The J. Watumull Planetarium
2013 Sky Maps |
Sunrise/Sunset |
Come experience the renovated Bishop Museum J. Watumull Planetarium!
The planetarium reopened to the public on Saturday December 15, 2012.
Our new hybrid system will combine a full dome video system and a new Chronos II star machine.
Evans and Sutherland’s Digistar will take you through the rings of Saturn or to the summit of Mauna Kea in immersive video. Goto’s Chronos II star projector will replicate the night sky with 8,500 pin-point stars and realistic, bright planets. Our new hybrid control system will allow these two elements to work together seamlessly.
The renovations also include a new interior dome that is seamless in its own way, without any of the distracting lines of our old dome. The 5.1 sound system and LED lighting system are also brand-new.
We will be able to show both digital “film” programs and live programming that draws upon all the exciting resources of our hybrid system.
Daily Schedule for Planetarium (effective Saturday April 27, 2013)
11:00am In My Backyard
This program, new to
11:30pm & 3:30pm Sky Tonight
This live tour of
1:30pm Explorers of Polynesia
Journey from Hawai‘i to
2:30pm New Planetarium Extravaganza
Experience all the best of our new Hybrid planetarium system, from a breathtaking created by the CHRONOSII star machine to a flight through Saturn’s rings with our Digistar full dome video system. 25 minutes.
12:45pm Explorers of Polynesia
(Japanese) 35 min.
More Resources
Interested in learning about the night skies of Hawai‘i? If you can't visit us in person use some of the materials organized here to explore the stars, planets, and more.
Star maps of the Hawaiian sky for each month and the sunrise and sunset times for the Hawaiian Islands are also available on the right hand column.
About the Planetarium
Bishop Museum’s Jhamandas Watumull Planetarium was the first planetarium in Polynesia. Originally called the Kilolani Planetarium, the Watumull Planetarium has served over six million visitors and students since it opened its doors on December 11, 1961. The planetarium has 70 seats and serves 70,000 people a year. The planetarium focuses on programs about Hawai‘i; a hallmark of its programs is the blending of live and prerecorded elements within each program.
