Strickler Planetarium, Bourbonnais

About Strickler Planetarium

Strickler Planetarium, located on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, uses a Digistar 6 digital projection system to immerse audiences in three-dimensional visualizations of the night sky, solar system, galaxy, and deep space. The planetarium transitioned from an opto-mechanical star projector to digital projection in 2008, then upgraded to its current system in 2019. Visitors sit in the theater while science educators guide simulated journeys through an accurate model of the known universe. The planetarium's realtime database means travel through space functions as genuine navigation rather than simple animation. Audiences witness the universe's history from its fiery birth through solar system formation, explore colliding galaxies and the Milky Way's dusty reaches, and tour from Earth's night sky to the solar system's edge. The facility suits anyone interested in astronomy and space science seeking an educational experience delivered through multimedia visualization.