Shiras Planetarium director Becky LaBreque presents information about the crowdfunding campaign at Monday’s Marquette Area Public Schools Board of Education meeting. (Photo courtesy of MAPS YouTube channel)

MARQUETTE — At Monday’s Marquette Area Public Schools board of education meeting, the Shiras Planetarium director asked the public for financial assistance in completing its $1 million renovation.

Planetarium director Becky LaBreque said the staff has been working on this renovation project for about 10 years. It includes the replacement of the digital projection system, new seating and lighting.

LaBreque said the projection system, a Zeiss Velvet Duo, which is presently being custom-built in Germany, will make the Shiras Planetarium one of only 30 Zeiss planetariums in the United States and the only one in the Midwest.

“This puts us in a very elite category of small planetariums in the world,” she said.

Over $750,000 has already been raised — with contributions of $250,000 each from the state and the Shiras Institute — LaBreque said the planetarium support group, Friends of Shiras Planetarium, has begun a crowdfunding campaign.

“The Friends of the Shiras Planetarium group is a public support group that works on ensuring the stability of the planetarium for many years to come so that our children and their children can continue to enjoy the planetarium for many years in this area,” LaBreque said.

This campaign, called the Adopt a Star program, allows contributors to buy a star in the Shiras Planetarium’s digital universe, which is shown at planetarium shows and online. Buyers will also get a digital certificate of ownership.

“Now we’d like to ask you to join us and help us complete this project. We have a really fun Adopt a Star campaign. You can adopt a virtual star and you can put your name on it or someone that you love’s name on it or your business name,” LaBreque said. “We’re asking the community to help us, band together, to complete this really exciting project that is going to put us on the map for planetariums across the world.”

To complete the renovation, the planetarium will close early in 2025. The projection system will arrive for installation in June with the finished project reopening with new and improved programming in fall 2025.

“We’re truly going to take this by storm and be leaders in the planetary ministry across the world,” LaBreque said.

Donation information can be found at friendsofshirasplanetarium.org.