Visitors to the Carnegie Science Center's weekly laser shows in the Buhl Digital Dome will notice that the colors are brighter and more intense, and the effects more visually complex, thanks to a major upgrade of its laser projection system.

The $500,000 upgrade, done in partnership with Lightwave International, a Bridgeville company that creates laser spectacles for rock concerts, is the latest stage of an overall revamping of the science center's planetarium facility.

SkyScan, a high-definition projection system that can access a massive database of information and images, creating a three-dimensional view of the universe, was added in September 2006, and the final stage in an overall revamping of the Buhl facilities is slated to be finished by July.

It will include interactive displays in the lobby area outside of the planetarium and improvements to the observatory, said John Radzilowicz, the science center's director of visitor experience.

Musical laser shows have been a weekend evening mainstay at the planetarium for more than three decades, dating to the Laserium shows at the original Buhl Planetarium in Allegheny Center.

The shows feature laser light displays set to classic rock and pop sound tracks, including Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and '80s hit music. The schedule is posted online at www.carnegiesciencecenter.org. Aided by the changes, the science center plans to add new laser shows devoted to specific decades and to other genres of music, including hip-hop, classical and R&B.

Behind the scenes, cutting-edge digital projection technology will give audiences a more intense musical and visual experience. There are now four laser projectors instead of two, and the system has moved from the center of the planetarium to the edges, with the angle increasing the projected images' brightness. The combined projectors create 3-D, layered images that fill the dome.

Touch screens in the projection booth also enable laser operators to incorporate a large library of images and effects. While the displays are pre-recorded, the operators can be creative, adding new effects during the show and making each performance unique. The system can combine images with those from the SkyScan projection system, making stars, clouds and other images backdrops to the laser displays.

"It really is an art. You need musical skills" to create these shows, says George Dodworth, president of Lightwave International. He became enchanted by lasers as a kid watching Buhl's laser shows and was a planetarium volunteer in high school.

The new laser system is also green -- not in color, but in environmental terms. The former system consumed large amounts of electricity and required a cooling system that used 300,000 gallons of water a year. Mr. Dodworth said the new solid state laser system will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions.