TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium Celebrates 13th Anniversary Saturday, May 5

Over the past 13 years, thousands have travelled to the stars at Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium and this Saturday, May 5, the Planetarium will host a suitably heavenly Anniversary Celebration with family-friendly party from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m.

You might say it’s written in the stars, with fun activities, special showings of the animated and award-winning film favorite “Coco,” face painting, food, fun outdoor activities and an overall fair atmosphere.  Showings of “Coco” are scheduled at 12 noon, 2:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.  Film admission will be  $5 for adults and $4 for children. There is no admission charge to the Anniversary Celebration.

Dr. Claudia San Miguel, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium has been one of the campus’ and community’s most popular destinations since first opening in 2005.

“We have welcomed thousands of visitors since our opening, and through innovative programming and experiences, we continue to be popular community and visitor destination.  Having a Planetarium on our campus is a definite draw, but also a catalytic opportunity for collaboration, outreach and research…all of which have been underway continuously since our opening,” she observed.

Planetarium director Peter Davis concurred.

“Our goal is to fire the imaginations of young people about discovering the wonders of life on our earth, the wonders of our universe, and the fascinating journey of scientific discovery, encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM areas. We also endeavor to inform and entertain the public with shows featuring many of the fascinating places in our universe that are being discovered every day.  We do this with our state-of-art projection system that immerses our audience, surrounding them completely with a spectacular audio-visual extravaganza,” he explained.

Named after the late Laredo philanthropist Lamar Bruni Vergara, the Planetarium opened in  April 2005 as one of only 14 new-generation Digistar 3 digital projectors in the United States. The 40-foot dome of the Planetarium is inside a four-sided glass pyramid topped with a gold leaf pinnacle.

The Planetarium was upgraded in 2014 to a state-of-the-art Digistar 5 projection system from one of the leading planetarium manufacturing companies in the world which can show the view from any part of the known universe.  It utilizes two sophisticated 4K digital projectors that display a 360˚ video image on the dome eight times the resolution of 1080i HD television. It offers an immersive experience with enhanced depth of field and dazzlingly rich colors. 

An upgraded 5.1 surround sound system also enables an immersive auditory experience, deepening the visitor’s experience.

For additional information on the Anniversary Celebration Saturday, May 5, including ticketing, contact the Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium at 956.326.2463, or click on http://www.tamiu.edu/planetarium/index.shtml

For more on the Planetarium, visit a dedicated FAQ at: http://www.tamiu.edu/planetarium/FAQ.shtml

For a complete show inventory, go to: http://www.tamiu.edu/planetarium/planetariumshows.shtml

The Planetarium is also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/txamiu.planetarium/