Comment Shmegapixels! Need dynamic range! (Score 1) 108
I'm sure they put on some great shows, but these modern "overhead projectors" often lack the dynamic range of the best discrete planetarium projectors out there.
Even among dedicated planetarium projectors, only the best are able to replicate the differences in brightness between mag 1 and mag 6 stars with any convincing accuracy. Many of them project such a "flat" sky in terms of brightness that it's difficult to recognize even familiar constellations. The old Morrison Planetarium projector had dedicated lamps for particular bright guide stars, and the projector at Chabot Science Center is very good at that.
It's discouraging to see a run-of-the-mill college planetarium with "bright" stars that are just smears of bigger dots.
So they aren't pixelating, but I bet their Spica is nearly the same brightness as their Porrima.