Cosmic Perspective: Building the UAF Planetarium

Designing a Dream

In the early 2000s, the University of Alaska Museum of the North considered adding a planetarium as part of its renovation. Due to financial constraints, the idea was set aside but not forgotten. When Walt and Marita Babula, formerly anonymous donors, provided $7.4 million to fund the construction, the university restarted this project, which is set to open this year. This is the single largest gift ever to UAF from living individuals, and the planetarium is named in their honor.

The UAF planetarium is connected to the museum as previously planned; however, all the major collaborators decided to start the design from scratch. Pat Druckenmiller, director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North, says there were many aspects to consider when designing a planetarium, from the dome size, display technology, seating, and other details. From that decade of hard work, what resulted is a full-dome experience for residents, tourists, students, and educators.

The 11-meter dome is tipped at 18° toward the front of the auditorium. It has sixty-five reclining seats that allow visitors to view the entire dome above. “It’s a 365° experience where people can view content on any subject matter under the sun,” says Druckenmiller.

The dome’s size dictated most subsequent design choices. In an ideal world, it would be a 12- or 13-meter dome, but each additional meter increased the facility’s overall size and cost. Instead, it was conceptualized as a 10-meter dome, but eventually it was scaled up to an 11-meter dome in the final design, making it one meter larger than the diameter of the UAA Planetarium & Visualization Theater in the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building.

Next, designers chose two high-resolution projectors and a software system for the planetarium. Druckenmiller says there are only a few major vendors of this equipment, so they found significant overlap across the different systems. Eventually, they chose four image-generation computers that use the same system as the UAA planetarium, along with a theater-quality sound system.

The other big decision was the exterior. After reviewing several options, designers chose a box design that didn’t detract from the museum’s existing strong architectural statement. In all, the planetarium is a 5,700-square-foot facility, including the dome.

“We tried to find a balance between the dome size, the facility size, and costs,” says Druckenmiller. “When we looked at designs, we started with the Cadillac version in terms of design ideas and then moved our way down to more of a Toyota Camry.”

Designing a Dream

One thing that the collaborators never compromised on was the quality of the sound system, projector, and software. Druckenmiller says those are the components that enable a cool experience. Additional funding from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and longtime UAF supporters Sarah and Cary Keller enabled UAF to outfit the planetarium with the equipment it needed.

“The Murdock Trust has been honored to support the collaborative and innovative work of the Geophysical Institute and Museum of the North over the years,” says Elaine Charpentier Philippi, senior program officer for education and leadership development at the Murdock Trust, a Vancouver, Washington-based charity endowed by tech pioneer Jack Murdock.

Once the designs were finalized, construction started. Davis Constructors & Engineers was the general contractor, handling all construction details. Druckenmiller says the biggest challenge in building the planetarium was national policy changes affecting source materials and supply chains. Several products sourced from outside the United States were suddenly subject to a hefty tariff, including structural steel from Canada. Likewise, a tight labor market affecting all contractors nationwide was an additional issue to overcome. Otherwise, Druckenmiller considers the construction seamless.

“The planetarium is an addition to the west end of the existing museum building and didn’t affect any of the existing exhibits or public spaces,” says Druckenmiller.

Most construction took place in 2025. By March of 2026, all that was left was a final checklist before public occupancy.

Perspective on the Natural World

The term “planetarium” implies a focus on astronomy and space science, which aligns with UAF’s status as the only Land-Sea-Space grant university in Alaska and one of twenty-four in the United States. Yet Druckenmiller says planetariums provide an opportunity to discuss topics related to Alaska and the Arctic as well as celestial phenomena. This will include presentations, based on research conducted on campus at the Geophysical Institute and other UAF departments, about the aurora, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Likewise, the planetarium will feature content on wildlife, climate, and indigenous culture and knowledge.

“It’s an opportunity to talk about all different topics and how they relate to one another,” says Druckenmiller.

Heading up content creation and curation is Planetarium Director Omega Smith. Born and raised in Alaska and a lifelong astronomer, Smith has twelve years of experience developing content for Anchorage planetariums. Early in the development of the UAF planetarium project, key players in the project reached out to her, seeking her input about planetarium structures and operations. When the position opened in Fairbanks, she immediately applied.

“I’m really excited about being up here because the story of Alaska and our skies is so different from anywhere else in the world,” says Smith. “Having a planetarium in such a unique standpoint gives a new perspective on the natural world.”

Since the planetarium will host a wide range of audiences, how content is developed and delivered must account for factors such as age and existing knowledge of a topic. Material developed for a K–12 classroom is different from exhibits for the general community, tourists, or college students.

Surrounded by the Story

Smith says that a planetarium can do an endless number of things, from 3D model rendering to interactive material. It’s an environment that can both teach and entertain.

Above all, she says this is a chance for the community to connect with scientists and their research. Smith says research can easily get weighed down with complicated data, graphs, and coding. On the surface, those details may seem unrelated; however, the planetarium will allow scientists to share the story behind the research in a meaningful way that makes people feel involved.

“At a planetarium, visitors can be surrounded by the story and see and feel the impact,” says Smith. “It really makes the messages hit home, and it causes a ripple effect of inspiration for people to support more research or even build a career in these fields and do their own research.”

Smith adds that not all the content will be science and research. She says there is also a great opportunity to present community events in the performance arts sector. For instance, it would be possible to host live music while visualizations play on the screen. In addition to learning, the planetarium aims to offer fun activities for diverse audiences on campus.