The Classic Starlab What is it, and why do I want one?

What is a Starlab?  The Starlab is a portable planetarium system. It is comprised of a lightproof dome, a projector, and teaching content.  The Starlab is similar to full scale planetariums at museums, except it can be transported from one school to another.  The Starlab can accommodate 30 students with a standard dome, and 55 students with a giant dome.  The whole system fits in two cases and a duffel bag, and sets up in about 20 minutes.

How does the projection work?  The projector uses an extremely bright, long lasting LED and two lenses to spread light across the whole dome.  A projection cylinder made of special film is placed over this light source.  Images will then be projected on the dome, like the one below.

Tell me more about these Cylinders  The cylinders are made out of a special film. To make it, we start with the raw substrate. A perfectly opaque emulsion is then added, leaving blank spaces where we want to project an image.  The cylinder is then colored and hand assembled, which ensures the highest quality. We take our time when assembling cylinders.  After being colored, assembled, and polished, the cylinder is ready for use. Properly cared for, it can last over a decade!

What about the dome?  The dome is made out of a type of vinyl. We use this material because it is light proof and extremely durable.  The dome is glued together with a purpose made glue. The entrance and inflation tubes are glued to the dome body with reinforced seams.  The dome collapses to fit inside a duffel bag, but can hold up to 30 students when inflated.  Our domes are so durable, some educators have used them for over 20 years!

That all sounds good, but how does the school benefit?  Most students have never seen a night sky that isn’t destroyed by light pollution.  Scientific literacy today is appallingly low among American students. There is nothing like a visit to the planetarium to spark students’ interest in science.  Unfortunately, field trips are becoming increasingly rare. Even if your city has a planetarium, finding the time and money to bring students there is a real headache.  When you factor in everything, it can cost $1,000 to bring 50 students to a local planetarium. If you have 250 eligible students, you could spend more that $5,000 a year just on field trips!  The classic Starlab costs anywhere from $13,000 to $26,000, depending on the options you choose. When you factor in that the system will last for 50,000 visitors, you can see the Starlab ends up being significantly cheaper than field trips.

I’m Intrigued. Where can I get more information?  Visit our website,  Give us a call at  us at Helmut Albrecht, Starlab salesBring them one small step closer