Emera Astronomy Center helping fight the pandemic

The Emera Astronomy Center and Jordan Planetarium is closed to the public for now, but the facility’s computers are being used to help with research in the fight against COVID-19.

The planetarium can display proteins and viruses in the dome.

And, they’ve found a program that allows their computers to be leveraged into a national system that's studying the virus and working towards a possible vaccine.

The planetarium is the second planetarium in the country to join the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re thrilled. I mean, any way that we can give back and hopefully get us through this time is really important. I think the planetarium community as a whole is really behind this initiative,” said Shawn Laatsch, Director of the Emera Astronomy Center & Jordan Planetarium.

For more information visit: https://astro.umaine.edu/.