A fully digital, FREE public planetarium at Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina. A In 2000, with the passing of its first director, Mr.
The Francis Marion University Planetarium opened its doors in 1978. At its heart was a Spitz System 512 Projector which could project a total of 2,354 stars, as well as several prominent galaxies and star clusters on a 33 foot dome with 73 seats for visitors. Ed Dooley, the planetarium was officially named, Dooley Planetarium. In 2014 ScienceSouth, Inc. and Francis Marion University were awarded a
05/08/2026
The Cauthen Educational Media Center officially reopens on May 11th! We have adjusted our public show calendar for the month of May.
We will hold public shows on May 17 and May 31. In June we will return to our usual 2nd and 4th Sunday schedule.
Doors will be opened 30 minutes prior and seating is first come, first seated. All shows start at 3 pm.
04/02/2026
You can use this website to track the progress of the Artemis II mission.
NASA NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.
04/01/2026
Moonbound.
The Artemis II mission lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B today at 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 UTC).
Main engine cutoff of the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage is complete, and the core stage has successfully separated from the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and the Orion spacecraft. This marks the end of the first major propulsion phase of the Artemis II mission and the transition to upper‑stage operations.
We are seeing the crew move into position. The Artemis II launch is scheduled for 6:24 pm tonight! Apollo 17 in December 1972 was our last visit to the Moon. The Artemis II crew will arrive at the Moon around day 5 of their mission.
02/20/2026
Work continues on the Cauthen Educational Media Center. We are told that it is progressing well. The entire building has been closed to allow workers access to all areas without needing to worry about interrupting classes.
We are waiting for our move-in date before we announce our public show calendar.
Hopefully, we will be able to start hosting groups in our planetarium again starting in early May. Until then, we are hosting viewings at the FMU Observatory. Check our events list for our next Night Under the Stars.
We are sad to announce that our Saturday STEM event for the Public and Families has been canceled due to expected worsening conditions beginning Friday night and extending into Saturday morning.
Our Friday STEM Event for High School students is still going to occur.
Thank you for your interest in STEM at Francis Marion University!
01/23/2026
***** This event has been canceled. *****
Our FREE Public and Family STEM Day event on Saturday, January 31, 2026, will be packed with fun hands-on activities and demonstrations. There are selfie stations located around the event for you to capture memories of your visit to Francis Marion University too! We even have some activities outside of the science building where you can blow bubbles using a piece of wood, see a fishery boat up close, try and sit in a crazy chair, or safely view the Sun!
Please visit our website at: https://www.fmarion.edu/STEM to see the parking map and the building layout. We will be using only two floors of our science building and there are elevators in both buildings. The science buildings are connected together for easy movement between them.
Parking is free for this event. There are many lots close to the Leatherman Science Facility and Robert E. McNair Science Building for you to use. Those who need mobility aid parking will find spots in Lot B and Lot H on our campus. An interactive campus map can be found at: https://maps.fmarion.edu/
If you have any questions, please feel free to message Dooley Planetarium on Facebook. We will be happy to answer them!
See you on January 31st!
Our Observing event for this evening is canceled due to poor conditions and the threat of more rain heading our way. We will be out with our telescopes on January 31st for some solar observing. We hope you will be able to join us then from 9 am to 12 pm!
01/21/2026
***** This event has been canceled. ******
The FMU STEM Departments invite families and the public to come join us at our FREE Public STEM Day program on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
This program will run from 9 am to 12 pm. It will feature a variety of hands-on activities (full list coming soon). This program will be in the Leather Science Facility and McNair Science Buildings on our campus. We will also have some activities outside of the building.
This event is free to attend. There will be a check-in station for visitors to pick up a schedule of the events and a map of where they are located. Events will be using just the first two floors of our science buildings and elevators are available. Parking will be available in Lot A at Francis Marion University or Lot C in front of the School of Business School of Education.