ʻImiloa in Hilo completes major planetarium upgrade

ʻImiloa reopens to the public on Nov. 22 with a newly upgraded planetarium.

The NASA-funded $720,000 upgrade features a 10k-resolution planetarium system using 10 laser-illuminated projectors, superior graphic performance, and new features that will greatly enhance user experience and ʻImiloa’s unique science and wayfinding programs.

“We are excited to unveil this brand new state-of-the-art planetarium system that will be an immense benefit to our community and science partners across many different disciplines,” said ʻImiloa Executive Director Kaʻiu Kimura. “We invite everyone to come enjoy this enhanced immersive space and see our universe as never before.”

With this new system, ʻImiloa will host the first 10k-resolution planetarium in Hawaiʻi and one of the first of its kind in the country. Combined with increased computing power and a new software platform, the upgrade will significantly boost ʻImiloa’s planetarium performance and create new scientific journeys for visitors.

“We want to mahalo NASA for supporting this upgrade and our vendor, SSIA Technologies,” Kimura said. “This new system will allow us to greatly expand the educational tools available, from data visualization to video streaming and beyond.”

ʻImiloa closed to the public for two weeks in November to allow for the new system to be installed and to conduct facility maintenance. The science and cultural museum at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will return to its normal operating schedule (9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday) on Nov. 22.

ʻImiloa will be closed for Thanksgiving on Nov. 23 and reopen on Nov. 24 for its Black Hole Friday event and special Pink Floyd planetarium program.