The Astronomy Department oversees the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium and Ralph Mueller Observatory.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Astronomy Department serves as a vital community resource, sharing the wonders of the Universe with the public through planetarium programming and guided observations of the sky. To facilitate these outreach efforts, the Museum boasts two world-class astronomical attractions—the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium and Ralph Mueller Observatory.
Recently renovated as part of the Museum’s transformation, the Shafran Planetarium features a 40-foot-diameter seamless dome, a 6.5K resolution projection system, an advanced 5.1 audio system, upgraded cove lighting, and cutting-edge Digistar 7 software. This technological overhaul was made possible thanks to a generous $3 million gift from the Shafran family. The planetarium is also a flexible space with movable seating and the capacity to accommodate 88 people at a time, which, coincidentally, is the number of constellations in the night sky.
The Mueller Observatory, located on the roof of the Museum, houses an antique 10 ½“ refracting telescope built by the Cleveland-based Warner & Swasey Company in 1899. Visitors to the observatory are treated to exquisite views of the Moon, planets, double stars, and a wide variety of deep-sky objects.
