Maynard Jordan Planetarium celebrated its 70th anniversary at a “star-studded” celebration on Saturday, November 2 at the University of Maine in Orono. This iconic resource is part of Versant Power Astronomy Center, a facility designed by WBRC, which opened in 2014. The celebration served as the official kick-off for a $1.3M fundraising campaign for technology upgrades to the planetarium.
Hosted by Director Shawn Laatsch and President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, the event included historical videos, impressive drone flyover footage, and presentations by students, former Director Alan Davenport (via video), Versant Power President John Flynn, and UMaine Foundation President Jeff Mills. Guests included former and current faculty and students, past donors, and friends of the planetarium.
When the Maynard Jordan Planetarium first opened in 1954, it was located on the second floor of Wingate Hall and was the ninth university planetarium in the U.S. It was greatly expanded and relocated in 2014 to the Versant Power Astronomy Center, situated on a far corner of campus, offering a darker sky, updated digital technology, and a site large enough to accommodate school buses and public parking. Since opening in 1954, the facility has reached over 1 million visitors, encouraging them to explore their universe.
In the ten years since Versant Power Astronomy Center opened, the center’s outreach has greatly expanded, going beyond field trips and public programs to include event rentals and arts and cultural programming, in addition to offerings in multiple STEAM fields. The facility also serves as an important resource for the University’s astronomy and astrophysics academic and research programs, as well as a visualization center for other areas of science.
In 2018, WBRC led the design of the new Clark Observatory, located next to the Maynard Jordan Observatory building behind the Versant Power Astronomy Center. This unique structure, featuring a retractable roof, was designed to house UMaine’s Historic Clark Telescope, originally built in 1900. The relocated observatory offers darker skies and allows this important astronomical instrument to be integrated with planetarium programs.
As part of the planetarium’s 70th year celebration, the University of Maine Foundation is seeking to raise $1.3 million to upgrade the current 4K digital projection system to 8K technology. The higher-definition system will allow additional learning experiences, enhance educational and entertainment programming, and be a unique immersive visualization facility for the University of Maine.
View UMaine’s 70th Anniversary video on YouTube.
To learn more about events and programs at Versant Power Astronomy Center and Maynard Jordan Planetarium, visit https://astro.umaine.edu/.
Donations to support the technology upgrades can be made online at: Our UMaine – Our gifts. Our UMaine – Your Gift