Lee Tinker pondered the impact of the W.A. Gayle Planetarium in Montgomery.
“Space and astronomy a lot of times is unobtainable or difficult for people to get exposure to,” said Tinker, who recently began working as the planetarium coordinator. But the planetarium gives space lovers a visceral experience, he said. It allows them to experience the wonder and majesty of space.
“This is a place for dreams,” Tinker said.
The planetarium has been closed to the public for about a year and a half after the previous coordinator retired, Tinker estimated. Its re-opening will start with a bang this Saturday when the public will be able to go for free.
The open house will last from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shows in the 50-foot domed theater will start at noon.
The planetarium will be available to the public every Saturday for $7.50 per ticket, and organizations can schedule private viewings Tuesday through Friday.
Tinker, who has supplemented the planetarium’s exhibits with some of his own space-themed artifacts, has big plans for the museum.