Who are the Friends?

Friends of the Planetarium is organized to keep Southern Cayuga Planetarium alive and to expand its audience. We want to make sure that minds, young and old, are stimulated by the wonders of the Universe through astronomy programs and stargazing opportunities and that the facility is also available for other STEAM needs of the Southern Cayuga community.

Due to its deteriorated condition, the Planetarium building closed in 2014 and demolition threatened. A May 2015 referendum presented to the Southern Cayuga School District voters asked if the District should spend money to repair the Planetarium. Over 74% voted in favor (436 to 153), and interest in the Planetarium was largely responsible for a 25% increase in voter turnout.

With the goal of reopening the Planetarium, Friends of the Planetarium formed around three SCCS science teachers, past and present, the Planetarium director, and several regular supporters. Forming a non-profit organization is not for the faint-hearted. It required learning how to apply for tax exempt status with the IRS, incorporate with New York State, register as a non-profit with NYS, appoint a board of directors, select officers, and write bylaws among other things. Then we went about executing these tasks.

A search began for a fund-raiser and money to pay them. With grants from the Cayuga Community and John Snow Foundations, we found a fund-raiser with great interest in our project, Sandy Souder. She guided us through the maze of finding and applying for money.

We first approached NYS Senator John DeFrancisco to help save the Planetarium. The Senator’s efforts began a long series of meetings, including with local state legislators, that resulted in support of the State Board of Education who granted the District $400,000 which was matched by the Southern Cayuga Voters with a $100,000 commitment. Then we contacted state legislators Pamela Helming and Gary Finch to ask for their support and, through their efforts, obtained a $50,000 grant from the New York Senate.

Simultaneously, we began looking for a full-dome video projection system right for our facility and deciding what other enhancements the Planetarium Theater needed. Our fund-raiser was able to obtain a generous donation by J & B Installations of Skaneateles who put a new roof on the building, including the classroom, estimated by the School District’s architect at $150,000. We also received $2500 from a Golf Tourney, an anonymous donation of $2500 for web development, contributions by Board Members, Syracuse University, and outside supporters. The Friends also initiated a Speaker Series that yielded about $1500 per program with 4 major programs.

Our Fund-raiser also developed a $120,000 donation from an anonymous donor. This major grant allowed us to upgrade and refit the classic Spitz star projector and replace the non-functioning cove lights with the latest technology. The grant also made it possible, finally after 50 years, to repaint the dome, a tricky job for experts only.

The Southern Cayuga School District began renovation in 2019 and decided to use earmarked funds to buy a state of the art full-dome video projection system.

A Brief History of the Planetarium

Initially, the facility was known as the Atmospherium–Planetarium. It began on June 6, 1967 when the SCCSD voted on a proposition to fund the Atmospherium–Planetarium construction.

The building was to be owned by the Southern Cayuga Central School District but financed by seven school districts in Cayuga County and the State Education Department. The participating school districts were Southern Cayuga, Union Springs, Moravia, Cato – Meridian, Weedsport, Port Byron, and the City of Auburn. The total cost of the building was $166,000, and Southern Cayuga’s share was $1,185.

Multiple school districts that would be sending pupils to the facility shared equally in the expenses through BOCES contributions. The consortium was developed because “these programs are too expensive for a single school district to operate. School districts must combine their efforts (with State and Federal funds) to provide quality education.“ (from the bond issue information bulletin)

The floor plan was much the same as it is today with the Planetarium domed theater as the location of the shows and the attached classroom a laboratory for class activities.

The consortium had truly been a trailblazer creating the first and still the only planetarium in a Central New York high school. It drew students from more than Cayuga County. According to 1980-1981 attendance figures there were a total of 10,926 participants coming from  BOCES in Cayuga and Onondaga Counties. Similar attendance counts continued until budget constraints forced districts, one by one, to drop out of the consortium.

When Atmospherium equipment fell into disrepair and the program materials become outdated, Atmospherium programs were dropped, and the facility became known as the Southern Cayuga Planetarium–Observatory.

BOCES ended their support in 2005 and turned operation and financing over to the Southern Cayuga School District. With a new Director (2006-2014) the Planetarium counted up to 2400 participants per year from the area.

In 2004 with a NASA and State Education grants, the District built an Observatory featuring a 14” Schmidt–Cassegrain Telescope with a go-to drive. The operator selects the object to be viewed on a hand control and pushes the GOTO button making the scope slew to the exact place in the sky.

The Planetarium and Observatory have been used by students from Wells College, Cornell, and SUNY at Oswego as a resource. It has also been the site for guest speakers who are experts from many branches of astronomy, meteorites, and planetary exploration.