Dalhousie Planetarium

The planetarium at Dalhousie University is a beautiful old piece of equipment – built to last post-war and purchased the a forward-looking benefactor in 1955, it still serves the people of Halifax 55 years on. I was shown the setup by Dr Stephen Payne and I even got to see it in operation, a manual crank advancing the year, planets and the moon needing to be plugged in and put on the right setting.

Dalhousie Planetarium

What is truly incredible though is how it is still being used by various groups and runs a few shows a week. For a nominal fee visitors can be shown the night sky and it’s well worth a visit for the equipment alone. It’s an extremely intimate space too, with under 40 people accommodated within the dome, quite impressive considering that the planetarium welcomed around 3000 visitors last year alone.

Usage of the facility is increasing, and whilst there may never be enough demand or cost-efficiency for a full planetarium in Nova Scotia, this relic of a bygone age still proves itself more than up to the challenge of introducing the skies to the city. Add into that the fact that the planetarium director is actively expanding its reach to schools and families, long may this continue.