Projection System

Our Planetarium's Original Projector: The Nova III

Since 1969, Glendale Jr/Sr High School has been home to a fixed planetarium dome, which is a rare feature for a school our size. At its heart was a Nova III star projector, designed in 1962 by engineer Albert Faulkner for the Harmonic Reed Corporation and first sold in 1963 for around $2,000 (roughly $22,000 today). Only about 200 units were ever built, making it a fairly rare piece of technology even in its day.

Instead of an expensive spherical star globe, the Nova III used a dodecahedron-shaped array of flat pentagon panels to project the night sky, displaying around 650 stars — a cost-effective design that brought planetarium technology within reach of schools like ours. In the early 2000s, our unit was upgraded with a carbon filament star ball, extending its life and keeping it in service for decades of science classes.

The projector remained active until 2011, when longtime science teacher Paul Conway retired. As replacement parts grew scarce and expensive, the equipment fell into disrepair. Thanks to a fundraising effort led by senior Scott Beers, the planetarium was restored with a new digital system.

Eventually, it is planned that the previous projector will be on display in the school lobby. 

Worldwide Planetariums Database Archive