Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/28575
in the television and film ver- sions of “Star Trek”, embarked on yet another outer space ven- ture when he and his wife Susan Bay Nimoy con- tributed $1 million to the Observatory Ren- ABOVE: The Zeiss Mark IX Universarium Planetarium Projector in the new Samuel Oschin Planetarium theater, installed March 2006. RIGHT, TOP: Dr. Edwin Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory. RIGHT, CENTER: The "Rebel Without a Cause" monument sits on the lawn of Griffith Observatory with the Hollywood sign in the background. RIGHT, BOTTOM: The first exhibit visitors encoun- tered in 1935 - and still do today - was the Foucault pendulum, which was designed to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. ovation and Expansion Project which began in 2002 and was completed in 2006. Nimoy said, “By observing the sky and pon- dering our place in the universe, people gain a new perspective on their daily lives.” Te Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon 200 seat hall provides a venue for lectures, demonstrations and other activities that compliment the pro- gramming offered in the Planetarium Teater. Other observatory attractions include: Te Samuel Oschin Planetarium features state-of-the-art tech- nologies to support sci- entific educational programming for audiences of all ages. Live planetarium programs are pre- sented with a lecturer who can convey astronom- ical knowledge with enthusiasm and passion. Te Star Projector is the most advanced in the world. It uses fiber-optics technology to deliver the most accurate and awe-inspiring planetarium dome full of stars anywhere. Te computerized system provides a detailed view of the night sky filled with thousands of stars, and can be oriented to show what the sky looked like at any moment in human history. Te dome of the planetarium creates a uniquely immersive experience and true-to- life recreation of a remote, luminous, and pris- tine sky. Teatrical consultants were used to design light and sound systems. Hugo Ballin Murals on the vaulted ceiling and upper walls of the W. M. Keck Foundation Central Rotunda are the observatory’s greatest 18 DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD / SPRING 2011 constellations of the zodiac. On clear days each of the observa- tory’s three solar telescopes provides a different real-time view of the sun, in- cluding sunspots and solar flares. Free Public Star Parties are held monthly at the Observatory enabling visitors to try out a variety of telescopes and look at the sun, moon, visible plan- ets, and other objects. Griffith Observatory started as one man’s vision for inspiring people artistic treasure. Te murals celebrates classical celestial mythology with images of Atlas, the four winds, the planets as gods, and the twelve