Who’s up for a journey through the cosmos from the comfort of a recliner chair?

In an age where industrial pollution and suburban sprawl threaten to envelop the clear skies of rural Ohio, stargazers from around the northwest area flock to Bowling Green State University’s planetarium.

Located in between the University’s Physical Science and Life Science Buildings, the planetarium seats 118 guests in upholstered recliner chairs and surrounds viewers with a state-of-the-art skywatching experience, complete with a music and narration sound system.

In the middle of the room standing atop a platform is the Minolta star projector, towering above its visitors like the member of an astronomical royal family that all have come to worship.

Though there are roughly 45 other planetariums in Ohio, BGSU’s Minolta is the only one of its kind in the state. The Minolta is held in high regard because of its projection capabilities that recreate the real sky, according to Dale Smith, professor of physics and astronomy and planetarium director.

“One of our goals is to inspire people to look at the real sky, which is part of our environment,” Smith said. “I don’t think there is a better star field elsewhere in Ohio.”

The Minolta’s special optics can project images of the sun, planets, eclipses, seasonal changes and thousands of stars on the planetarium’s dome ceiling. An identical recreation of the night sky is presented to the audience, free of pollution and city lights.

The projector can also reach back through time and space. The computer-controlled Minolta can recreate the sky from any spot on Earth, along with any time of day in any year — past, present or future.

In addition to acclaim that comes with the Minolta, the University’s planetarium is recognized in Ohio’s astronomy community for its active schedule of public and school specialty shows. Each year, dozens of school groups from around northwest Ohio take field trips to the planetarium, Smith said.

Tailored to entertain and inform specific age groups, the specialty shows do a good job of physically involving children in the show, said Erica Sleek, a teacher at First United Methodist Child Learning Center. Sleek has taken her students to planetarium shows in the past.

“They [staff] told them about the solar system, and they made it fun, they made it about the kids,” Sleek said. “It was really realistic. The older kids thought, ‘Wow, we’re outside.'”

Earlier this semester, the planetarium presented, “Skywatchers of Africa,” which detailed the history of African tribes and the attention they paid to astronomy. Drawings and carvings of astronomical signs throughout Africa date back more than 25,000 years, Smith said.

Showing now at the planetarium is, “Spirits From the Sky: The Star World of the Pawnee,” a story about the Native American Pawnee Nation and its relationship with the night sky. The earliest Native American record of celestial drawings was found in Arizona, where markings similar to a supernova and crescent moon date back to 1054 A.D.

Following each show, visitors have the option to continue their evening at the University’s observatory, where they can look through a high-powered telescope at the real night sky.

Traditionally, planetariums of considerable size would only be found in large cities. According to Smith, Bowling Green is one of the smallest communities in the nation to have a planetarium, but that hasn’t stopped area citizens from coming to see the shows.

“More of our audience comes from town than from BGSU students,” Smith said. “We of course are trying to reach and serve everybody, including all of BGSU, the surrounding community and northwest Ohio.”

Typically two-thirds of the planetarium’s audience are repeat visitors, added Smith, suggesting that the show’s entertainment level keeps them coming back for more.

The impact that these educational astronomy shows make on visitors is the most rewarding part of working at the planetarium, said staff member Adam Lark.

“Almost always there is someone that comes up after the show and asks questions,” Lark said. “It’s nice to see that … especially in kids.”

The questions after a show indicate a connection made between the stars and first-time skywatchers. For Smith, when this happens the planetarium has achieved its purpose, even if the questions don’t immediately follow the show.

“Since we are trying to educate — and entertain while doing so — questions are a sign that we’ve reached people,” Smith said. “Occasionally, somebody will stop me on the street or at a checkout counter to tell me they found a constellation, or learned this or that at a recent show.”