Before automation, each feature of a planetarium show was set into motion by a technician following a cue by the narrator. With its new capacity for automation, the planetarium expanded its ability to present more complex shows.
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Part 5 – The Planetarium Grows
