The Ho Tung Visualization Lab is a digital planetarium that immerses audience members in stunning visualizations from sliding down a microscope to the far reaches of the cosmos.
Armed with Digistar from Evans & Sutherland, the lab remains at the cutting edge of immersive technology. Working with Vis Lab staff and faculty, students learn to produce and present full-dome content for school field trips, public shows, and Colgate courses.
The Ho Tung Visualization Lab engages students in the development of immersive content, supporting both Colgate University coursework and public programming.
Recreating Teotihuacan using the Unreal Game Engine in the Dome
Fulldome environments, such as the Ho Tung Visualization Lab at Colgate University, are increasingly vital tools in the study and teaching of archaeoastronomy. With advanced visualization software such as Cosm Digistar, planetariums can recreate the sky from any location on Earth at any moment in history. This capability enables researchers to examine known alignments at sites such as Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlán, and to investigate new possibilities—as demonstrated in Santiago Juárez’s groundbreaking work at Noh K’uh, Chiapas.
Planetariums also enrich classroom learning, providing immersive, experiential ways to explore the sky. As Colgate astronomer Thomas Balonek notes, full-dome environments allow students to directly observe celestial patterns and develop a deeper understanding of how the sky works. William Raymond Thornburgh of the University of Louisville adds that domes give students “an experience that would not have been possible within the classroom.” In this way, planetariums serve as powerful, non-traditional educational spaces.
At Colgate, this approach has become an integral part of the curriculum. In Fall 2024, three courses met exclusively in the Visualization Lab, while others across astronomy, archaeology, education, and Latin American studies integrated its resources into their teaching.
Credits:
- Faculty Support: Santiago Juarez, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
- Director: Joe Eakin, Tech Director & Designer of Ho Tung Visualization Lab
- Produced by: Jude Ramanan '27
- Unreal programming and 3d models: Jude Ramanan '27, Sam Larson '26 (RIT), Seth Walden '25, Hugo Stickney '27
- Video Editing and Animation: Bergen Linden '27 (RIT), Henry Crespi '25 (UofR), Toby Nicholson '27
- Additional Support: Evan Sharp-Ballinger '28(RIT), Tinsae Chiarello '28 (Middlebury College), Wesley Ziemer '28 (HWS)
We are also grateful to Colgate University and Cosm for their ongoing support of the Ho Tung Visualization Lab. Finally, we extend special thanks to Anthony Aveni, pioneering archaeoastronomer at Colgate, for his expertise, participation in the hologram recordings, and lifelong contributions to the field.
Academics in the Lab
Students and faculty are using the lab to do incredible work. From exploring the galaxy to exploring ancient buildings, the lab lends itself to a variety of academic projects.
Science Field Trips
We collaborate with Colgate’s greenhouse and geology museum to offer area teachers and their students incredible learning opportunities. To schedule a field trip or to find out more information about Colgate’s Science Outreach program, please call 315-228-6125 or email scienceoutreach@colgate.edu.
Groups are limited to no more than 60 students per visit.
The Ho Tung Visualization Laboratory was a special gift to Colgate from Robert H.N. Ho '56 in memory of his grandfather Sir Robert Ho Tung.
Knighted twice by King George V and Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Robert Ho Tung was active as a businessman and philanthropist in the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong. At the September 15, 2007 dedication ceremony for the visualization lab, Mr. Ho quoted a Chinese proverb: "huh shwei, suh yuan"-"Drink water: consider source."
May those who discover new frontiers in this laboratory consider how they can model Sir Robert Ho Tung and Robert H.N. Ho's inspiring words.
