Watch: Starlit tour of the planetarium projector museum

Planetarium projectors are one of the most fascinating devices you never think of. People visit planetariums to take a trip through the cosmos. But according to one man, the projectors themselves are worthy of admiration -- and he has built a museum to prove it.

The Planetarium Projector Museum sits inside an unassuming building in Big Bear Lake, Calif. In a modified military parachute, owner Owen Phairis displays his collection of seventeen different projectors, some of which were made as far back as the 1950's.

"The main attraction of a planetarium is not only the star show but seeing the projector." Phairis says in the video above. "The projector is an attention compeller."

The projectors, many of which were cutting-edge technology when they were built decades ago, were rescued from defunct planetariums and schools. The video above -- courtesy of CoolHunting.com -- offers a change to take a private tour of these optical relics.