Unbelievable: Man spends life savings on mesmerizing backyard planetarium - COOLEST THING EVER MADE
Coolest Thing・3 minutes read
Frank Kovac built a homemade planetarium in his backyard over ten years, featuring a hand-painted globe and 5,000 stars, offering educational programs for visitors despite lacking formal training. The planetarium, with a cost of $180,000, serves as a unique and awe-inspiring experience, showcasing celestial wonders to around 4,000 visitors annually.
Insights
- Frank Kovac's homemade planetarium, despite initial skepticism, offers a unique educational experience to visitors, featuring a meticulously hand-painted display of 5,000 stars and showcasing celestial wonders such as the northern lights.
- Kovac's dedication to constructing the planetarium, including the extensive manual labor of painting each star and continuous improvement of the display, highlights his passion for astronomy and commitment to providing an awe-inspiring experience for around 4,000 annual visitors.
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Recent questions
How long did Frank Kovac spend building his planetarium?
Ten years
What materials did Frank Kovac use to build his planetarium?
Plywood, gear motor, glow-in-the-dark paint
How many stars did Frank Kovac hand-paint in his planetarium?
5,000 stars
How many visitors can Frank Kovac's planetarium accommodate?
Up to 25 visitors
How much did Frank Kovac's planetarium cost to build?
Approximately $180,000
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Summary
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Homemade backyard planetarium wows visitors annually
- Frank Kovac spent ten years building a homemade planetarium in his backyard, facing skepticism from others who dubbed it the "sanitarium." Despite lacking math skills for a planetarium director role, he constructed the planetarium with a revolving globe, hand-painting 5,000 stars with glow-in-the-dark paint over five months, and offering non-scripted educational programs for up to 25 visitors, attracting around 4,000 customers annually.
- The planetarium, costing approximately $180,000, features a plywood globe, a half-horsepower gear motor for operation, and a unique mechanical design that rotates around the audience. Kovac meticulously painted each star individually, spending hours daily on the task, and continuously improving the display by comparing it to the night sky outside. The planetarium serves as a unique educational and awe-inspiring experience for visitors, showcasing celestial wonders like the northern lights and celestial bodies.
