Buehler Planetarium Welcomes New Director
DAVIE, Fla. - Four decades apart, Mark Bennett has come full circle with Broward College’s Buehler Planetarium and Observatory.
It all started in the early 1980s when Bennett was a work study student at the planetarium. In 1983, Bennett became assistant director of the Buzz Aldrin Planetarium at the West Palm Beach Science Museum. Five years later, he joined the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and Frost Science Museum, serving in various roles for 37 years.
Now, he’s back where it all started, as director of the revamped Buehler Planetarium.
"I’m excited to return to the Buehler Planetarium where my journey began and hope to inspire the next generation of students," Bennett said.
Established in 1966 through a donation from Emil Buehler at the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus in Davie, the planetarium originally focused on school programs. Over time, it evolved as an astronomical education center outfitted with state-of-the-art technology. The planetarium went on extended hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now it’s ready to gaze at the stars once again with enhanced 4K laser projection and Digital Sky Dark Matter software that utilizes real-time internet data.
For more information on the planetarium, go here.
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ABOUT BROWARD COLLEGE: Serving more than 51,000 students annually, Broward College provides students with certificate programs, two-year university-transfer degrees, two-year career degrees, and baccalaureate degrees in selected programs. The College’s mission is to provide high-quality educational programs and services that are affordable and accessible to our community of learners. Together, we are working to make Broward College the number one destination for academic excellence. Please visit www.broward.edu for more information.