Campaign to Save Chabot Space & Science Center’s Planetarium Projector

Students visit Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland.

The Eastbay Astronomical Society is launching a program to restore the Zeiss planetarium projector at the Chabot Space & Science Center.

According to the Zeiss representative in the United States (Zeiss is a German company), Phase One of the restoration process would involve a thorough evaluation of the planetarium projector to assess its current condition and determine what needs to be repaired or replaced.

The cost for Phase One is $25,000, and this is the initial goal of the astronomical society’s fundraising campaign.
The outcome of the Phase One evaluation will determine the cost of the actual
Phase Two restoration work.  The estimates range between $100,000, and $300,000.

The Phase Two fundraising goal will be based on the final cost estimate.

The Save the Zeiss campaign is being organized by the Eastbay Astronomical

Society in support of the Chabot Space & Science Center, located at 10000 Skyline Blvd. in Oakland.

Chabot is a non-profit organization with a limited budget and has not been able to fund the maintenance or restoration of the Zeiss planetarium project for the last few
years.

In order to accept donations from the public to the Save the Zeiss campaign, the astronomical society has set up a crowd-funding site, providing information about the Zeiss, and several ways to donate to the cause.