Patent ID: 8646918

Claim:
A projection system for use within a dome having a concave interior, the dome having an inner surface with a desired diffuse reflectivity, the system comprising: (i) a sphere mounted at a central point within the concave interior of the dome, the sphere having an outer surface, the sphere comprising a shell that defines an interior space; (ii) a dome projector situated within the dome, and oriented so as to project at least partially onto the dome inner surface of the dome, and adapted to produce a first dome projected image of a first celestial body on the dome inner surface; (iii) a sphere projector disposed at least partially within the interior space of the shell, the sphere projector oriented and adapted to produce a first sphere projected image corresponding to a second celestial body on the outer surface of the sphere; and (iv) wherein the relative position of the first dome projected image on the inner surface of the dome to the first sphere projected image on the outer surface of the sphere is adapted to illustrate a desired orientation between the first and second celestial bodies.