'Sail' to take Utahns into depths of space
By Joe Bauman
Deseret News, 11 March 2003, page B1
Summary:
On Monday afternoon, the 50 foot tall and 70 feet wide screen of the new IMAX theater was installed at the Clark Planetarium. The silvery fabric resembled the mainsail of a clipper ship as it was hoisted into place.
“The screen lounged across the backs of the theater's 281 seats Tuesday afternoon, top attached to a long curving pole that hovered above the stage. Six yellow lines stretched from the pole to pulleys controlled by workers at the top of metal scaffolding that reached nearly to the theater's ceiling. . . At the rear of the theater, dignitaries in hard hats held up the hem of the huge screen so it would not drag across the theater's seats. . . The screen's top lifted several feet and the county officials made sure the back did not drag over seats. After several hoists, stops, adjusting one rope or another, the top pole reached the apex of the scaffold, then was pulled over and tied in place. Long strips of gauzy protective sheeting peeled away from the screen, floating toward the theater's floor and exposing the screen's wrinkled silvery fabric.”
It will take two days to fully stretch the screen and remove all wrinkles. The screen has a “brushed aluminum” surface, which gives the projected light special reflectivity. The IMAX projector is the size of a small car and has its own cooling system. The sound system uses 12,000 watts and has six channels.
The Clark Planetarium also has a 201-seat theater for star shows.