Our Facility
Located in the Science and Mathematics Complex on Buffalo State University's campus, the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium provides students and visitors with immersive views of stars, constellations, nebulae, galaxies, planets, and much more.
Our state-of-the-art projection systems and 360-degree immersive environment afford opportunities for collaborations with faculty, staff, and students from across campus beyond the planetarium's traditional use for astronomy education.
The planetarium is very accessible and seats up to 48 visitors under its 35-foot diameter dome and includes several projection, lighting, and audio systems:
- Spitz SciDome 4K digital projection system
- Zeiss ZKP4 opto-mechanical star projector
- AVI SkyLase laser system
- ChromaCove LED lighting system
- 5.1 surround sound system
For more information about our location and parking, visit our Public Programs page.
Our Faculty
Director - Dr. Kevin Williams
Dr. Kevin Williams has been the director of the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium since 2010.
An associate professor of geosciences at SUNY Buffalo State, Williams is also responsible for giving presentations to planetarium visitors. These groups are diverse, including K–12 students from city and suburban schools, college students from courses on campus, special needs adults from area programs, children in summer programs, and adults from private groups. Although the programs cover similar topics, Williams modifies his presentations to the specific audience.
With a bachelor's degree in astronomy and physics and graduate degrees in planetary geology, Dr. Williams' background and research experiences translate into exciting lessons in the planetarium.
His expertise and creativity as a speaker is recognized throughout the region.
Associate Director - Dr. Jen Connelly
Dr. Jen Connelly joined the Buffalo State community in 2022 as the Associate Director of the planetarium. She earned her PhD in Extragalactic Astrophysics and is an experienced observational astronomer and science communicator.