Owens' Planetarium Projector and Science Museum
Picture Scrapbook

Zeiss Model I Planetarium Projector

Photograph by Albert Maly-Motta

Zeiss Model I Planetarium Projector

Photograph by Charles A. Miller

Old Hayden Planetarium in NYC before rebuild

Zeiss Model II Planetarium Projector
The First of the Modern Day 'dumbell' Projectors

Seen here at the Hayden Planetarium in NYC and also in the following pictures taken from original glass magic lantern slides that are part of the Planetarium Projector Museums' historical archives.

Recently retired Zeiss Model IV at Griffith Planetarium (photo by Owen Phairis 8/2008)

Inside of Zeiss Starball showing light source and condensers.
(photo by Albert Maly-Motta)

Spitz STP Projector at Miami (photo by Robert Cruz)

Spitz STP Projector at Miami (photo by Robert Cruz)

Owen with Novins Planetarium Director Gloria Villalobos

(Photo by J.R. Phairis)

Owen holding a Minolta Starball during disassembly August 2008

(Photo by J.R. Phairis)

Minolta Star Balls, Coordinate Projector and 2 Azimuth Projectors

This picture shows the necessary equipment for the reconstruction

The second planet cage being hoisted into position during reconstruction

Minolta under going reconstruction at the Museum

Minolta and Spitz A-1 at the Museum

Spitz A3P Planetarium Planet Projector Analogs

Museums' Goto M1 Northern Star Hemisphere 1961 Serial # 4

Museums' eleven inch Dick Emmons Starball (number 16 of 17 ever made)

Museums' Spitz-NASA Apollo Planetarium Projector Starball

Museums' Connic Coperican Helio-Centric Projection Orrery

Museums' Goto Projection Orrery

Museums' Helio-centric Projection Orreries: Viewlex, Spitz, Goto, Connic

Museums' Spitz Hand Sextants (A4, A3P, A1)

Planetarium Pointers (Antique, Goto S-2, Goto Mercury, Spitz A3P, Ednalite)

Museums' Mark II Astro-Compass 1942

Museums' Motorized Sunlit World Globe of Seattle

Museums' Model Satellite

Some of the Museums Projectors

Stella Spitz STP Relay Racks and Analog Computer

Armand Spitz A1 Planetarium Projector

Armand Spitz A-1 Planetarium Projector

Armand Spitz A-1 Planetarium Projector Posterized

Night Time Negative Image just for FUN

Goto Mercury Planetarium Projector Collage

(Photos by Alan Gould)

Goto Mercury Planetarium Projector pictured at Holt Planetarium

Alan Gould and Owen at the projector controls at Holt Planetarium

(Photo by Ken Miller)

Mercury Projector being hoisted on to display stand at Museum

Closeup of Copernicus the Planetariums working Robot.
The robot was used as part of the Big Bear Traveling Planetarium Show and was used to entertain the audience before the start of the show which allowed time for their eyes to get dark adapted. To see the robot in action click on the above picture of the robot.

Museums' Model Nautilus Submarine with Projectors

Closeup of Nautilus inspired by Jules Verne

Museums' Radio Telescope

Owens' 3" Brass Cassegrain Telescope from the Deutsches Museum (#293 of 1500)

Owens' Four inch f-15 Refractor Telescope

Owens' 8" f-6 Cave Astrola Newtonian Telescope
This was Tom Caves (1923-2003) Telescope that he would take to star parties, public outreach, and demos.

Owens' 6" f-8 Celestron Refractor Telescope

Owens' 4" Refractor Telescope remounted for Solar work to include Daystar h-alpha filter

Owens' Table top Meade 8" SCT Reflector Telescope

Owens' 8" Meade Newtonian, 6" f-10 Vernon Refractor, 8" Meade SCT, and 4" Refractor Cluster

My Dream Telescope (48" Refractor at the 1900 Paris Exposition)

Yerkes 40 inch Refractor Telescope
Image taken from an old Magic Lantern Slide in the Planetarium Museum Collection.

What astronomers thought the moonscape would look like over 100 years ago.
Image taken from an old Magic Lantern Slide in the Planetarium Museum Collection.

Owens' 138 pound Meteorite

Owens' Meteorite at Edwards AFB on loan to NASA for Public Outreach

Darlene with the Meteorite at Lancaster California for a NASA Public Outreach

Steve Smith from NASA and Owen holding Moon Rocks (Public Outreach)

Owen and Mary Ann at Apple Valley Air Show working on NASA Public Outreach

Autographed Photograph of Dr. Wernher von Braun (1912-1977)

Big Bear resident and friend Mercury Astronaut Gordon Cooper (1927-2004) and Owen at airshow

Letter to my Dad from Astronaut / Senator John Glenn (1921- ) concerning airline deregulation

Picture from Jack Swigert (1931-1982) from Apollo 13

"Objects to be used in the dark .. can be of fantastic and unlikely shape and hue ..
for they aren't really there anymore when they open their portals onto infinity... "
(author: Gary Likert)

"One ship sails East, and another sails West,
With the self-same winds that blow.
Tis the set of the sails, and not the gales,
Which tell the way they go.

Like the waves of the sea are the ways of fate,
As we voyage through life.
Tis the set of the soul which decides its goal,
And not the calm or strife."
(author: Eller Wheeler Wilcox)

"From the optical wizardries of industrial giants to your corner hardware store -
- from scientific legends to enthusiasts tinkering in garages and barns ..
.. these worlds meet, mingle, and all share one common purpose - the stars."
Gary Likert - Home Planetarium Association

"All my life I had dreamed of it, but it was absurd.
Nobody had the stars in their garage, their basement, their barn.
But people do. Now I do too.. And so can YOU. Dream.. Dream BIG.."
(author: Gary Likert - HPA)

Owen Phairis, P.O. Box 3400, Big Bear Lake, California 92315
(909) 806-5698

RETURN HOME TO PLANETARIUMS' MUSEUM MAIN PAGE