Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On the north edge of our campus lies a portal to the universe. For a quarter-century, it has transported college students, schoolchildren, and the public to the planets, the stars, and distant galaxies. The Downing Planetarium, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, has inspired a generation with a love of science, and continues its ongoing mission to excite wonder and curiosity on a daily basis.
For Dr. Steve White, the planetarium's founding director, this anniversary marks a lifetime of passion – inspired by a childhood planetarium experience and witnessing the Apollo moon program in realtime – for astronomy, exploration, and the unknown.
Dr. White retired earlier this year. This is his story, and the story of how one of Fresno State's crown jewels came to be.
This documentary won a San Francisco/Northern California regional Emmy award in August 2026 in the category of Education/Schools - News or Long Form Content (longer than 10 minutes).
For information on public events at the Downing Planetarium, visit https://csm.fresnostate.edu/physics/downing-planetarium/index.html
Archival photos and footage courtesy of
Kansas State University
University of Nevada, Reno
NASA
Wikimedia
On the north edge of our campus lies a portal to the universe. For a quarter-century, it has transported college students, schoolchildren, and the public to the planets, the stars, and distant galaxies. The Downing Planetarium, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, has inspired a generation with a love of science, and continues its ongoing mission to excite wonder and curiosity on a daily basis.
For Dr. Steve White, the planetarium's founding director, this anniversary marks a lifetime of passion – inspired by a childhood planetarium experience and witnessing the Apollo moon program in realtime – for astronomy, exploration, and the unknown.
Dr. White retired earlier this year. This is his story, and the story of how one of Fresno State's crown jewels came to be.
This documentary won a San Francisco/Northern California regional Emmy award in August 2026 in the category of Education/Schools - News or Long Form Content (longer than 10 minutes).
For information on public events at the Downing Planetarium, visit https://csm.fresnostate.edu/physics/downing-planetarium/index.html
Archival photos and footage courtesy of
Kansas State University
University of Nevada, Reno
NASA
Wikimedia
