posted 09-15-2010 09:22 AM               

A group of citizens is raising funds in hopes of saving a Northern Virginia planetarium named after William & Mary alum Dave Brown '78.

Brown, an Arlington native, was one of seven astronauts to perish on the Columbia space shuttle in 2003. The planetarium, which is 40 years old and sees 20,000 school visitors annually, was renamed in his honor on Feb. 1, 2008, the fifth anniversary of his death...

In February, the Arlington School Board announced that the planetarium would be open on a more limited basis during the 2010-11 school year, but budget concerns would force closure of the facility next July.

Friends of Arlington's Planetarium formed, with a goal to raise $402,000 by June 2011, $200,000 of that by the end of December. Thus far, the group, which received 501c3 status just last week, has raised $16,400.