The Earth and Space Science Lab
Frederick County Public School's State of the Art STEM Center
This facility serves to enrich and extend mostly the elementary science curriculum, it may also be used, upon request, for the middle and high school's science curriculums. More than 17,000 students and 650 teachers participate in various earth science program offerings each year.
The Ausherman Planetarium is located at the ESSL. It has a 35’ dome that houses a Goto Chronos starball and a Digistar 7 digital planetarium. This planetarium system, installed in 2020, has a mechanical system that realistically models the night sky and a digital system that projects movies 360 degrees. This dome facility, the first of its kind installed in a public school system in the U.S.A., also has 90 planetarium seats and a 5:1 surround sound system. This “immersion theatre” experience is used to enhance and enrich a wide range of curriculum wants and needs.
The ESSL Vision
At the Earth and Space Science Laboratory, we provide unique and innovative programs that extend learning opportunities, allowing students and visitors to think, ask questions, dream, be curious, and wonder.