Frank Kovac and his Homemade Planetarium

Education Science
Frank Kovac and his Homemade Planetarium

]
Starting in 1995, Frank Kovac took ten years constructing a mechanical globe planetarium of his own design despite having no prior engineering experience. The Kovac Planetarium in Monico Wisconsin is only the fourth of its kind ever built as well as being the largest in history at 4000 pounds and 22 feet in diameter.

What makes the design special is how it simulates the motion of the stars through the night sky. Traditional planetariums use a centrally located star projector that has full range of motion to manipulate the star field. Kovac’s design moves the entire globe above and around the audience, shifting positions of the thousands of stars he meticulously scribed using glow-in-the-dark paint. [via StoryCorps]

More:
DIY Inflatable Home Planetarium

4 thoughts on “Frank Kovac and his Homemade Planetarium

  1. Anonymous says:

    awesome

  2. Tim Robinson says:

    CBS news did a story on him last year… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4aqKv-7UvM

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

In addition to being an online editor for MAKE Magazine, Michael Colombo works in fabrication, electronics, sound design, music production and performance (Yes. All that.) In the past he has also been a childrens' educator and entertainer, and holds a Masters degree from NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program.

View more articles by Michael Colombo

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK