Tampa is getting the country’s second largest planetarium Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) announced a multi-million-dollar upgrade that investors say will improve the STEM learning experience for students in Tampa Bay. Part of the upgrade brings the second-largest planetarium in the county to Tampa next year when the museum’s domed theater reopens with almost seven-times more capacity and new projection technology. MOSI’s upgraded dome at the new Saunders Planetarium is expected to open in the first half of 2025, and will now be 82 feet in diameter, second only to the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium in New Jersey, which has a diameter of 88.5 feet. It will feature an eight-story NanoSeam perforated metal screen and seat more than 300 people (compared to the 46 it currently accommodates). Read the full story here Credit: Photo by Keir Magoulas/Visit Tampa Bay
In case you missed it, a bunch of people across the Bay area will spend a couple hours this week staring at the sun.

Florida’s not in the path of totality (the moon will block about 60% of the sun in Tampa Bay), there are still multiple eclipse parties happening across the area.

Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) has fancy sun-safe telescopes and is set up to provide the best views of the eclipse, which peaks at 3 p.m.

MOSI astronomers will also be on hand to help teach the science behind the eclipse as it crosses North America, and tickets include eclipse glasses.

MOSI’s Solar Eclipse Event happens Monday, April 8 in Tampa, and tickets start at $14.50.

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This article appears in Mar 21-27, 2024.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...