The William M. Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland College opened its doors in October of 1987 as the second largest planetarium in Illinois.   Beneath a 50-foot aluminum dome sits a Carl Zeiss M1015 Star Projector, the first of its kind installed in the western hemisphere.   The Zeiss projects 7600 stars, the Sun, Moon and five visible planets onto the dome.  Its motions represent the Earth's rotation and revolution.   The Staerkel Planetarium hosts nearly 20,000 school children annually.   There are nearly three dozen shows for teachers to choose from, including live sky shows, children's programming and two-story-tall films.  Public shows are held on most Friday and Saturday nights, though we are open through the week from 8am to 5pm for teachers and civic groups to book field trips.   Call our office at (217) 351-2568 for reservations or check out public show schedule for weekend programming.  

The Planetarium Staff consists of:

                                                                      
Dave Leake          Planetarium Coordinator                       Waylena Mccully    Production Designer  
(217) 351-2567       dleake@parkland.edu                                           wmccully@parkland.edu

                                                                                            
Carolyn Martin       Operations Assistant                          Pam Friese      Artist/Photographer                
(217) 351-2568     cmartin@parkland.edu                  (217) 351-2566   pfriese@parkland.edu