TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa is now home of the second-largest planetarium in the United States.

The Museum of Science & Industry recently introduced its new Digital Dome Theatre and Planetarium in Tampa.

Ten 200-pound Christie digital projectors take participants inside a variety of experiences towering eight-stories tall.

The 360-degree experience will provide public and educational access.

“Sitting in this seat now, you’re actually engulfed in it, you become a part of it,” said John Graydon Smith, President and CEO of MOSI. “It’s just so big, so surrounding. It’s immersive in every possible way and it’s a feast for the senses.”

The senses will be peaked for everything from planetarium shows to space exploration.

“The way the public is going to interact with this space is obviously through educational programming and planetarium shows but live music shows, live performances and weddings and birthday parties,” said Smith.

A collaboration with USF also means students from every program can benefit from the massive learning tool.

“It’s really exciting, because I think there’s a lot of potential and opportunities for artists, scientists,” said KJ Skidmore, an artist and graduate student at USF. “I get to really share these internal ideas in kind of an external way.”

The new planetarium will provide that new way for students to explore and share their discoveries and creations with the world.

“I really want to have powerful, almost intimidating sort of art coming from a female perspective. I think that’s kind of a powerful gesture to have in this large enveloping environment,” said Skidmore. “It’s like an experience, so if I could do that with my video, I would just take all my ideas to the next level.”

A new level, putting students and the community right inside an innovative experience.