Astronaut_Memorial_Planetarium_and_Observatory
Astronaut Memorial Planetarium and Observatory
Observatory
The Astronaut Memorial Planetarium and Observatory, or AMPO, also known as the Eastern Florida State College Planetarium and Observatory, was an astronomical observatory and planetarium at Eastern Florida State College in Cocoa, Florida. The facility consisted of a planetarium, public observatory, large-screen movie theater, exhibit halls, multi-media classroom and an art gallery.
In September 2017 hurricane Irma caused minor damage to the building. It was shuttered until its eventual demolition in 2022. "The EFSC Planetarium and Observatory on the Cocoa Campus is closed indefinitely because of damage caused by Hurricane Irma." As noted on its homepage [1] retrieved 2020-07-05. In April 2018 the college announced an effort to raise $9M to repair and refurbish the planetarium and observatory. [2]
The Planetarium was demolished in 2022 due to the severe hurricane damage and the aging, deteriorating infrastructure. It is announced that a new planetarium will likely be built to replace the original planetarium destroyed by Hurricane Irma.