Newark’s SciDome brings inner, outer universes into view

NEWARK — In less than an hour, Michael Stamatikos took a group on a tour of the universe, did a quick geopolitical analysis of population densities on the Korean peninsula and sped the sun across the Licking County sky in a time-lapse depiction of a typical day.

As a closeup of a rabbit’s liver zoomed overhead, the assistant professor of astronomy and physics at Ohio State University answered the question he often gets concerning the new planetarium at The Works in downtown Newark.

What else can it do?

"My best answer is, 'Anything you want,'" Stamatikos said. "It’s a multi-sensory, immersive, interdisciplinary delivery system that will basically turn Newark into a modern-day Lyceum," referring to a school of sorts where art, science and other subjects were discussed and debated by philosophers such as Plato, Socrates and Stamatikos Aristotle.

Stamatkios is the founding director and chief science officer of the new SciDome at the science, history, art and technology center, located at 55 S. 1st St., a couple of blocks away from the Licking County Courthouse.

The latest addition to The Works will open to the public Saturday, with free admission and special activities from noon to 5 p.m. in the dome and the rest of the center. The day will include an appearance by astronaut Don Thomas, an Ohio native.

Moving forward, admission to the planetarium will be included with the cost of a ticket for The Works: $10 for adults, $8 for those age 55 and older, and $6 for children ages 2-17. Works members are admitted free.

The 30-foot tilted dome and high-tech systems are the culmination of a couple of years of development by The Works and Ohio State. Marcia Downes, The Works executive director, said the facility cost more than $2 million, with $1.8 million raised from community