Imaginarium RE-Opens with fulldome technology

"Tales of the Maya Skies" first fulldome show in Hawaii

Windward Community College
Contact:
Bonnie J Beatson, (808) 235-7374
Marketing & Public Relations Director, Chancellor's Office
Joe Ciotti, 236-9111
Astronomy professor, Natural Sciences
Posted: Oct 27, 2010

Runs through January 2011
Runs through January 2011
October 22 marked the re-opening of Windward Community Collegeʻs newly upgraded Hōkūlani Imaginarium. Visitors can experience the latest in fulldome technology with Tales of the Maya Skies, a new Imaginarium show that takes full advantage of Definiti 4K from Sky-Skan, providing high-resolution imagery on a giant dome screen.
 
Tickets for Tales of the Maya Skies (and Wednesday Stargazing shows) are $7 for general admission, $6 for UH students, military or seniors (65+) with ID, and $5 for children ages four through12. Children under age four attend free. Tickets may be purchased at the Imaginarium box office 30 minutes before the show, or call 235-7433 to reserve tickets in advance. Scheduled shows will run through January 2011.
 
Tales of the Maya Skies shown with Definiti 4K from Sky-Skan at the Hōkūlani Imaginarium
  • Friday, October 22, 7 p.m. & 8 p.m. (re-opening night)
  • Friday, November 12, 7 p.m. & 8 p.m.
  • Friday, December 10, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, January 14, 2011 7 p.m.
About the Definiti 4K from Sky-Scan upgrade
The key components for Definiti 4K are two projectors providing a seamless image on the dome, and DigitalSky software. Two projectors are hidden behind the dome. Each one covers half of the dome with video, but the audience sees a single seamless image thanks to edge-blending technology from Sky-Skan. Audiences will likely never know where the projectors are or that there are two of them. All they see is a giant dome screen filled with high-resolution imagery. The images are eight times sharper than HDTV! Windward Community College chose the high-contrast option, which provides an incredible 10,000:1 native contrast, allowing for richer shadow and black areas of the night sky, and more colorful scenes.
 
At the heart of the theater is the latest version of DigitalSky software. Audiences can now fly off of Earth and tour the universe—all generated using the software’s giant data sets. The system can mix multimedia images, such as a recent telescope image from nearby Maunakea, or from the large database with tens of thousands of astronomy images. 
 
The experience of a show at Hōkūlani Imaginarium is now even more stunning with the Definiti 4K upgrade. Flights around the solar system and beyond to the edge of the known universe will thrill and educate audiences. The system can play a range of ultra-high Definiti shows from producers around the world on the giant fulldome screen. The Definiti system and DigitalSky software brings the most advanced planetarium capabilities in the world to Windward Community College’s Hōkūlani Imaginarium. Go see it for yourself!
 
About the show, Tales of the Maya Skies
Be immersed in the world of the ancient Maya—a culture connected to the Universe through science, art and mythology. Rendered with the power of fulldome digital technology and 3-D graphics, this premier Imaginarium show recreates the splendor of Maya architecture and astronomy. Grammy Award winner and Oscar nominee Lila Downs narrates this magnificent journey through Maya cities and temples aligned to the movements of the Sun, Moon and planets. Rediscover the treasures of this advanced civilization whose sophisticated mathematics predicted eclipses, forecast seasonal change and formulated a calendar of extraordinary precision. Tales of the Maya Skies will transport you back to the beauty of Chichen Itza, Mexico, the “seventh wonder of the modern world.” (Approximately 35 minutes.)