September 2005 Vol. 34, No. 3

Vol. 34, No. 3 September 2005

Journal of the International Planetarium Society

Special Focus: Digital Domes and the Future of Planetariums.

The Planetarian (ISN 0090-3213) is published quarterly by the International Planetarium Society. ©2005, International Planetarium Society, Inc., all rights reserved. Opinions expres- September 2005 Vol. 34, No.3 sed by authors are personal opinions and are not necessarily the opinions of the International Planetarium Society, its officers, or agents. Acceptance of advertise- ments, announcements, or other material does not imply endorsement by the International Executive Editor Planetarium Society, its officers or agents. The Editor welcomes items for consideration for publica- John Mosley tion. Please consult "Guidelines for Contributors" at www.GriffithObs.org/IPSGuidelines.html. The Griffith Observatory Editor reserves the right to edit any manuscript to suit this publication’s needs. 2800 E. Observatory Road Los Angeles, California 90027 USA (1) 323-664-1181 daytime phone Articles (1) 323-663-4323 Griffith fax 6 Digital Full-Domes: Future of Virtual Astronomy Education . . . Ka Chun Yu [email protected] 12 Feeding the Beast ...... Jim Sweitzer 15 Planetarium Paradigm Shift ...... Ryan Wyatt Advertising Coordinator 20 Some Thoughts From an Artist on Fulldome Theaters ...... Don Davis Chuck Bueter 23 The Sun Festival ...... Jean-Michel Faidit 15893 Ashville Lane 26 IPS 2006: Under the Southern Sky, July 23-27 ...... Tanya Hill Granger, Indiana 46530 USA 27 DomeFest 2005 ...... Jennie Zeiher (1) 574-271-3150 28 IPS 2008: Invitation to Morelia, Mexico ...... [email protected] ...... Genoevo Figueroa Silva and Gerardo Trujillo Jimenez http://www.ips-planetarium.org/planetarian/ ratesheet4.htm Columns Membership 31 What’s New ...... Andrew Buckingham Individual: $50 one year; $90 two years 33 Reviews ...... April S. Whitt Institutional: $200 first year; $100 annual renewal 40 Forum: Good Planetarium Shows ...... Steve Tidey Library Subscriptions: $36 one year 47 NASA Space Science News ...... Anita Sohus Direct membership requests and changes of address to 49 President’s Message ...... Martin George the Treasurer/Membership Chairman on next page. 53 Digital Frontiers ...... Ed Lantz 55 Mobile News ...... Susan Reynolds Button Back Issues of the Planetarian 59 International News ...... Lars Broman IPS Back Publications Repository 67 Gibbous Gazette ...... James Hughes maintained by the Treasurer/Membership Chairman; 72 Last Light ...... April S. Whitt contact information is on next page Index A cumulative index of major articles that have Index of Advertisers appeared in the Planetarian from the first issue Adler Planetarium ...... 48 through the current issue is available online at Astro-Tec Mfg., Inc...... 46 http://www.ips-planetarium.org/planetarian/ Audio-Visual Imagineering ...... 29 planetarian_index.pdf Bowen Technovations ...... 58 Calgary Science Centre ...... 51 Final Deadlines Clark Planetarium ...... 32 Detroit Science Center ...... 38 March: January 21 East Coast Control Systems ...... 44 June: April 21 Evans & Sutherland ...... outside back cover September: July 21 GeoGraphics Imaging & Consulting ...... 71 December: October 21 GOTO USA, Inc...... 52 Konica Minolta Planetarium Co. Ltd...... 54 International Planetarium Society home page: Learning Technologies, Inc...... 39 www.ips-planetarium.org Mirage 3D ...... 45 Planetarian journal new home page: R.S.A. Cosmos ...... inside back cover http://www.ips-planetarium.org/planetarian Scott Electric ...... 22 SEOS ...... 5 Cover: The planetarium in its advanced form vividly Sky-Skan, Inc...... centerfold presents the heritage of our astronomical knowledge Spitz, Inc...... 30 and highlights current discoveries by telescopes and Zeiss, Inc...... inside front cover spacecraft. Above and beyond the traditional 'star show' programming, the possibilities of fulldome projection are virtually limitless. We can visualize past civ- Associate Editors ilizations as symbolized by the reconstruction of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus; we can visit natural Digital Frontiers Gibbous Gazette Mobile News Reviews environments such as in the view of Monument Ed Lantz James Hughes Network April S. Whitt Valley; and we can follow spacecraft as they conduct Susan Button their missions of exploration. The theater design Forum International News What's New shown here is a tilted dome with a central laser projec- Steve Tidey Lars Broman NASA Space News Andrew tor, a likely common design for many future domed Anita Sohus Buckingham General Counsel Last Light theaters. Artwork copyright © Don Davis. Chris Reed April S. Whitt

September 2005 Planetarian 1 I. P. S. Officers

President (1) 315-432-4523 (fax) Thomas Jefferson High School Martin George [email protected] for Science and Technology Launceston Planetarium 6560 Braddock Road Queen Victoria Museum Past President Alexandria, Virginia 22312 USA Wellington Street Jon W. Elvert, Director (1) 703-750-8380 Launceston, Tasmania 7250 Australia Irene W. Pennington Planetarium (1) 703-750-5010 fax 61 3 63233777 Louisiana Art & Science Museum [email protected] 61 3 63233776 fax 100 South River Road [email protected] Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 USA Treasurer and Membership Chair (1) 225-344-5272 Shawn Laatsch President Elect (1) 225-214-4027 fax P.O. Box 1812 Susan Reynolds Button [email protected] Greenville, North Carolina 27835 USA Quarks to Clusters (1) 252-328-6139 office 8793 Horseshoe Lane Executive Secretary (1) 252-328-6218 fax Chittenango, New York 13037 USA Lee Ann Hennig [email protected] (1) 315-687-5371 Planetarium

I. P. S. Affiliate Representatives

Association of Dutch Speaking Canadian Association of Science Japan Planetarium Society Russian Planetariums Association Planetariums Centres Shoichi Itoh Zinaida P. Sitkova Chris Janssen John Dickenson, Managing Director Planetarium Ur Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium Director, Europlanetarium Pacific Space Centre Suginami Science Education Center Pokhvalinskii S’Yezd 5-A Planetariumweg 19 H.R. MacMillan Planetarium 3-3-13 Shimizu, Suginami-ku Nizhny Novgorod, 603 600 Russia 3600 Genk Belgium 1100 Chestnut Street Tokyo 167-0033 Japan (7) 831 2 30 51 51 +32 89 30 79 90 Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 3J9 (81) 3 3396 4391 (7) 831 2 30 51 66 fax +32 89 30 79 91 fax Canada (81) 3 3396 4393 fax [email protected] [email protected] (1) 604-738-7827 ext.234 [email protected] [email protected] www.europlanetarium.com (1) 604-736-5665 fax [email protected] [email protected] Southeastern Planetarium Associ- Association of French-Speaking Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society ation Planetariums Council of German Planetariums Paul Krupinski John Hare Agnes Acker Thomas W. Kraupe, Direktor 180 Crandon Blvd. Ash Enterprises Observatoire de Strasbourg Planetarium Hamburg Mobile Dome Planetarium 3602 23rd Avenue West 11, rue de l'universite Hindenburgstr.1b Buffalo, New York 14225 USA Bradenton, Florida 34205 USA 67000 Strasbourg France D-22303 Hamburg (1) 716-681-0204 (1) 941-746-3522 03 90 24 24 67 +49(0)40-428 86 52-50 [email protected] (1) 941-750-9497 fax 03 90 24 24 17 fax +49(0)40-428 86 52-99 fax [email protected] [email protected] thomas.kraupe@planetarium-ham- Nordic Planetarium Association [email protected] burg.de Lars Broman Southwestern Association of Plane- www.planetarium-hamburg.de Dalarna University tariums Association of Mexican Planetariums SE 791 88 Falun Sweden Tony Butterfield Ignacio Castro Pinal European/Mediterranean (46) 2310 177 Houston Museum of Natural Science Torres de Mixcoac, A6-702 Planetarium Association [email protected] One Hermann Circle C.P. 01490, México D.F. México Dennis Simopoulos www.planetarium.se/npa Houston, Texas 77581 USA (52) (55) 55 24 51 50 Eugenides Planetarium (1) 713 639-4637 (52) (55) 55 24 01 40 Fax Syngrou Avenue-Amfithea Pacific Planetarium Association (1) 713 639-4681 fax [email protected] Athens Greece Gail Chaid, Director [email protected] (30) 1 941 1181 Independence Planetarium Association of Spanish Planetariums (30) 1 941 7372 fax 1776 Educational Park Drive Ukranian Planetariums Association Javier Armentia [email protected] San Jose, California 95133 USA Lydmila Rybko Planetario de Pamplona +1 408-928-9604 Kiev Republican Planetarium Sancho Ramirez, 2 Great Lakes Planetarium Association +1 408-926-9515 fax 57/3 Velyka Vasyikivska Street E-31008 Pamplona Navarra Spain Chuck Bueter [email protected] 03150 Kiev Ukraine +34 948 260 004 15893 Ashville Lane +380 442 27 27 81 +34 948 260 056 Granger, Indiana 46530 USA Planetarium Society of India +380 442 27 37 43 fax +34 948 261 919 fax (1) 574 271 3150 Professor S. Gopinath [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Director-Astronomer [email protected] Daruna, cio.com Great Plains Planetarium Association 80, Kathatorn Road Jack Dunn Amper Muang, Australasian Planetarium Society Ralph Mueller Planetarium Ratchaburi- 70000. Thailand Martin Bush University of Nebraska- Lincoln +66 323 26156 Melbourne Planetarium 210 Morrill Hall [email protected] 2 Booker Street Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0375 USA [email protected] Spotswood 3015 (1) 402-472-2641 Victoria, Australia (1) 402-475-8899 fax Rocky Mountain Planetarium +61 3 93924503 [email protected] Association [email protected] Kevin Scott Italian Planetaria’s Friends Evans & Sutherland British Association of Planetaria Association 600 Komas Drive Dr Tom Mason, Director Loris Ramponi Salt Lake City, Utah USA Armagh Planetarium National Archive of Planetaria +1 801-588-7416 College Hill c/o Centro Studi e Ricerche Serafino [email protected] Armagh N Ireland Zani http://www.rmpadomes.org BT61 9DB via Bosca 24, C.P. 104 +44 (0)2837 524725 25066 Lumezzane (Brescia) Italy +44 (0)2837 526187 fax (39) 30 87 21 64 +44 (0)771 0013453 cell (39) 30 87 25 45 fax www.armaghplanet.com www.planetaritaliani.it [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

2 Planetarian September 2005 I. P. S. Standing Committees

IPS Awards Committee www.museum.vic.gov.au/planetarium IPS Publications Committee Jon Bell [email protected] Dr. Dale W. Smith Hallstrom Planetarium BGSU Planetarium, 104 Overman Hall Indian River Community College IPS Elections Committee Physics &Astronomy Dept. 3209 Virginia Avenue Steve Mitch, Chair Bowling Green State University Fort Pierce, Florida 34981 USA Planetarium Bowling Green, Ohio 43403 USA (1) 561-462-4888 Benedum Natural Science Center (1) 419-372-8666 [email protected] Oglebay Park (1) 419-372-9938 fax Wheeling, West Virginia 26003 USA [email protected] IPS Conference Committee (1) 304-243-4034 Martin George (1) 304-243-4110 fax Launceston Planetarium [email protected] Queen Victoria Museum Wellington Street IPS Finance Committee - President, Past- Launceston, Tasmania 7250 Australia President, President-Elect, Treasurer, 61 3 63233777 Secretary IPS Permanent Mailing Address 61 3 63233776 fax International Planetarium Society [email protected] IPS Membership Committee Shawn Laatsch c/o Taylor Planetarium IPS Conference Host- 2006 P.O. Box 1812 Museum of the Rockies Dr. Tanya Hill, Curator Greenville, North Carolina 27835 USA Montana State University Melbourne Planetarium (1) 252-328-6139 office 600 W. Kagy Blvd. Scienceworks/Museum of Victoria (1) 252-328-6218 fax 2 Booker Street [email protected] Bozeman, Montana 59717 USA Spotswood, Victoria 3015 AUSTRALIA +61 3 9392 4896 IPS Web Site +61 3 9392 4503 planetarium www.ips-planetarium.org +61 3 9391 0100 fax I. P. S. AD HOC Committees

Armand Spitz Planetarium Education Fund 61 3 63233776 fax IPS Script Contest Committee Finance Committee [email protected] Steve Tidey 58 Prince Avenue IPS Education Committee IPS Media Distribution Committee Southend, Essex, SS2 6NN England April Whitt Thomas W. Kraupe, Direktor United Kingdom Fernbank Science Center Planetarium Hamburg [email protected] 156 Heaton Park Drive NE Hindenburgstr.1b Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA D-22303 Hamburg Strategic Planning Committee (1) 678-875-7148 +49(0)40-428 86 52-50 John Dickenson (1) 678-874-7110 fax +49(0)40-428 86 52-99 fax H.R. MacMillan Planetarium [email protected] +49(0)40-4279 24-850 efax Pacific Space Centre +49(0)172-40 86 133 cell 1100 Chestnut Street IPS Full-Dome Video Committee [email protected] Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 3J9 Edward J. Lantz www.planetarium-hamburg.de Canada Planetarium Consultant (1) 604-738-7827 ext. 234 Visual Bandwidth, Inc. IPS Outreach Committee (1) 604-736-5665 fax P.O. Box 1367 Christine Shupla [email protected] 1290 Baltimore Pike, Suite 111 Arizona Science Center Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania 19317 USA 600 East Washington Street IPS Technology Committee (1) 484-467-1267 Phoenix, Arizona 85004 USA Jan Sifner (1) 610-358-1689 fax (1) 602-716-2078 Planetarium Praha [email protected] (1) 602-716-2099 fax Observatory and Planetarium of Prague http://www.visualbandwidth.com [email protected] Kralovska obora 233 CZ-170 21 Prague 7 Czech Republic IPS History Committee IPS Planetarium Development Group +420 2 333 764 52 John Hare, IPS Historian Ken Wilson +420 2 333 794 44 (Jan) Ash Enterprises Ethyl Universe Planetarium +420 2 333 764 34 fax 3602 23rd Avenue West Science Museum of Virginia [email protected] Bradenton, Florida 34205 USA 2500 West Broad Street www.planetarium.cz (1) 941-746-3522 Richmond, Virginia 23220 USA (1) 941-750-9497 fax (1) 804-864-1429 IPS Web Committee [email protected] (1) 804-864-1560 fax Alan Gould [email protected] Holt Planetarium IPS Job Information Service Subcommittee Lawrence Hall of Science (Professional Services Committee) IPS Portable Planetarium Committee University of California Steve Fentress Susan Reynolds Button Berkeley, California 94720-5200 USA Strasenburgh Planetarium Quarks to Clusters (1) 510-643-5082 Rochester Museum & Science Center 8793 Horseshoe Lane (1) 510-642-1055 fax 657 East Avenue Chittenango, NY 13037 [email protected] Rochester, New York 14607 USA (1) 315-687-5371 (1) 585-271-4552 ext. 409 [email protected] (1 )585-271-7146 fax [email protected] IPS Professional Services Committee Mike Murray Please notify the Editor of any changes IPS Language Committee Clark Planetarium on these two pages. Martin George 110 South 400 West Launceston Planetarium Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 USA Queen Victoria Museum (1) 801 456 4949 Contact the Treasurer/Membership Chair Wellington Street (1) 801 456 4928 fax for individual member address changes and Launceston, Tasmania 7250 Australia [email protected] general circulation and billing questions. 61 3 63233777

Produced at the Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, California

September 2005 Planetarian 3 stool, some potted plants to set the mood, a Editor’s Keyboard starfield, his flute, and his wit. Both were wonderful performances I recall decades effective fulldome movies for planetarium later. What they had in common was a good theaters. The trend is clear and the future is storyteller and the stars. here: planetarium shows of the future are I suppose the correct response to a visitor movies. Many of them are even produced by who says he “enjoyed the movie” is “thank people with extensive movie-making, but lit- you.” But I ask, have you seen a fulldome tle if any, planetarium experience. movie that has made so great an impression I keep returning to the question of what that it will stay with you for years? My fear is makes the planetarium experience so special, that our audiences may enjoy the visuals and and reading Jordan Marché’s new book on whatever explosions and sound effects are the history of American planetariums (re- effective at the moment, but not remember viewed on page 33 in this issue) gave me the “movie” after they’ve gotten to their car. plenty to think about. The planetarium field This is not just being old-fashioned or reac- had to find itself; it had to find its strengths, tionary. If we present movies that are distin- decide how to compete with other experi- guished only by their comparatively low ences such as motion pictures (which at the budget and large format, what have we time didn’t even have sound!), and a lot of accomplished? What is unique? What creative people took up the challenge. Good strength (other than size) have we demon- Jane Geohagen's parting question in Jane’s people have been thinking about this since strated and used to the fullest? What experi- Corner 25 years ago (see below) made me 1923. ence is memorable years later? What inspires laugh. She asked, “How do you react to the Two memorable experiences come to kids to want to learn more – even if they say comment from a departing visitor, ‘I really mind. One was Garrit Verschuur’s star talk at they “liked the movie”? enjoyed the movie.’” I remember those days, the IPS conference in Boulder, Colorado, 29 Ed has his work cut out for him, as do we when we took pains to distinguish our plane- years ago (I wish I had a transcript); he had all. Good luck to us. tarium shows from movies. only a starfield, pointer, and his wit. At the ------Now an increasing number of our shows IPS conference in Cocoa, Florida, Von Del Chris Reed, who has contributed occasion- are movies, and deliberately so. Our newest Chamberlain sat on a stool and told Indian al articles on legal matters, becomes the Plan- columnist, Ed Lantz, has done a bang-up job tales under the stars, accompanying himself etarian’s newest associate editor when he in putting together a series of articles for this with a flute, and 11 years later I still remem- launches his column General Counsel in the issue specifically on the topic of creating ber the chills on my spine; Von Del had a December issue. C

The Autumn 1980 issue (note Northern ed a surprisingly technical treatise titled Hemisphere bias) was 28 pages including cov- 25 Years Ago “Precession, Changing Star Positions.” His for- ers, black-and-white, had no advertising, and mulae let users of Spitz A3P, A4, and 512 pro- contained only two photographs, both of “match children’s thinking, and consequent- jectors correct for changes in precession presidents – one of IPS president James Hooks ly they are one additional means of helping when portraying ancient scenes such as a and the other of US President Jimmy Carter. consolidation, psychological readiness, and moonrise at Stonehenge or stars rising at the Carter had sent his greetings to the IPS mem- movement to culturally validated thought.” Big Horn Medicine Wheel. bership on the occasion of the 1980 confer- “What’s New” by James Brown was one- Jim Manning, then of the Morehead ence at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago half page of short notes about new products Planetarium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, (“Planetariums, therefore, meet a special need. such as a Hubbard Seasonal Star Chart and contributed a “Creative Corner” column on They are among our most unique institu- planetarium programs by David Aguilar. “Planet-Building for Fun and Profit.” Jim tions in advancing the public understanding Frank Engler, Jr., of Georgetown Univer- described how they built and photographed of astronomy and the nature of the universe sity’s Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, pre- the imaginary planet Loki, and how much …”) and a copy of his letter appeared on page sented “A Commercial Message.” Television more effective it was to use a 3D model than 15. works in “10-second message units” and plan- a series of drawings. The lead article was “Fifty Years with the etarium show producers should be attentive George Reed announcedthat a new “His- Planet Pluto,” by Clyde Tombaugh. The four to the learned habits of their audience. Frank tory of Astronomy Resource Center [at Bern- pages of dense text contained the transcrip- wrote, “Offer the audience digestible blocks ardston, Massachussets] Provides Valuable tion of a talk that Clyde gave at the Univer- of information with natural breaks built in. … Services to Planetarians.” I don’t recall hear- sity of Arizona a few months earlier on the Because people are used to short, choppy ing about this center, and wonder it’s fate. occasion of the 50th anniversary of his dis- communications, you will stand a better Page 26 reprinted an eloquent statement covery of the planet. I believe I heard him chance of their remembering your message if on the spiritual advantages of the space pro- give that same talk about 15 years later in Los you help them organize it.” gram by James Michener that originally Angeles. Jeanne Bishop’s “Focus on Education” appeared in an earlier NASA Report to Educa- John Nevis of Texas Tech University wrote briefly covered a variety of topics of general tors. “The Planetarium and Young Children’s interest to planetarians, such as work con- Jane Geohegan wrapped up the issue with Assumptive Philosophies.” The Planetarian ducted on portraying the planets at the “Jane’s Corner.” She asked if planetarians are printed quite a few articles on education two Astrogeology Laboratory of the United States flattered when a departing visitor says, “I real- decades ago, many by Jeanne Bishop, and this Geological Survey. ly enjoyed the movie”? Confusion with was one of them. John concludes that Hubert Harber of West Chester State movies way back in 1980! How ironic! See my mythological stories of the constellations College Planetarium in Pennsylvania present- comments above.

4 Planetarian September 2005

Digital Full-Domes: The Future of Virtual Astronomy Education Dr. Ka Chun Yu Curator of Space Science Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, Colorado 80205 USA [email protected]

Although digital video full-dome Abstract software1 is run immersively in a full- theaters have the potential for show- Even simple concepts in astronomy dome theater, the illusion of the artifi- ing a wide range of content, debate cial reality is further enhanced by the continues on how appropriate they are are notoriously difficult for the general wrap-around projection that surrounds for astronomy education [1]. Such public to understand, since many the user with imagery on all sides.. As debate is not new. More than twenty ideas involve three-dimensional spatial the following review will show, the years ago, Charles Hagar decried the positional relationships and orienta- combination of VE and full-dome tech- fact that planetariums displaying nologies result in a unique opportunity video within their domes were trying tions between astronomical objects. for astronomy instruction that is not to compete against first class Holly- However much of the teaching materi- possible in any other milieu. wood productions, and failing at it [2]. als used in astronomy education are Given the expense involved in con- Misconceptions in Astronomy verting to full-dome theaters and the 2D in nature. Digital video full-dome Many involved in astronomy educa- work necessary to create new visitor planetariums have the potential to tion are aware of the video A Private programming, operators and managers bridge the comprehension gap, using Universe, which shows the broad scope at traditional optical-mechanical plan- of misconceptions involving explana- etariums may wonder whether the 3D virtual simulations in immersive tions of the seasons and the phases of positives outweigh the negatives when environments that not only provide the Moon among Harvard graduates taking the digital plunge. Since the spatial context but may enhance [13]. For those familiar with basic main focus of planetariums has histori- astronomy, it is hard to imagine how cally been that of astronomy educa- learning in ways not possible via other phases of the Moon can be so extraordi- tion, what are the educational benefits techniques. narily difficult for people to under- of a digital system over its analog stand. But more than five decades of counterpart? Is the new technology geometries and orientations of celestial bod- research have shown how pervasive actually worth it from an astronomy in- ies in three dimensions. Students have to such errors are, with the same mistaken structional point of view? build conceptual knowledge about a three- notions concerning lunar phases appearing Before addressing how digital domes can dimensional (3D) physical space while being from grade school children to undergraduate be of use, it must be acknowledged that taught using two-dimensional (2D) textbook teachers in training, and in every country astronomy is a subject that has historically materials. Many educational researchers where this topic has been studied (e.g., [14- been difficult to teach. Although U.S. educa- have therefore advocated the use of 3D mod- 23]). As a further indicator of how perplexing tion standards identify astronomy topics as els as being crucial for astronomy learning [9, this concept is, techniques for teaching lunar being important for K—12 science literacy [3, 10]. phases have had mixed success. Many studies 4], most college students including many A suite of technologies especially appro- have post-instruction understanding rates preservice teachers retain misconceptions priate for creating representational 3D mod- far below 50% [5, 24-27]. that are not easily changed by standard class- els of physical phenomenon are the artificial Phases of the Moon is not the only subject room instruction (e.g., [5-8]). realities or virtual environments. Virtual that is difficult to teach. Astronomical mis- The difficulty of understanding astrono- environments (VEs) are computer-generated, conceptions by children and adults have my is due in part to concepts involving 3D environments that a user can interact been studied for a medley of topics, includ- with and navigate through. A carefully con- ing the shapes and nature of orbits, the scale This is the first of four invited articles on structed VE allow users to gain direct experi- of the solar system, the Sun, distances to the the special topic Digital Domes and the ence about a place or phenomenon that stars, the Milky Way, the Big Bang, gravity, Future of Planetariums. This topic will would otherwise be difficult or impossible to and the shape of the Earth [21, 28-33]. conclude in the next issue of the Planetar- observe in real life. When astronomy VE Studies of children’s common perceptions ian. To become more involved in shaping of the shape of the Earth are particularly the digital future of our profession, please 1. Such as UniView from SCISS-American revealing. Their misconceptions can be see Steve Tidey’s Forum on page 40, and Museum of Natural History [11] or the Den- startling to those not familiar with the edu- visit my Digital Frontiers column on page ver Museum of Nature and Science’s Cosmic cational research literature. Children at the 53 of this issue. – Ed Lantz Atlas [12} K–3 level have been found to have a diverse

6 Planetarian September 2005 set of mental models for the Since the main focus of planetariums has research on teaching phases of the shape of the Earth [19, 21, 34]. historically been that of astronomy educa- Moon have used 2D drawings and These include (Fig. 2) [a] a flat rect- diagrams (e.g., [19, 20, 24, 25, 37]). It is angular surface that people reside tion, what are the educational benefits of a usually up to the student to concep- on; [b] a flattened round disc; [c] a digital system over its analog counterpart? tualize 3D abstractions using 2D hollow sphere inside of which is a Is the new technology actually worth it from descriptions. Using hand-held physi- flat surface where people dwell; an astronomy instructional point of view? cal models of the Moon can help [d] a sphere flattened at the top [38], but generally, it is a difficult and bottom where people can task to translate and orient oneself live; [e] a dual Earth consisting of a flat Three-Dimensional Astronomy to the perspective of another Solar System inhabited surface and a round Earth that is Teaching object, and look back at the Earth. up in the sky; and [f] a spherical Earth with a Traditional astronomy teaching is made Computer 3D modeling and visualizations population over the entire surface. Only in even more difficult by the fact that much have therefore been suggested as critically the last model is the concept of gravity cor- classroom instruction involves 2D pictures, important tools for learning new astronomi- rect. In most of the other models, gravity is charts, slides, and written descriptions in cal concepts and correcting naive but non- seen as a force with a single universal up and textbooks. For instance, most of the past scientific notions [9, 39]. A prime strength of down direction. These mental models give a hint to the thinking processes of schoolchildren. Their models are the result of views that make sense to them. In the case of the Earth, their fundamental axioms include: the ground is flat, and objects including the Earth will fall down if not supported. When children learn from authority that “The Earth is round,” they incorporate this new fact into their pre- existing model. A child who initially starts with a flat, rectangular Earth in his mind will modify his model into a disc-shaped Earth. Stella Vosniadou [21, p. 230] points out that the “dual Earth” model – a round Earth floating above a flat ground plane – can be attrib- uted to children being shown pictures of the round Earth floating in space. They synthe- size this new element without actually discarding their old mental model of a flat Earth plane where people live. Such results are consistent with construc- tivist theory in education [35, 36], which states that people are not merely blank slates who automatically take in the knowledge taught to them. Instead they actively construct knowledge: they build mental models based on past experiences and everyday observations, in addition to formal instruction. However once a model is constructed for a phenomenon, it is difficult to displace. Information from additional teaching can merge into the mental model, and further modify it, but the original framework is rarely thrown out entirely. Developing instruction to correct for tightly held misconceptions is therefore a difficult task. The teacher has to be aware of what alternative mental models students hold, and has to create a curriculum that directly addresses these misconceptions. In order for students to replace their old models with scientifically correct viewpoints, they must become dis- satisfied with their original mental model. And for new concepts to take hold, scientifically valid concepts must be taught so that Figure 1: Virtual environment simulations running in the Gates Planetarium’s real- they appear intelligible, plausible, and fruit- time computer system at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science: (top) DMNS’ Cosmic Atlas software showing the view above Phobos and Mars; (bottom) a 3D geo- ful enough to lead to new discoveries [35]. logical simulation of the Earth’s mantle plumes displayed with an all-purpose model-loader. September 2005 Planetarian 7 computer-based simulation is the ability to cal distances. For instance, the misconcep- often found in the physical sciences [46—48]. change frames of reference. With immersive tion that the space shuttle has visited the They include immersion which can increase visualizations, users can have frames of refer- stars [31] or that the stars are located in the student engagement; the ability to view 3D ence that are external as well as internal to solar system [43], can be addressed by a virtu- models from multiple frames of reference the simulated model. When a user is looking al simulation that compares the scales of which can give additional insights into any at the simulation from the outside, she has a objects near the Earth to those elsewhere in phenomenon that occurs in a 3D physical global or exocentric perspective about its in- the solar system and to distances to the stars. space; and the increased student motivation dividual components. When a user is inside Side-by-side comparisons of human-scale from interactions with a well designed VE, the model with its components all around spacecraft to large rocky planets and even even after the initial novelty has worn off. her in an immersive display, this egocentric larger gas giants would be difficult with Researchers have also discovered that visu- view reveals not just detail at the local level physical models, but can be performed easily alizations of complicated data sets in immer- but makes the user feel as if she was actually in a VE by “zooming out” to view increasing- sive VEs can be more effective than the same in the space, as opposed to merely observing ly larger objects. At least one study has taken visualizations in a non-immersive VE [49]. it. Having both perspectives can provide advantage of the capability of VE software to Test subjects using highly immersive VEs greater benefit than either alone [40]. The switch frames of reference in such a way, and show better task performance and have Virtual Solar System project at Indiana Uni- was able to correct students’ notions about higher satisfaction levels than those in non- versity and the University of Georgia allow- the shape and size of the Earth [44]. immersive VEs [50]. ed students to build their own solar system Finally most astronomical phenomena are Furthermore, large display systems (such models in the computer, and gave them the also time-dependent. They require not just as those found in digital domes) can increase ability to observe and change vantage points the understanding of spatial positions and the psychological sense of presence [51-54]. interactively. Those enrolled in classes using orientations, but how those change over Presence (or “telepresence” as originally the software showed significant gains in time. As a result, animated movies showing coined by Marvin Minsky twenty-five years learning of lunar phases and eclipses [10, 41, time-varying astronomical phenomena are ago [55]) is defined as the sense of “being 42]. now common in multimedia instructional there,” where a user responds psychological- Another challenge in astronomy teaching materials that come with college astronomy ly to a mediated environment as if that envi- concerns the distances to objects in space. textbooks [45]. Although such animations ronment was local, not remote [56-58]. By Although the distance to objects in near can show a physical phenomenon at differ- using various psychological and physiologi- Earth orbit (roughly 100 kilometers above ent times, the perspective is usually fixed to cal measures of presence, researchers have ground) are well within most people’s per- a single vantage point. Only a VE simulation shown that increasing presence is correlated ceptual experience, most other measure- gives the user the freedom of moving to with an increase in attention [59], in the per- ments are vastly larger. The magnitude of multiple perspectives in time as well as space. suasiveness of the mediated message [60], distances to other planets, stars, or galaxies improvements in memory and retention [61- and their lack of any connection to personal The Psychology of Immersive VEs 63], and enhancements to task performance experience is probably why the general pub- The benefits of computer-generated reali- and navigation within a VE [54, 64]. There- lic holds many misconceptions about astro- ty systems in education have been studied fore any increase in presence can potentially nomical sizes and distances [21, 31, 32]. by many researchers. For instance, Chris increase the effectiveness of the content that Computer visualizations that encompass Dede and his collaborators have highlighted is being taught [65]. both small and large scales may be especially a number of advantages of VEs for learning Other parameters that increase the sense advantageous for understanding astronomi- complex spatial concepts, such as those of presence happen to be suited perfectly for the new generation of full-dome theaters. These include improving image resolution [66, 67], widening the field-of-view (FOV) of the display [67-69], and enlarging the physical size of the display [70, 71]. Desney Tan and his collaborators have shown the importance of not just increasing the FOV, but increasing the dimensions of the display surface. In a series of papers, they showed that even when the same angular size of display is used, subjects using the physically larger display perform better in virtual navigation and spatial orientation [72-74].

The Future Although traditional planetariums have been in wide use for many decades, studies of their effectiveness in astronomy teaching versus normal classroom instruction have had mixed results. Past research has shown improved performance in the planetarium [75-78], no difference between the two [79, 80], and better performance in the classroom [81, 82]. Because these studies involved tradi- Figure 2: Examples of some of the most common notions of the shape of the Earth by schoolchildren. Only the last depiction is scientifically correct. tional analog planetarium presentations

8 Planetarian September 2005 using mechanical star machines, their exper- nated to planetarium educators, managers, dome Standards Summit, Valencia, imental subjects learned in an immersive and operators for them to be globally effec- Spain, July 7, 2004 dome, but did not benefit from any VE visu- tive. Only by doing so can the successes from [12] Yu, K.C., & Jenkins, N.E. 2004, “Cosmic alizations. this new technology be leveraged for greater Atlas: A Real-Time Universe Simula- In recent years, advocates in the full-dome support and recognition for the entire full- tion,” Bulletin of the American Astro- community have argued the qualitative dome community. Armand Spitz is oft quot- nomical Society, 204, p. 7804 advantages of the full-dome theaters, based ed as calling the original Zeiss planetarium [13] Schneps, M.P. 1989, A Private Universe on their large FOVs, and the educational “the greatest teaching instrument ever in- [Video], San Francisco, California: potential of the technology. However only a vented” [86]. Digital video full-domes clearly Astronomical Society of the Pacific handful of quantitative studies have looked have the promise to uphold that tradition. [14] Haupt, G.W. 1950, “First Grade Con- at the effectiveness of domed displays (e.g., cepts of the Moon Part II: By Inter- References [68, 83]). A critical study at the Houston view,” Science Education, 34, pp. 224- [1] Tidey, S. 2004, “Forum,” Planetarian, Museum of Natural Science showed signifi- 234 33(4), pp. 43-45 cant improvement in comprehension from [15] Kuethe, J.L. 1963, “Science concepts: A immersive full-dome 3D visualizations over [2] Hagar, C. 1983, “Planetariums: Star study of “sophisticated errors”,” 2D and non-immersive teaching methods Wars or Astronomy?” Planetarian, Science Education, 47, pp. 361-364 [84]. But clearly more work needs to be done 12(3), pp. 14, 27 [16] Ault, C.R. 1984, “The everyday perspec- to quantify the advantages of immersive [3] American Association for the Ad- tive of familiar astronomical events,” learning for astronomy education. vancement of Science, 1993, Bench- Journal of Geological Education, 32, As suggested by the literature review marks for Science Literacy, Oxford pp. 89-91 above, immersive VEs combined with full- University Press [17] Jones, B.L., Lynch, P.P., & Reesink, C. dome theaters may be a powerful tool for [4] National Research Council, 1996, 1987, “Children’s conceptions of the education. Not only astronomy but any National Science Education Standards, earth, sun, and moon,” International other subject requiring complex spatial Washington, DC: National Academy Journal of Science Education, 9, pp. 43- understanding may gain from visualization of Sciences 53 software running in such venues. If visual [5] Schoon, K.J. 1995, “The origin and [18] Treagust, D.F. 1988, “Development and immersion also has quantifiable benefits, extent of alternative conceptions in use of diagnostic tests to evaluate stu- then full-dome theaters may offer instruc- the earth and space sciences: A survey dents’ misconceptions in science,” tional value that is not possible even if the of pre-service elementary teachers,” International Journal of Science Edu- same VE software were used in a “smart” Journal of Elementary Science Educa- classroom. cation, 10, pp. 159-169 tion, 7, pp. 27-46 Digital full-domes are not usually regarded [19] Baxter, J. 1989, “Children’s understand- [6] Atwood, R.C., & Atwood, V.A. 1996, as true virtual reality (VR) systems2. How- ing of familiar astronomical events,” “Preservice Elementary Teachers Con- ever, they have far greater educational International Journal of Science ceptions of the Causes of the Seasons,” potential than traditional VR systems such Education, 11, pp. 502-513 Journal of Research in Science Teach- as CAVEs and head-mounted displays. These [20] Dai, M., & Capie, W. 1990, April, “Mis- ing, 33, pp. 553-563 mainstays of VR research are still expensive conceptions held by the preservice [7] Hufnagel, B., Slater, T., Deming, G., enough to be restricted to academic research teachers in Taiwan,” paper presented Adams, J., Lindell Adrian, R., Brick, C., settings and to industrial labs. They are also at the annual meeting of the National & Zeilik, M. 2000, “Pre-course Results constrained by design the number of people Association of Research in Science from the Astronomy Diagnostic Test,” they can accommodate at any one time. Teaching, Atlanta, Georgia Publications of the Astronomical Although full-dome theaters are also expen- [21] Vosniadou, S. 1991, “Designing curricu- Society of Australia, 17(2), pp. 52-57 sive, they are built with large audiences in la for conceptual restructuring: Les- [8] Deming, G.L. 2002, “Results from the mind, and can be used for social and collabo- sons from the study of knowledge ac- Astronomy Diagnostic Test National rative learning. quisition in astronomy,” Journal of Project,” Astronomy Education Re- A growing number of full-dome theaters Curriculum Studies, 23, pp. 219-237 view, 1(1), pp. 52-57 have been constructed at museums and sci- [22] Sadler, P.M. 1998, “Psychometric mod- [9] Reynolds, M.D. 1990, Two-dimensional ence centers as part of planetarium renova- els of student conceptions in science: versus three-dimensional conceptual- tions. Planetariums have built-in audiences Reconciling qualitative studies and ization in astronomy education, un- numbering in the tens of millions [85], and as distractor-driven assessment instru- published doctoral thesis, University more institutions “go digital,” the impact of ments,” Journal of Research in Science full-domes on informal science education of Florida, Gainesville Teaching, 35, pp. 265-296 worldwide can be enormous. However the [10] Keating, T., Barnett, M., Barab, S.A., & [23] Stahly, L.L., Krockover, G.H., & Shep- specific nature of this impact has to be prop- Hay, K.E, 2002, “The Virtual Solar Sys- ardson, D.P. 1999, “Third Grade Stu- erly quantified. (We at the Gates Planetar- tem Project: Developing Conceptual dents’ Ideas about the Lunar Phases,” ium have already started looking at research Understanding of Astronomical Con- Journal of Research in Science projects to study the best way to use immer- cepts Through Building Three-Dimen- Teaching, 36(2), pp. 159-177 sive full-domes for teaching astronomy.) The sional Models,” Journal of Science [24] Targan, D. 1988, The assimilation and techniques discovered must also be dissemi- Education and Technology, 11(3), pp. accommodation of concepts in astron- 261-275 omy, unpublished doctoral disserta- 2. Virtual reality is usually associated with — [11] Klashed, S., Emmart, C., & Ynnerman, tion, University of Minnesota, Minne- in addition to visual and aural immersion — A. 2004, “Experiences from UniView: apolis, Minnesota stereoscopic displays, head-tracking sensors, A Discussion on Real Time Standards,” [25] Callison, P.L., & Wright, E.L. 1993, April, and full user interactivity. paper presented at the IPS 2004 Full-

September 2005 Planetarian 9 “The effect of teaching strategies using University of New York Press, pp. 147- York: IEEE Press, pp. 246-253 models on preservice elementary 176 [47] Salzman, M.C., Dede, C., Bowen Loftin, teachers conceptions about earth-sun- [37] Nussbaum, J. 1979, “Children’s concep- R., & Ash, K. 1998, “VR’s Frames of moon relationships,” paper presented tions of the earth as a cosmic body: A Reference: A Visualization Technique at the annual meeting of the National cross age study,” Science Education, 63, for Mastering Abstract Information Association for Research in Science pp. 83-93 Spaces,” Proceedings of the Third Teaching, Atlanta, Georgia [38] Trundle, K.C., Atwood, R.K., & Christo- International Conference on Learning [26] Bisard, W.J., Aron, R.H., Francek, M.A., pher, J.E., 2002, “Preservice Elementary Sciences, pp. 249-255 & Nelson, B.D. 1994, “Assessing selected Teachers’ Conceptions of Moon [48] Dede, C., Salzman, M.C., Bowen Loftin, physical science and earth science mis- Phases before and after Instruction,” R., & Sprague, D. 1999, “Multisensory conceptions of middle school through Journal of Research in Science Immersion as a Modeling Environ- university preservice teachers,” Jour- Teaching, 39, pp. 633-658 ment for Learning Complex Scientific nal of College Science Teaching, 24, [39] Parker, J., & Heywood, D. 1998, “The Concepts,” in N. 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10 Planetarian September 2005 Heart of It All: The Concept of Pre- “Sensation of Reality” Induced by a doctoral dissertation, University of sence,” Journal of Computer-Mediated Visual Wide-Field Display,” SMPTE Akron, Akron, Ohio Communication, 3(2), available online Journal, 89, pp. 560-569 [77] Sonntag, M.S. 1981 An experimental at www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol3/issue2 [69] Prothero, D., & Hoffman, H.G. 1995, study of teaching method, spatial ori- /lombard.html “Widening the field-of-view increases entation ability, and achievement in [58] Freeman, J., Lessiter, J., & IJsselsteijn, W. the sense of presence in immersive vir- selected topics of positional astrono- 2001, “An introduction to presence: A tual environments,” Technical Report my, unpublished doctoral dissertation, sense of being there in a mediated TR-95-2, Seattle,WA: University of University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo- environment,” The Psychologist, 14, Washington Human Interface Tech- rado pp. 190-194 nology Laboratory, 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September 2005 Planetarian 11 Feeding the Beast and other Responsibilities of Digital All-Dome Planetarium Owners

Jim Sweitzer, Ph.D. Principal Science Communications Consultants 528 North Ridgeland Avenue Oak Park, Illinois 60302, USA

Introduction Abstract program in digital theaters. Domes Let’s start with a thought experi- This paper outlines the realities involved in projecting these are essentially pre- ment. Turn your mind back ten years. operating, maintaining, and producing for senting a movie, the same way Try to remember the PC you were IMAX theaters present 70 mm working with then. What was the a digital, all-dome planetarium. These real- films. The most sophisticated of brand? What were its capabilities? ities present challenges for planetarians these programs are not produced How much could it store? What was significantly more demanding and costly by any but the largest planetari- the operating system? What kind of ums or other well-financed pro- Internet capabilities did it have? than past productions using older tech- ducers. Few planetariums will Though you might be able think nologies. Strategies are suggested to make their own elaborately ren- back even further or it could be that meet these challenges. dered programs for the simple fact you have not been one to upgrade that they don’t have the appropri- very frequently, most of you have The deterministic, mechanical star fields we ate programmers or computing probably kept up pretty well with the all grew up on are no longer the primary resources at their disposal. Elaborate scenes changes in PCs and have at least bought new experience we can deliver. Our potential is require tremendous amounts of rendering computers more than once in that span of far greater, and so are the challenges. time. But, once rendered the job is essentially time. Even the operating systems need to be Experience-based programming is sweep- done and can be widely distributed. The upgraded almost every other year. Storage ing the museum and exposition world – challenge is in the original production. and graphic capabilities, so crucial to those immersive virtual realms are part of this Even large planetariums face a major hur- who work with images, change geometrical- trend. But, the excitement of these virtual dle in obtaining the production funding for ly with time. Processor speed improvement realms also brings with it a new set of reali- pre-rendered shows. The hope for these pro- alone makes decade old computers seem like ties for planetarians who must implement, grams is standardization and a sufficient sputtering Model Ts compared to a tur- manage, and operate such theaters. This arti- number of outlets so that they will follow bocharged Ferrari. cle tries to frame and discuss the principal the road of IMAX – with all its successes and The continual rising performance trajecto- challenges implementers and operators face limitations. The rapid increase in numbers of ry of solid-state technology, with accompa- with digital all-dome systems. It does this by digital dome theaters has finally made dis- nied declining price increases, has led to the outlining the four responsibilities that come tributing production costs possible. But, like revolution now facing the entire planetari- with digital theaters. These tasks parallel IMAX, stunning and attractive programs will um community. It used to be that only high- challenges that come if one had adopted a be absolutely necessary for success. The end planetariums could afford the comput- gorilla. They are: feeding the beast; health downsides are that planetarium owners will ers and all-dome video projectors – but that care; trained keepers; and learning new need sufficient funding to lease such pro- situation is changing rapidly. Like it or not, tricks. Finally, the paper gives several strate- grams and may become more like movie many planetarians feel the pressure to bring gies to help planetarians become successful theater operators than educators if these are this technology into their planetariums in digital theater owners. And, like a gorilla, if the only programs they offer. the form of digital, full-dome video. Often one doesn’t heed these responsibilities, one (2) Real-time programs, however, offer the only way to generate buzz to upgrade or could have a planetarium that is equally dif- much more hope for those who wish to create a new theater is to stay at the cutting ficult to handle. deliver educational programs or ones look- edge of technology. Furthermore, since plan- ing for more audience participation. Real- etariums have always been perceived as The Four Responsibilities of time programs rely on a computing system technical wonders dealing with futuristic sci- Digital Theater Owners with models, simulations or imbedded ence, we are expected to upgrade. • Feeding the Beast – Programs videos that can be run in real-time. The visu- There are two primary arguments for Because an all-dome, digital video plane- al quality of real-time graphics cannot be the using this technology. First, is the potential it tarium can depict almost anything and can same as for a scene that required a thousand offers to depict realms of the Universe far display content generated in many ways, its processor hours per rendered minute. Never- beyond the confines of what a star projector diet is not only varied, but it can include theless, even real-time visualizations can be alone could do. It also allows us to display expensive ingredients. These theaters are fed dramatic and stunning. Most digital video content that is real-time or near-real time. by their program offerings: (1) pre-recorded, systems for theaters now come with a night Yet our former planetarium projector tech- (2) real-time and (3) hybrid programs. Each sky model. But, to achieve its fullest poten- nology has been one that changed as little as type presents a special challenge. tial, these visualization theaters need to go the world-view of the Egyptian pharaohs. (1) Pre-recorded videos are the dominant well beyond the night sky. Successful, real-time programming re-

12 Planetarian September 2005 quires two essential ingredients: models and grams. Successful productions of hybrid pro- using today will probably not be useful or presenters. The first are the digital models grams will require well-stocked and easily even supported by manufacturers in a mat- themselves. If the models are not available, accessed libraries of such visualizations. ter of five to ten years. Lamps for video pro- then someone must create them. One of the Hybrid programs also require software jectors are two orders of magnitude more primary motives of the Hayden Planetari- designed to accept a variety of content and expensive than the 12-volt lamps of old. um’s Digital Galaxy project, which was start- either render or present it in a serviceable There will always be a demand for faster pro- ed late in 1996 with NASA funding, was to show. Most digital systems are capable of cessors and communications. And, as well all begin assembling the data sets and expertise this, but software vendors will face pressure know too well with our PCs, the operating to build a virtual galaxy. Another good to create software to produce hybrid shows systems will continually upgrade whether example of a serviceable and robust model as powerful and easy to use as possible. Be- we like it or not. for real-time programming is that used by cause planetariums are a small market sector, Large theme parks and expositions are the Tokyo Science Museum in its Universe this will be a special challenge, as will be the often showcases for similar digital video Science Live Show (http://universe.chi times when we might be compared to other technologies, but those owners have advan- mons.org/about-en.html). Riken Institute digitally-based media. tages most planetariums do not enjoy. The programmer Toshiyuki Takehai has created These other media might be tempting for parks and expos have large budgets and a digital orrery that is extremely useful for those who seek alternative examples of pro- often only play only one program continu- live demonstrations about the solar system. grams to feed digital planetariums. There is a ously. Any institution considering a full- There will be more such models as these, but tendency for new planetarium technologies dome video system must understand the unlike electromechanical star projectors, the to ape ascendant entertainment technolo- long-term financial commitments they are model isn’t hard-wired into visualization gies. Examples of these latter technologies making before committing to maintaining theaters. might be high-end motion pictures, video this technology. If not, their system will, at The second ingredient required for real- games, or certain Internet sites. In most cases, best limp along in poor health. At worst, time programming is a trained and skilled these technologies translate poorly over to they will have a theater they cannot afford presenter. It has always been this way even the planetarium world. We do not have the to operate. with older planetarium technology. 3D mod- budgets of Spielberg, or the opportunity for • Trained Keepers – Staffing and Develop- els used in real-time require a new level of individual interactivity required by games ment expertise, however. Not only the degrees of or the Internet. The best strategy is to play to If a visualization theater needs proper freedom for motion are disorienting, but the our strengths as an immersive venue and feeding and maintenance, then it also needs scope for possible models is infinitely greater produce programs possible, whether they be skilled staff. The mere sophistication of the than basic night-sky motions. A good digital pre-rendered, real-time or hybrid. technology alone will require technicians dome presenter might conceivably take an In summary, the most important responsi- capable of operating and maintaining sys- audience on a flight to Saturn in one show, bility of a digital all-dome owner is the pro- tems different from those in the past. tour the galaxy in another, and then explore grams – digital planetarium theater owners Furthermore, problems with digital systems the inner workings of a brain cell in yet need to know what kinds of programs they can be more catastrophic than those of sim- another program. Presenters will have to be will feed their beast and how they will pler systems. If key elements fail or cannot both great pilots and knowledgeable tour finance and produce them. If they don’t be serviced, then one may have no program guides. Programs and training must be avail- they will find themselves in an unhappy sit- to show if a backup does not exist. able to upgrade our profession. uation. The demands of these types of the- Sophisticated skills are necessary beyond As of the writing of this article and to the aters have upped the stakes especially for basic operations and maintenance. If one is knowledge of its author, only a few institu- ongoing revenue and financing. New ways to do any form of production for these new tions have succeeded in routinely doing full- of sharing resources will almost certainly be theaters, one must have staff capable of dome, real-time digital programs. Develop- necessary or planetarians will lose control of using the necessary programs. Since the tech- ing the skills and talent to do so will be nec- their digital theaters. nology evolves rapidly, continual training essary, however, if we wish to fully exploit • Health Care – Maintenance and Upgrade and staff development is required even for these new systems. Digital all-dome planetariums, with their those who are hired with the high technical (3) Hybrid programs are ones in which the computers and video projectors, require fre- abilities. digital video projection system is used in quent maintenance and periodic upgrade. Competition from other employers for conjunction with other technologies, such as This process will be much more technically staff with the skills described above will star projectors. Or, hybrid programs might demanding and costly than the old days compound the problems. Digital graphics combine pre-recorded visualizations or when maintenance simply meant gear lubri- producers and video technicians are more in videos in a larger digital framework. A full- cation and incandescent lamps replacement. demand than were traditional planetarium dome PowerPoint presentation where one Multi-projector video systems require tun- technicians. As a result, a planetarium direc- has other projection systems at their disposal ing and alignment to deliver seamless tor could be faced with hiring workers from is maybe a better way to think of these pro- images. This task is a formidable challenge industries that typically pay well above grams. Hybrid programs can be presented for blended CRT projectors. Most theater what planetariums have paid in the past. live or with pre-recorded audio. There is high operators require outside experts to perform Staffing costs, plus the challenges of the potential for these programs, if the planetari- this task. Although newer technologies, previous two sections mean that operating um producers have both the right content including lasers could make this challenge and production costs associated with digital and tools at their disposal. easier for multi-projector venues, there is planetariums are significantly higher than Most planetarians have long preferred the likely to be other new high-technology their predecessors. To be financially success- components necessary to assemble their maintenance challenges placed upon the ful, however, the new visualization theater own productions over complete shows. owners. operator will need to pay special attention to Hubble imagery and JPL’s Museum Visuali- Upgrade costs associated with digital the- the next, and last, reality. zation Alliance have been some of the best aters are much higher than they were for tra- • Learning New Tricks – Innovation examples of great content for hybrid pro- ditional planetariums. The disk drives one is Imperative September 2005 Planetarian 13 When planetariums that have upgraded will attract repeat customers as well as new attractive will require ongoing innovation to digital systems promote themselves they audiences. and is not only an opening day concern. often rely on the buzz created by the new technology. In the popular mind, outer space Strategy Recommendations Conclusion – Not Your Father’s represents a future reliant on high technolo- The realities of owning this new type of Planetarium gies too. If a planetarium positions oneself, beast should not overwhelm the new oppor- We’ll end with one final thought experi- therefore, as a cutting edge theater, then it is tunities it offers. Planetarians must take on ment. How many planetarium projectors committed to an innovation imperative. these four responsibilities because of all the constructed in the 1960s can you think of They will need to keep teaching their the- new technology offers our audiences. that are still in operation? You can probably ater new tricks in order to be perceived as an Recent experience supports the following think of several Zeiss, Goto and Spitz instru- innovative venue. five recommendations from which to build ments still going strong. Many systems from A recent paper by the author (Sweitzer a strategy for success. that era are no longer with us, but that older 2004) demonstrated quantitatively how • Think beyond the technology. Those im- technology has had typically a thirty-year important the continual innovate with new plementing planetarium renovations or lifetime. Most owners of the older systems programs to attract new and repeat audi- creating new digital all-dome theaters would probably like to upgrade, but never- ences can be for the long term financial via- should keep in mind that success requires theless, they are still operating. bility of a new or renovated planetarium. If much more than simply choosing the Alternatively, how many computers are one doesn’t, then one will lose the ability to right technology for the theater. still operating that were new in the 1980s or generate the additional funding necessary to • Plan your programming carefully. Know even the ‘90s? The time horizon for the digi- feed, maintain, and care for a digital plane- the types of programs you will be offering tally driven planetariums is easily one-third tarium. and make sure you have a plan to secure closer than any electro-mechanical planetar- Two plots from that paper illustrate the or create them within your budget. ium technology. Keeping ahead of these point. Figure 1 shows how even a highly suc- • Budget properly. Know your maintenance changes is a tremendous challenge for digital cessful opening year attendance can retreat and long-term upgrading costs before you planetariums both from a technical stand- to the former steady state attendance if one buy any all-dome system. point, but more significantly from a finan- does not have strong follow-up program- • Keep high theatrical values. Although pro- cial standpoint. ming. Figure 2 shows a better case where the ducing content for these theaters is techni- This paper is not advocating staying with new venue repeatedly offers innovative pro- cally different from the past, the values, older technology; in fact we must upgrade in gramming and average attendance numbers techniques and skills that made good order to properly visualize the rapidly remain significantly higher than those from shows before still hold. No amount of new changing contemporary model of the uni- before the new innovation. technology will cover for a poor script or verse. But we must also understand the reali- Planetariums that are seen primarily as ham-fisted visual choreography. This ties of digital all-dome systems to be success- serving an educational function can perhaps applies to both in-house productions, but ful – we must tend the beast. side step this innovation imperative. But, also to commercially produced programs. they too will require secure additional Owners must demand the highest quality Reference: streams of funding to operate. If one is hop- from content providers or team up to Sweitzer, Jim, Spectacle: A Model for Under- ing, however, to significantly support a plan- oversee joint productions with high val- standing New Planetariums, Proceedings th etarium with ticket sales, then seats will need ues. of the 40 Annual G.L.P.A. Conference, C to be filled with higher-paying customers. • Plan to continually innovate. Keeping the 2004, Page 102. Only innovative and varied programming digital all-dome beast properly funded and

Figure 2 – The Power of Repeated Innovation: Model for Newly Renovated Planetarium With Subsequent, Ongoing Figure 1 – The Danger of One-Time Innovation: Model for Innovative Programs. This plot displays another simplified Newly Renovated Planetarium Without Subsequent Innova- quantitative model due to the program Spectacle. It depicts tive Programs. This plot displays a simplified quantitative attendance projections for a moderately successful innova- model due to the program Spectacle. It depicts attendance tive new planetarium under similar assumptions as the pre- projections for a successful innovative new planetarium vious plot. In addition, it assumes that the planetarium under ideal assumptions. The prior yearly attendance was owners focus on repeated innovative programming that 50,000 per year and jumped to 94,000 in the first year of the appeal to new and repeat audiences on a yearly basis. new innovation. Note that without routine innovations, the Although it doesn’t spike as high as the previous figure, the attendance dropped back close to the original numbers average yearly attendance now remains nearly 60% above within two years. Plot is from Sweitzer (2004). the time before the innovation (=digital system) was intro- duced. Plot is from Sweitzer (2004).

14 Planetarian September 2005 Planetarium Paradigm Shift

Ryan Wyatt Rose Center for Earth and Space American Museum of Natural History New York City, New York, USA [email protected] • [email protected]

It is tempting, when writing an Abstract awakened in me the questions that article such as this, to stick to the Immersive video represents a paradigm modern astronomy attempts to third person: authoritative, dis- shift in the planetarium field: new opportu- answer – and challenged me to see the tanced, and “objective,” third-per- extraordinary activity beyond the son prose seems to offer greater nities for teaching and presentation will apparent serenity of the constella- impact than first-person musings. necessitate new ways of thinking about tions. But my partisan passion for the the medium. We can now present the dis- Today, tools have become available fulldome medium does not per- to connect the realms of sky and sci- mit such a strategy. I believe that coveries of 21st-century astronomy with ence in unprecedented ways. We can emerging technology offers plan- great fidelity and within an accurate three- teach contemporary astronomy as etarians remarkable new opportu- dimensional context, but such possibilities never before, illustrating concepts nities that will benefit our profes- with self-consistent, data-driven mov- sion and the educational goals we expand our content area significantly and ing images that put elements in their all share. I feel so strongly, so opti- require creativity in their implementation. appropriate and accurate context. mistically, about the potential, Furthermore, fulldome video also demands Furthermore, such didactic accom- that I cannot easily express my plishments can take place in an views with mere “its” and “theys.” a new approach to planetarium production, immersive and stimulating environ- To top it off, the promise of full- as taking visitors on a “narrative journey” ment, namely our planetarium domes. dome technology cuts to the very that places greater focus on the audience Two technological streams have core of what I love about astrono- experience. The planetarium community converged. First and more familiarly my. So I hope you will not be- (because it has been discussed with grudge me the first person. must grow with the technology we use, such frequency in our profession), When I was a teenager growing and the future holds both great potential video projection technology now up in Arizona, I would drive into and tremendous challenges. allows us to cover domed surfaces the foothills of the Rincon Moun- with increasingly high-resolution, full- tains, park my car and lie on the color, full-motion imagery that creates hood staring at the night sky. I didn’t know Moon! I marveled at the concept that we an immersive environment to engage our many constellations, and I rarely used the could know so much about the Universe just audiences. But on the other side of the video department-store telescope my well-inten- by studying light. In short, the sky simply cable, we also have unprecedented (and tioned parents had bought me, increasingly affordable) capa- but the sky fired my imagina- bility to bring real-time, high- tion. I had read Carl Sagan’s resolution 3-D graphics cover- Cosmos, and I gobbled up ing sufficient size scales to books on a variety of astro- accommodate the incredible nomical topics. And I had dimensions of our Universe. attended shows at the Flandrau Together, these technological Planetarium, roaming the innovations offer the promise exhibits (the light table, polar- of a planetarium paradigm izing filters, and solar spectrum shift – from the tools and tech- made strong impressions, as I niques developed over the last recall) for hours on end. eighty years to a host of new Lying under Sonoran skies possibilities. two decades ago, I considered I would like to tackle the why people had traveled to the astronomical side of the equa- Moon and no farther, and I tion first: to address the funda- wondered how far humankind mental reasons why I believe might travel in the future. I the “Digital Universe” promises looked at the stars and tried to a new way of viewing astrono- imagine how far away they Earthrise over a planetarium audience in the Hayden my. Then I want to get into Planetarium, during a showing of the Rose Center for Earth & were, even the closest billions Space’s 2002 program, The Search for Life: Are We Alone? some of the reasons why the of times more distant than the Courtesy American Museum of Natural History. fulldome medium offers an

September 2005 Planetarian 15 ideal format for astronomical content. Cinema has had more than a century icant level of understanding about our Finally, I would like to comment on to develop a visual language (of Universe. Thus, you not only visit the some of the production challenges asso- Orion Nebula, but you travel the 1,500 ciated with fulldome video and end pans, zooms, cuts, etc.) that allows virtual light years to get there. You not with a few thoughts on the future. viewers to understand the narrative only fly around inside a computer simu- flow of a piece. … But large-format lation of a globular cluster; you lift out The Digital Universe film has been around only a third of of the plane of the galaxy to see the dis- Inside the Hayden Planetarium, we tribution of globular clusters around the have spent many late nights touring a century, and it demands a new galactic center, then choose one to fly friends and colleagues through our 3-D approach. into. Basically, you can explore a “Digital atlas of the Universe. We offer a course Universe” that approximates and incor- for the general public that introduces sense of interstellar versus interplanetary dis- porates what we know about the actual the dome and describes how we developed tances? What is the Milky Way band that one. With such tools, audiences can experi- the database we use – as well as a monthly crosses through the night sky, and what con- ence the relationships between different program that tours audiences through a nection does that have with the Milky Way datasets, establishing a visual and conceptual selection of datasets, based primarily on our “Galaxy”? How can we tell that we live framework that supports the acquisition of digital atlas. In 2004, a few of us had the inside a spiral galaxy, let alone estimate its more detailed information. opportunity to take a similar program “on size? Most contemporary discoveries require To be perfectly blunt, a traditional plane- the road,” presenting at various institutions th spatial and temporal context in order for our tarium can teach 19 -century astronomy nationwide. Our collective experience con- st audiences to appreciate them. very well, but our 21 -century audiences stitutes, I believe, a new way of contextualiz- Traditionally, one gains a sense of where want to glimpse the broader horizons that ing astronomical discoveries, facilitated by things are in the Universe by poring over modern astronomy has revealed to us. new technology. text, photos, and diagrams – in recent years, a Modern computer technology allows us to On a typical “grand tour,” we begin with video or interactive element may help one do this, and fulldome video is the conduit by the orbits of the planets and the trajectories along – but placing this varied information which it can reach planetarium-goers. of the Voyager spacecraft (the farthest in a coherent 3-D construct can prove daunt- humans have sent physical objects) and trav- The Digital Dome ingly difficult. el out to the Oort cloud (the distant reaches At its best, a planetarium immerses an Three-dimensional visualization of digital of our Sun’s influence), past the exoplane- audience in science stories. Although such datasets provides a context for the vast tary systems we have discovered to see the stories have typically revolved around the quantity of information churned out by “radiosphere” bubble sixty-some light years night sky, planetarium technology today astronomers – not simply as piecemeal in diameter (the farthest humans have made can represent the discoveries of space science images or videos, but potentially within a our presence known through radio signals (and other sciences) better than ever before. coherent 3-D construct that conveys a signif- sufficiently strong to be detected), and out to With immersive video technology, domes the scale of the Milky Way Galaxy. We then can be filled with computer-generated visu- use our extragalactic atlas to highlight the als that depict current astronomical discov- large-scale structure of the Universe, give a eries with unprecedented fidelity. sense of the extensive mapping done by sur- In the most recent Rose Center Space veys such as 2dF and Sloan, and introduce Show, The Search for Life, each image (out of the Cosmic Microwave Background. From more than 42,000) covers about four million each transition to the next, each previous square inches of dome surface. Audience step remains visible long enough to provide members view a show that fills almost half a visual and conceptual link to the ever- their field of view, at a rate of 30 images per increasing scales we describe. Traditional second, which visually approximates an planetarium tools do not allow such seam- alternate reality – corresponding not to an less integration of size and distance. experience under a dome, but an experience As we say in our advertising copy for the inside an environment. At its best, immer- “Virtual Universe” program: “You’ll tour sive video allows audiences to connect with through charted space – an experience that a virtual environment in an exceedingly vis- will redefine your sense of ‘home.’” We ceral way. An “immersed” audience member wrote that sentence based in part on the becomes part of the action – and part of the reactions people have had to experiencing science! New technology expands the natu- the atlas. People often leave an hour-long ses- ral planetarium environment from the sion under the dome expressing awe at the night-sky diorama of traditional projectors scale of the Universe and wondering at the to a universe of topics limited only by ren- magnitude of astronomical discoveries. My dering resources. colleagues and I would love to attribute such Award-winning large-format-film director impressions to impeccable presentation Ben Shedd’s article, “Exploding the Frame,” style, but we concede that it more likely describes an approach to large-format cine- A small domed surface immerses reflects the power of showing people real pilots in a digital model of the solar ma that seeks a new cinematic language to data in a visceral, yet intellectually satisfy- system in the American Museum of work in this medium. He writes, “The whole ing, context. Natural History’s “moveable muse- group of giant screen film formats have one um,” a traveling collection of astron- Indeed, context is the crux of the matter. omy-oriented interactive exhibits. thing in common: the gigantic images What does it mean when a new planet is dis- Courtesy American Museum of Natu- extend the edges of the projected film image covered around another star, if one lacks a ral History. to the edge of our peripheral vision or even

16 Planetarian September 2005 beyond it. I believe we are not just In many discussions of fulldome tech- audience experience is the first order talking about bigger films here, but a nology, people bring up “the story” and of focus, where all of the action new cinematic world. It is a frameless the need to tell good stories in the occurs on the audience’s side of the view, an unframed moving image screen.” medium.” dome. I take issue with the term “story,” I believe that an approach to the Fundamentally, Shedd offers a way in part because it has very specific con- medium that follows Shedd’s philoso- of thinking about what every large- notations in films and in literature; fur- phy not only makes good use of full- format film-goer has experienced – dome’s strengths, but also stands in the catch in the throat as the camera thermore, the term misses an essential refreshing contrast to the media most dives off a cliff, the sinking feeling in element of the production challenges people experience on a day-to-day one’s stomach as the motion on- associated with immersive experiences. basis: more than a sales pitch or a plot- screen seems disturbingly real. The line being pushed at a viewer, a “frameless” perspective gives audi- Because the medium shifts emphasis “frameless” experience can involve ences a very visceral experience, from story to environment, a fulldome people in a way that television or engaging a more physical, more prim- planetarium show is more about taking a movie screens do not. Furthermore, itive part of the mind than the intel- producing from a “first-person,” view- lectual or even affective responses journey than watching a story. er-oriented perspective requires a other media might provoke. respect for the audience that bodes With computer-generated, geometrically- tional planetarium shows. well for content creation. If we create pro- correct imagery, fulldome video continues Central to my argument is the idea of a grams that focus on the audience experience, the trend established by large-format film filmic language. Cinema has had more than a we effectively invite people to appreciate over the last several decades. Unlike film, century to develop a visual language (of the scientific content in a new and deeper however, the use of digital imagery allows pans, zooms, cuts, etc.) that allows viewers to way. for relatively low-cost production and play- understand the narrative flow of a piece. A One of the effects of the audience-oriented back, with the ability to experiment relative- variety of styles have evolved over time, approach is the need to consider how a view- ly cheaply (e.g., previewing real-time or low- film schools have developed well-honed cur- er moves from one scene to another: rapid resolution experiments in-dome) and no ricula, and scores of books describe how to cuts become jarring experiences because need to print to film! However pricey full- construct films and television shows. But one’s sense of place is disrupted. Also, too- dome productions seem to planetarians, the large-format film has been around only a swift motion can either nauseate viewers or budgets come nowhere near the amount third of a century, and it demands a new distance them from the action: images mov- spent on an average large-format film, and approach. ing too quickly onscreen lose their coher- digital technology has the potential to Shedd contrasts the “framed” experience ence as an environment and instead func- become increasingly affordable. More impor- of traditional cinema with the “frameless” tion merely as wallpaper. And maintaining tantly, it has a democratizing aspect to it as experience of large-format film. In particular, the sense of dimensionality on the dome well: digital tools already offer tremendous he compares the third-person style of tradi- demands maintaining a sense of motion – of access to a large cross-section of the popula- tional filmic language with the first-person foreground relative to background – that tion (again, compared to film), and they get nature of an immersive experience: “The yields a parallax effect. Continuity and care- cheaper as time goes on. movement sensation of the theater must be fully-orchestrated movement characterize For example, working with my laptop and accounted for throughout a frameless film, the most effective fulldome productions. low-cost or free software, I have had the in shots and from shot to shot. Either the Again, this kind of pacing and editing stands opportunity to produce two short fulldome audience is having a first-person experience in stark contrast to the rapid-fire, “MTV- pieces that have appeared as part of the or it isn’t. This idea represents a complete style” video and film that people see else- LodeStar Astronomy Center’s annual full- shift of approach in filmmaking, where the where, and I think there is strength in that dome festival, “DomeFest.” difference. In the same way that Other shorts in the festival planetarium domes have long have included student projects, offered the solace of the night work by Native American sky, fulldome presentations can artists, and visual musings on offer an exhilarating and inspir- the nature of perception and ing glimpse into new environ- memory – not the stuff of ordi- ments. nary planetarium shows, but In many discussions of full- very much the work of indi- dome technology, people bring viduals. The experimental up “the story” and the need to nature of “DomeFest” under- tell good stories in the dome. I scores another important take issue with the term “story,” aspect of fulldome video: its in part because it has very specif- production challenges as an ic connotations in films and in emerging medium. literature; furthermore, the term misses an essential element of The Narrative Journey the production challenges associ- I will consider fulldome ated with immersive experi- video in the context of its Harlem students interact with a digital model of the solar sys- ences. Because the medium tem in the American Museum of Natural History’s “moveable filmic predecessors, rather than museum,” a traveling collection of astronomy-oriented inter- shifts emphasis from story to attempting to contrast full- active exhibits. Courtesy American Museum of Natural environment, a fulldome plane- dome presentations with tradi- History.

September 2005 Planetarian 17 tarium show is more about taking a In short, a successful fulldome presenta- tive size and location of stars, the journey than watching a story. At tion takes the audience on what I call a structure of the Milky Way Galaxy, the end of a trip, fellow travelers and the origin of heavy elements may compare notes and find they “narrative journey.” In its simplest form, through nucleosynthesis. Further have gleaned very different experi- this takes the shape of a guided tour, trav- surveys of audiences who saw The ences from the same itinerary. eling from place to place with a bit of wit Search for Life indicated that the Likewise, at the end of a planetari- and wisdom to make the trip pleasurable immersive feel of the show had um journey, every audience mem- broad appeal, from eight-year-olds ber takes home something unique and more meaningful. In a more sophisti- to adults. As one teenager com- to him or her. cated sense, one can carefully structure a mented, “It was much better than In short, a successful fulldome sequence of locations to incorporate and seeing it in a movie theater. The presentation takes the audience on special effects were like actually what I call a “narrative journey.” In illustrate a sequence of elements in a sto- being there.” its simplest form, this takes the ryline. In a narrative journey, a viewer is Every survey helps, but overall, shape of a guided tour, traveling taken along on a tour of virtual sites that greater attention needs to be paid from place to place with a bit of wit to the learning process that occurs and wisdom to make the trip plea- parallel an intellectual and affective excur- under the planetarium dome. surable and more meaningful. In a sion reinforcing the itinerary. Carolyn Sumners at the Houston more sophisticated sense, one can Museum of Natural Science has carefully structure a sequence of locations to to those of us who would like to evaluate the shown that immersive video sequences incorporate and illustrate a sequence of ele- quality and effectiveness of planetarium pro- show greater gains in student understanding ments in a storyline. In a narrative journey, a grams – a challenge throughout the realm of than other media, but her research barely viewer is taken along on a tour of virtual informal education. Somehow, one would scratches the surface. Increased evaluation sites that parallel an intellectual and affec- like to account for the matrix of reactions can help pinpoint what works and what tive excursion reinforcing the itinerary. I do from the cognitive to the aesthetic to the does not – an especially important step as the not intend to suggest that it is the only visceral, while probing further than, “So, did technology driving the shift in planetariums means by which a fulldome presentation you like it?” reaches an increasing number of theaters can succeed, but I will say that the best full- To that end, the American Museum of and the audience for immersive video dome content I have seen fits the bill. Natural History conducted pre- and post- widens. Implementation of the technology Keep in mind that natural history muse- viewing surveys of audiences who attended in new theaters should take advantage of ums developed as storehouses of objects the Rose Center’s debut space show, Passport what their predecessors have taught. returned from distant journeys – localiza- to the Universe. Those surveyed responded Another challenge planetariums face is a tions of exotica that became stand-ins for positively to the show and showed signifi- variety of audience expectations that range traveling to the places whence they came. cant gains in comprehending many of the from sitting under the stars with a lecturer to Long after 17th-century “curiosity cabinets” show’s underlying concepts: an understand- watching slide shows with pre-recorded nar- grew into museums that allowed visitors to ing of humanity’s “cosmic address,” the rela- ration, from listening to rock music accom- experience realms panied by laser projec- to which they tions to (perhaps) an could not travel in large-format-film-style person, 20th-centu- immersive production. ry science centers Audiences do not initiated a com- understand the diver- pletely visitor-ori- sity of experiences ented experience that take place under that allowed for planetarium domes, exploration and let alone the changing inquisitiveness of a nature of the medium, different sort. In the and most people’s ex- sense that museums pectations are defined allow for travel by the trips that they without leaving a took to planetariums building, or science as elementary-school centers offer oppor- students. The typical tunities for explo- planetarium-as-experi- ration, the planetar- ence (as opposed to ium “journey” mir- planetarium-as-venue, rors other para- where a changing slate digms in informal of programs might be education. more expected) places most visitors in a “oh, The Audience I’ve done that before” Experience A three-dimensional model of the Orion Nebula, based on the research of mode of thinking that The individuality astronomers C. Robert O’Dell and Zheng Wen, formed the cornerstone of the Rose curtails return visits to of the experience Center for Earth & Space’s premiere program, Passport to the Universe. Courtesy a facility. According to American Museum of Natural History / San Diego Supercomputer Center. presents challenges

18 Planetarian September 2005 a frequently-quoted planetarium adage, the particular merits for the real-time systems During my nights up in the Rincon typical person visits a planetarium three that have come online in the past few years. foothills, I asked questions that I like to con- times in their life: as a child, with their chil- Most fulldome systems include real-time dis- vey to an audience now, if not under desert dren, and with their grandchildren. plays – of traditional planetarium functions skies, then under a digital dome where I can Unfortunately, because most data about such as sidereal motion and orrery simula- try to answer some of the queries that kept planetariums are approximately as anecdo- tion as well as 3-D data and virtual spaces. me awake as a kid. Computer databases and tal as the child-to-grandchildren adage, it is Real-time solutions gain particular impor- software tools allow for the exploration of a difficult to identify means by which plane- tance in light of the fact that pre-rendered, Digital Universe that reveals relationships tariums can help define expectations and high-resolution fulldome video will remain otherwise difficult to convey. And fulldome attract a wider audience. With any luck, relatively expensive to produce for the fore- video allows me to immerse audiences in the immersive video will help attract more peo- seeable future. But with user-friendly, real- exploration – perhaps not yet with the crisp ple into planetariums and perhaps increase time digital planetarium technologies, we clarity of a desert sky, but with sufficient the visibility of the field in general. open up a new realm of possibilities. impact to create a memorable experience. I To choose one example, think of the revo- am simply pleased that technology is finally The Future lution that can take place in school planetar- catching up to my imagination! Our culture is immersed in science – sci- iums. First off, I have always seen (mostly ence inextricably linked to people’s every- real-time, interactive) fulldome video as an References day lives. Astronomy and space science have opportunity to revitalize the unused domes Ben Shedd is currently working on a book, proven to be an appealing and effective in- in schools across the country (some couple but in the meantime, his “Exploding the road to science education, and planetariums dozen in New York City alone): with the pos- Frame” article is available online at http:// are part of that success. As planetariums con- sibility of addressing more universal topics members.aol.com/sheddprod2/Explodingthe tinue to immerse audiences in increasingly in a domed classroom, perhaps many school Frame.html realistic scientific visualizations and narra- boards would invest in the equipment to re- Carolyn Sumners presented her research at tives, they can help people contextualize open them. Plus, the generation of teachers the NASA OSS Conference in 2002, and you complex science stories. being trained now probably feels more at can find her article in the published proceed- Immersive video productions began as the home with a computer than with a knob- ings: Sumners, C., and Reiff, P., “Creating Full- purvey of a small number of sizable venues and-lever planetarium projector, so perhaps Dome Experiences in the New Digital Plane- associated with fairly large-scale institutions. the transition to newer technology will tarium,” ASP Conference Series Volume 319, But as the medium evolves, smaller theaters come as a welcome step to them! But what is NASA Office of Space Science Education and have gained access to similar technology, most key in my mind is the kind of science Public Outreach Conference, p. 155. and the variety of presentations (from pre- we can begin to teach with new technology: Download the Hayden Planetarium’s Digi- recorded to real-time, fairly passive to highly not just night-sky motions and slides or tal Universe at www.haydenplanetarium interactive) will increase dramatically. videos of isolated objects, but an integrated .org/hp/vo/du. For example, Small Digital Planetariums view of our 3-D Universe. The experience Also, take a look at “Virtual Universe,” (affectionately called “SDPs”) will soon offer offers a paradigm shift in the way students which appeared in the April 2004 issue of unprecedented interactivity with the cos- think about the cosmos, even as it represents Natural History magazine; also available mos, in a format that permits each partici- a shift in our own community. online at www.nhmag.com/0404/0404_fea pant to control their own experience. In the ture.html. C spring of 2001, AMNH rolled out its astronomy-oriented Moveable Museum, featuring a 1.5-meter-diameter vertically-oriented dome running software that allows students to pilot around the solar system. The Adler Planetarium uses the same projection technology in one of their galleries. Although similar opportunities for one-on-one interaction may be rare, the same single-lens projectors work in small domes, and with the appropriate software, an experienced pilot can offer tours through space and time. Particularly as the medium continues to evolve, the quality of tools and access to sup- porting media need to improve. With an increasingly large audience of planetarians (with varying technical expertise) interested in incorporating immersive video in their presentations, hardware and software tools need to support easy acquisition and inclusion of materials into fulldome programs. Ideally, our community will begin to support the idea of an “open-source universe,” in which contributors can add to an existing Not all fulldome programming focuses on astronomy: entertainment programs collection of 3-D data that would be shared such as the American Museum of Natural History’s SonicVision allow for a more by users of different systems. The idea has experimental approach to the medium. Courtesy American Museum of Natural History.

September 2005 Planetarian 19 Some Thoughts From an Artist on Fulldome Theaters

Don Davis [email protected]

The planetarium as a simulation Abstract: The medium of fulldome projec- of that medium to its limits (one of the night sky will always fulfill tion is in its infancy, but the means are fair- intriguing 35mm fisheye film, an important role in astronomy Space Shuttle, an American Adven- education. The many smaller facili- ly easily available to produce original con- ture has apparently suffered the ties doing this job are preserving tent. As more content appears, the astron- fate of the original negatives being awareness of the night sky as a win- omy community will be but one beneficiary lost, although quality duplicate dow to the universe for millions of of this effort. The skill sets required to pro- material apparently survives). people who live under the lights of Film production, particularly in cities. There will always be small vide content for a fulldome facility are pro- 70mm, is beyond the reach of all but tightly focused planetarium duction rather than academic in nature. but the richest of institutions. Until facilities that perform their tasks the advances in affordable comput- using minimal but effective means, with the with fisheye lenses on cars winding through er technology and video projection con- aid of live lecturers who at their best can city overpasses, perched on desert cliffs, and verged in the late 1990s, the ability to fill the impress young minds, as well as the most on white-water rafting trips. The resulting dome with quality moving images was large- expensive visual effects, but who do little if projections were enthralling, an intriguing ly a dream. Production values in computer any original show production of their own. Camera Obscura-like preview of the possi- animation comparable to professional stan- There are other facilities with more than bilities awaiting fulldome projection. Since dards have now become affordable to most one staff member and a little work space then a very few 70mm Omnimax dome pro- institutions and individuals. with possibilities for some level of show projection films were made (in true fisheye for- duction. Large domes in government and mat); however the expense of large format Changing Skill Sets commercial facilities are at the top of this film caused that medium to figuratively col- This growing opportunity for larger facili- “spectrum” of capability, recently enriched lapse of its own weight. Some 35mm fisheye ties to present to audiences visualizations of by the explosion of fulldome moving image productions for projection in planetarium ongoing research should be a powerful projection. Fulldome projection is inviting domes continued, improved from earlier incentive to utilize fulldome media to its the conceptual transformation of the high attempts but clearly pushing the capabilities fullest. There should be, in any science-ori- end “planetarium” to the general ented academy or institution purpose “domed theater.” As time with a fulldome facility, people passes less will be written about eager to share the enthusiasm of the machinery involved and their chosen subject and willing more about the innovative pro- to interact with people in a visu- ductions being shown. alization team. In my PBS production experience there was a Emergence of Fulldome system of integrating the infor- The first public showing of a mation to be presented with the wraparound projected panorama activities of the production staff. was at the Paris World’s Fair of The writer of a given episode of 1900, where audiences suspended a show, usually with a science in a balloon gondola were shown background, would bring still a simulated flight projected and video reference materials to around them with overlapping the effects facility and make motion picture projections made sure the ideas to be demonstrat- with similarly oriented flown ed were understood, periodical- cameras. The 1964 New York ly checking the progress and World’s Fair included a dome reviewing preliminary material. projection film, made by Graphic I see small visual effects houses Films in Los Angeles, To The as a good model of the produc- Moon and Beyond. This film tion environment for fulldome greatly impressed Stanley Ku- animation, although because of brick during the conceptual the computer graphic nature of stages of 2001-A Space Odyssey. the imagery the work space no The planetarium and film were longer needs to be large enough first combined in quantity by O. for significant model photogra- Megastructures near a planet within a Dyson sphere, from Richard Norton, who in the late the Evans & Sutherland show Cosmic Safari, ©Evans & phy. 1960s carried 35mm film cameras Sutherland. I suggest that one potential

20 Planetarian September 2005 area of attention concerning the As fulldome media progresses it should not era must be able to image the growth of fulldome media is out- be allowed to turn into another IMAX in its Sun in the daytime sky all day dated concepts of the kind of pro- dominance of “grand but bland” content. … without damage to the pickup fessional backgrounds best suited device. I worry that the first full- to commanding such an unspecial- Let that not be the fate of fulldome theaters. dome cameras will be so dear ized visual environment. Once you that years may pass before suffi- have a projection system that is not specific media progresses it should not be allowed to cient experimentation allows the defining to astronomy it becomes more of a “blank turn into another IMAX in its dominance of the new “film grammar” of immersive video. canvas” for visual possibilities and inherent- “grand but bland” content. The sheer Live capture of real environments, with time ly less of simply being a teaching device for expense of shooting large format film made lapse capability, will probably dominate the any one field. If a given facility capable of experimentation prohibitive. Many fine early use of such cameras. The horrors of ground-breaking production does no more helicopter shots of terrain are shown, but managing in a fisheye environment scenic than pretend to be a traditional planetarium, most such films are generally dull narrated lighting, model setups, camera crane move- it seems wasteful of the possibilities. Surely travelogues, as if the medium is simply too ments, and other considerations routinely among the necessary and inspirational roles costly to take any chances with. Let that not managed in traditional cinematography of the traditional planetarium, other areas of be the fate of fulldome theaters. The fairly promise some intriguing times ahead for exploration of this open ended visual envi- limited selection of IMAX films and the near future fisheye filmmakers. ronment warrant attention. impossibility of creating films on specific Facilitating the bringing together of The director of a fulldome facility should topics often resulted in large-format movies equipment and the filmmakers is of overrid- be open-minded to running a theater as well drawing audiences in science centers due to ing importance for the development of this as a classroom. I believe a director actually the unique visual experience they provide art form. As this new visual medium emer- involved in production need not be hired and not necessarily the quality of their story- ges, more and more content producers will solely on academic credentials such as are telling or relevance to topics dear to facility be attracted as the growing number of the- routinely listed in job descriptions. A plane- directors. Fulldome digital media is changing aters provides a distribution network for tarium director in larger facilities was tradi- the trend of “ready-made” content being new works. There should be some kind of tionally at or near the helm of the show pro- antithetical to teaching and telling stories of accommodation of independent animators duction process, and of course was well-edu- ones choice. As more material becomes avail- agreed to by facilities who see the mutual cated in the relevant aspects of the phenom- able and more facilities choose to pursue benefit of attracting and providing varied ena to be simulated. In recent decades some even limited content creation, the many fulldome content, such as percentages of the facilities now divide the duties involved in shows in circulation will serve as a kind of “box office” being paid to independent ani- running things, with an administrative “stock footage: pool for many of the more mation producers when their works are director working with a creative director modest fulldome theaters with solely “play- shown. Animated “shorts” could be a great who actually creates the shows. Whoever back” capability. asset to the available programming of a actually determines what is shown in the Fulldome is at present primarily a comput- domed theater, reminiscent of the cartoons dome can either act as a facilitator or a bot- er graphic medium. The technological chal- once routinely shown in movie theaters tleneck for production-capable facilities, lenge for designing a camera for this medi- between features. Once experimentation has depending on how the potentials versus the um will be to capture a 4000 pixel diameter reached a certain level, the kinds of visual possibilities are matched. circular image format with near lossless com- experiences available will overlap with and If paying audiences are sought, they must pression at 30 frames per second. Such a cam- perhaps revive the audience appeal once be shown things which will gen- generated by laser shows, which erate significant word-of-mouth were quite crude compared to publicity. A creative director is what can be done with immersive more likely to succeed in the role abstractions even now. The idea is of creating such visualizations if to promote a variety of appropri- they came from a production ate material to attract and bring environment, acquiring relevant back audiences treated to unique knowledge in the process of the immersive experiences. job than when an academically- In considering the options for based individual attempts to fulldome presentation, the visual learn the arts of visual effects and impression made on the audience movie directing. Providing pay- is greatly affected by the orienta- ing audiences with an experience tion of the “center of attention.” they will recommend to others Traditional horizontal dome plan- requires a very intensive effort to etaria were designed to simulate a create visual experiences backed night sky and little else, with by all the expertise applicable to scenery projected along the bot- this medium. tom of the already elevated “horizon line.” This generally created a Fulldome Production “view from an open pit” appear- Issues ance to the overall view, although IMAX productions can be re- the quality of such projected envi- garded as both a historical paral- ronments could be otherwise quite lel with the visual environment high. Duplication of projected provided by dome projection images was one way of allowing and as a warning. As fulldome Apollo 14 site region. © Don Davis.

September 2005 Planetarian 21 the entire audience to see slides of specific a hemispherical visual environment, with a Pre-Rendered Versus Real-Time subjects mentioned in the narration. tilt angle of 22.5 degrees being my prefer- Although fulldome content is and will like- Immersive video in horizontal (non-tilted) ence. I create practically all of my anima- ly continue to be primarily a medium for domes is cursed by the need to “squeeze” the tions, a significant portion of those now showing “pre-rendered” programming, the view to bring the surrounding horizon available, with this orientation, using 1/16 sophistication of real-time presentations will above the “cove line” to simulate the types slice of the hemisphere to display the continue to grow. Real-time shows in full- of landscapes done in traditional planetaria scenery below the horizon. Greater tilts can dome theaters wave the banner of spontane- with multiple slide projections. This results show more scenery below the viewer, but ity; however they also shoulder the burden in objects of known shape such as planets require more extreme theater design. of operator and software-related idiosyn- being squashed on the vertical axis. Trying Significantly lesser tilts tend to minimize the crasies absent from a refined pre-rendered to compose scenes for a horizontal dome advantages of this design. Tilted domes allow production. Because of the need to simplify theater with concentric seating is an awk- a true eye-level horizon to be simulated and rendered scenes for real time use, their appar- ward task. In a show at the American experienced by at least some of the audience, ent visual quality tends to lag several years Museum of Natural History, slowly spinning which does away with a level of “suspension behind that of pre-rendered shows. In rela- the entire view on the vertical axis was used of disbelief” traditionally imposed on audi- tively simple graphics such as starfields, to share scenes with different portions of the ences of horizontal domed presentations there is little difference between pre-ren- audience under their horizontal dome, but noted above. Seating which faces the lowest dered and real-time. In scenery and architec- this cannot be comfortably relied upon for point of a tilted dome allows everyone to ture-intensive shots, the complexity and dean entire show. Extra effort must also be face a common center of attention for tail of the simulated environments result in made to provide comfortable neck rests on appropriate presentations, while allowing an more apparent visual compromises. Pre-ren- the seats if the zenith of the dome is to be immersive environment to be experienced dered material can use all the cinematic made the center of the audience attention. without having to look up at the zenith. For methods of carefully-crafted dramatic moves The varieties of presentations possible are cinematic approaches the usefulness of some within detailed scenery, but with no excuses compromised when attempting to wed a type of “frame” within which to compose to offer for less-than-professional results. fulldome theater with a traditional “flat” shots is an important device to have avail- The viewing experiences of participants dome planetarium, especially one including able, even as wide a frame as a tilted hemi- and passive audiences tend to be divided in a traditional electro-mechanical projector. spheric view. real-time shows. The person using the joy- I believe tilted domes allow the best use of stick acts as one using a flight simulator, while the rest of the audience sees a real-time quality animated experience with awkward camera moves. Finding a useful way for more than one audience member at a time to interact with a show is a challenging task. Where real-time presentations truly excel is in presenting data such as models of the local universe which can be flown through and related to the skies as seen from Earth. Audience reactions and individual requests can be accommodated, and no two shows are quite alike. Here the abilities of the presenter become an important aspect of the show once again, a potential strength that small planetaria have enjoyed to this day. As datasets in the Earth sciences, biology, and other sciences suited to visual presentation are prepared, the opportunities to present the developing knowledge in these fields will multiply.

The Future The range of subjects which will fill domes will soon transcend those traditionally emphasized in domed theaters run as astronomy classrooms. Astronomy will be but one floating scrap in a flood of visual instruction and entertainment to come. As fulldome media comes of age directors will arise, working out ways to tell stories suited to the possibilities of the medium. It is my hope that the development of domed theaters will be seen as a worthy medium for dramatic and esthetic presentation by the heads of such facilities as well as by “filmmakers” and, of course, paying audiences. C

22 Planetarian September 2005 The Sun Festival

Jean-Michel Faidit, Founder Planétarium de Montpellier Jardin des Plantes B. P. 1088 F-34007 Montpellier, France [email protected]

A century ago, in 1904, just after the com- vatory in Barcelona between 1915 and the eighteen amateurs participated in the soirée, pletion of the Eiffel Tower in 1889, Camille Spanish Civil War. The Sun Festival was also of which 95 guests were invited to the ban- Flammarion and Gustave Eiffel launched the regularly organized over a period of three quet. At 9 pm and 28 seconds, the exact Sun Festival on the summer solstice, based decades by the Société Scientifique Flam- moment of the solstice, a cannon was fired. on an idea by Wilfrid de Fonvielle. From the marion de Marseilles in the old port. Mounet-Sully recites Victor Hugo’s poem very beginning, this event, which On the day of the summer solstice, in the spirit Soleils couchants (Setting Suns) combined science and art, was before Flammarion’s confer- extraordinarily successful. This of a meeting between art and science specific ence, who, in a way, became festive soirée consisted of a ban- to the field of planetariums, this festival could the sun of the festival. In the quet preceding the opening to be relaunched by the IPS and by planetarians. elegant first floor theatre, many the general public and members people had to remain standing of the Société Astronomique de (the regulations back then seem France (SAF). The festival combined con- On the day of the summer solstice, in the less persnickety than they are nowadays!). ferences and scientific demonstrations with spirit of a meeting between art and science The artistic section then took over the an artistic agenda that alternated music and specific to the field of planetariums, this fes- reins with interventions linked to the Paris chanting in a type of patchwork, lectures tival could be relaunched by the IPS and by Opera or members of the Comédie Française. and poetry reading, theatre and dance. At the planetarians. It started with the Ode au Soleil (Ode to the end, a night of observation atop the Eiffel April 1904. Camille Flammarion was on Sun) by Gaston Armelin and Prière au Soleil Tower was accompanied by a buffet. In 1914, vacation in the French Riviera, as were (Prayer to the Sun) by the poet Jean Rameau. a Congress of Astronomical Societies was Bischoffheim, founder of the Nice observato- The musical spectacle was extremely varied, also associated with this festival. ry, and Eiffel, builder of cupolas. Flammarion This tradition that was interrupted by the proposed a festival for the summer solstice First World War was subsequently revived that would bring together artists and scien- under the impetus of the astronomer José tists. The idea caught the interest of Eiffel, Comas Solà for the Société Astronomique who was looking to reinforce his tower in d’Espagne et d’Amérique at the Fabra Obser- the Parisian landscape at a time when it was still being contested, as it was only supposed to be temporary at the time of the universal exposition in 1889. The conceptual inventor of the festival was a scientific journalist, an amateur astronomer and friend of Flammarion named Wilfrid de Fonvielle. They had already collaborated on the Revue Scienti- fique des Deux Mondes. The idea seemed to have taken root high up in the Eiffel Tower itself in 1902. A preface had been attempted on the occasion of the summer solstice in 1903, but the weather had been atrocious. Their meeting in Nice concluded with the decision that a large festival would be put together within two months.

The Resounding Success of the The Eiffel Tower under construction. Festival in 1904 at the Eiffel The tower was completed in 1889, at Tower the time of the Universal Exposition th The spirit of the festival was to celebrate which celebrated the 100 anniversary of the French Revolution. The the sun in all its approaches: scientific, liter- success of the Sun Festival (1904/ ary, poetical, and musical, as well as observa- 1914) contributed to integrating the Wilfrid de Fonvielle (1825-1914), contemporary Tower, still contested, ceptual inventor of the Sun Festival. tional, from sunset to sunrise, taking in the into the Paris skyline. (© SNTE / (© Astronomical Society of France). twilight of midnight. Four hundred and TOUR EIFFEL)

September 2005 Planetarian 23 with pieces chosen for their who arrived from the United celestial titles such as Hymne au States. Soleil (Hymn to the Sun) by In the toasts during dessert, Alexandre Georges or by Paul Eiffel thanked the participants: Delair, A une étoile (To a star) by “You are friends of the Tower and Paul Puget, Le Soir (The Evening) I enjoy seeing you all again every by Gounod or Le Crépuscule year during this cordial and pleas- (The Twilight) by Massenet ant meeting. In effect, it has interpreted by Planel on the vio- already been eleven times that lin, who also donated Clair de you have regularly come to cele- Lune (Moonlight) from his com- brate the Festival of the Sun, position. Poetry ended this sec- which is, actually, that of the tion with Victor Hugo’s A la Astronomical Society”. The pro- fenêtre pendant la Nuit (At the gram was even more amazing in window during the night), inter- that 1914 marked the tenth preted by Mounet-Sully. anniversary of the festival and After a demonstration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the new TSF relay installed on the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel-Flam- tower by Captain Ferrié, Eiffel marion team worked marvelous- and his daughters distributed ly. As if in echo, the latter said The Sun Festival in 1906: conference of Father Moreux. One flowers to the women. It was can recognize Flammarion on the stage. (© Astronomical farewell to this “daring tower, …, midnight and a buffet was Society of France) that has its origins, so oft criti- offered. For some, the evening cized, in ancient art and at the ended with a glass of champagne in hand to to a show of works with evocative titles: time of our first festival of the sun was con- the sound of the brass section and flutes of Vision céleste (Celestial vision), Aubade au demned by certain minds that were a little Détrain’s orchestra. For others, this was just Soleil (Dawn Serenade to the Sun), Calme du too classical and severely morose and who the beginning of the observation on the Soir (Calm of the Evening), Sérénade à la wished for nothing more than the disappear- third floor. Two hundred and forty three Lune (Serenade to the Moon) ... ing view of the Paris skyline!” As he did ten curious souls went up to contemplate the years before, he made a speech about the stars and the ring of twilight on the horizon. 1914: The Congress of Astronomi- sun. All attendance records were broken One hundred or so people spent the entire cal Societies and the Last Festival with around 600 participants. From a general night. Paris was asleep and light pollution in Paris point of view, this was the most successful was no longer the main topic of conversa- This first Congress of Astronomical Soci- meeting since the first, but it was also to be tion. Suspended between the sky and capital eties met on the initiative of the astronomer the last. The First World War broke out some city, the experience was unique, bewitching, Montangerand of Toulouse. It was held at weeks later. The curtain was drawn and all nd rd and novel. The sensation touched the sub- the Paris Observatory on the 22 , 23 and that remained was the image of Soleil th lime, combining emotion, dream, poetry 24 of June, 1914, with societies from Ami- Apollon by Raphaël that illustrated the and the discovery of the sky under the guid- ens, Bordeaux, Le Havre, Montpellier, Paris, reports of the 1904-1914 festivals in the SAF ance of Wilfrid de Fonvielle. It was an unfor- Rouen, and Toulouse, as well as Tunis, Ant- bulletins. gettable night for those who remained until werp, Basel, Barcelona, and Brussels taking the first rays of the sun. part, in a gathering of around thirty partici- The “Festa del Sol” when Barce- pants. lona Takes Over from 1915 to The Festivities Renewed for a The agenda contained three sections: the 1937 Decade development of the societies, observations After 1915, the festival, founded in 1904 by Regular attendance was established at and different wishes, as well as the Festival of Camille Flammarion, was continued by José around 500 participants, with the record the Sun where personalities like Séverine or Comas Solà, Director of the Fabra Observa- number of at least 570 people reported in Camille Saint-Saëns rubbed shoulders with tory in Barcelona. On his initiative, the Soci- 1913 and probably more than 600 in 1914. famous astronomers such as Percival Lowell, edad Astronomica d’Espania i Amèrica The weather forecast was favor- (SADEYA) picked up the torch. able on the occasion of the first The first “Festa del Sol” was held at four festivals, as well as the last the Fabra observatory of the Real three. From 1908 to 1911 however, Academia de Ciencias y Artes in the sky was cloudy, rainy, and Barcelona, inaugurated a decade earli- even stormy. er in 1904, the same year as the birth The scientific demonstrations of the Sun Festival. As at the Eiffel presented the color photographs Tower, the scientific meeting was pre- of the Lumières brothers, synchro- ceded by a banquet, at the end of nized cinematography on Gau- which desires were expressed that the mont’s phonograph, scientific Astronomical Society of France films of the 1912 eclipse, or an would revive the tradition of the fes- adventure on Mont-Blanc. tival. The artistic section, organized Over the years, this Catalan festival by G. Penso, alternated poetry, lec- of the sun grew and grew, before The first Sun Festival in 1904: on the stage, from left to tures, music and chanting, dance right: Poincaré, Janssen, Flammarion and Lippmann. being extinguished by the Spanish and theater. Everyone was treated (© Astronomical Society of France). Civil War and the death of Comas-

24 Planetarian September 2005 Solà. may have evolved if history had been different. We can, The Sun Festival in however, note that after the Marseilles invention of the modern Among all the provin- planetarium in 1923, the first cial towns, it was in Mar- planetarium in Paris was built seilles that the festival of in 1937, near the Eiffel Tower the sun was celebrated for the duration of the with the most fervor by Universal Exposition. It is the Flammarion Scientific probable that this geo- Society, which, as opposed graphical proximity would to Paris, elected to do this have had an influence on the on the nearest Sunday sun festival if it was still being afternoon to the solstice. organized …. The works of the poet One thing is certain: the from Marseille, Déjean, sun festival preceded the and the talents as a popu- music festival on the evening larizer of the genius profes- of the longest day of the year. sor, Houllevigue, con- In a sense, this new festival, tributed greatly to the suc- that has taken a universal cess of the festival. Sus- The first Paris Planetarium was built near the Eiffel Tower at the dimension after 20 years, in time of the Universal Exposition of 1937. (© Zeiss, Inc.) pended during the 1914- its choice of the summer sol- 1918 war, the sun festival stice, is already a continua- was re-launched in 1919, slowly became a lar and jazz was slowly replacing classical tion of sorts of the sun festival! shadow of its former self, and became just a concerts and literary representations that Thanks to the organizers of the Colloque simple conference during the 1930s. were so keenly enjoyed before the war. international de clôture Venus Transit (ESO Popular astronomy went out of fashion and Venus-Transit 2004, Dr. Richard West “Tradition”, Controversy, and among this frenetic collection of new pas- and Jean-Eudes Arlot), and particularly to Reasons for the Extinction times. William Thuillot, Director of the IMCCE, Year after year, the festival in Paris always Paris observatory for organizing this com- followed the same sequence of events: ban- A Festival Extinguished Forever? memoration on the 5th of November 2004, a quet, artistic and scientific soirée, buffet, and Is the extinction of this festival irrever- century later and in the same place in the observation of the sky. It began to bear the sible? On the one hand, there is respect due Eiffel Tower! look of tradition. The press covered the to any historical undertaking that is over, event. However, during these early years of which undoubtedly explains why it has References: the separation between the Church and the never been renewed – so much so that there Paris: State, controversies were inevitable. Some seems to be a large portion of forgetfulness in - Bulletin, Astronomical Society of France: journalists accused Flammarion of wanting the collective memory. On the other hand, 1904, p. 297; 1905, p. 31; 1906, p. 305; 1907, p. to initiate a new cult of the sun. These dis- we can ask ourselves why the sun festival 317; 1908, p. 315; 1909, p. 322; 1910, p. 336; 1911, cussions contributed to his publicity, pro- was never resurrected. p. 318; 1912, p. 388; 1913, p. 320; 1914, p. 322; - voking the sending of numerous poems ded- The festival was extinguished during the Fonds Flammarion - Juvisy; Musée d’Orsay - icated to the sun. Little by little, this lead to unfavorable context of war (the First World Fonds Eiffel the festival being perceived for what it really War in Paris and the Spanish Civil War in Marseilles: was: a scientific and artistic soirée. Barcelona). But Flammarion and Eiffel re- - Bulletins of the SAF: 1907, p. 308; 1908, p. Flammarion wanted to make the sun festi- peatedly wished to establish a tradition. 318; 1909, p. 325; 1910, p. 337; 1911, p. 320; 1913, val universal – an impossible task when you Maybe our era would be favorable to its res- p. 324; 1914, p. 324; 1919 p. 332; 1921, p. 307; st realize that the 21 of June in the Southern urrection in a new form, adapted to our new 1922, p. 364; 1923, p. 249 Hemisphere corresponds to the winter sol- technologies: radio, TV, internet ... and plane- - Bulletins of the Flammarion Society in stice, a detail that had already been forgotten tariums! This festival has never been estrang- Marseilles. by the Revolutionary Calender with its ed from the spirit of planetariums, which Barcelona: names of the months corresponding to the combines a meeting between art and science. - Bibliothèca Catalunya - “XVII Festa del Sol, seasons of the northern hemisphere. How- We have no way of imagining how things 1932”; - Sociétés astronomiques SADEYA and ever, it was a struggle to export the festival ASTER; - Bulletin SAF: 1915, p. 262; 1917, p. outside Paris. In its regular and successful 272; - Astrum, Agrupacion Astronomica organization, it appeared to be confined to Sabadell, noviembre 1987 (Comas Solà). the Paris-Marseilles-Barcelona triangle. It was also as vulnerable as its diffusion was limited. A different French version of this paper was We can, however, ask ourselves about the published in l’Astronomie, Revue de la reasons for its extinction. Diverse factors can Société Astronomique de France (June and be responsible outside the effects of the war. July 2004 issues). The post-war period saw the explosion of a society based on leisure, very similar to our Translated from the original French by own. The crowds enjoyed tennis, soccer, and The participants of the Sun Festival Anthony Tamburro, AG Translations, Peta- automobile racing that really took off in the in 1935 in Barcelona. (© SADEYA, Jose luma, California. C 1920s. Movie theaters were becoming popu- Mayor Llorca)

September 2005 Planetarian 25 IPS 2006: Under the Southern Sky, July 23-27, 2006 Dr Tanya Hill Conference Host and Curator, Astronomy, Melbourne Planetarium 2 Booker St, Spotswood Melbourne, Victoria 3015 Australia

As I sit here buried in budgets, schedules, Antarctica. Professor John Storey from the Don’t miss this opportunity to see the and all the other associated paperwork that University of New South Wales will share his Southern sky first-hand! is needed for a successful conference, it’s experiences of observing at the bottom end At IPS 2006 we are also planning some helpful to take a moment once in a while to of the world, from surviving the cold and fantastic demonstrations at the Melbourne consider: What really makes a good IPS con- isolation to the wonder of dark and still Planetarium. We intend to run two vendor ference? And when comes down to it, it has nights that stretch on forever. evenings, where our major sponsors will to be the people. Having experienced a num- However, not only are we planning for have the opportunity to demonstrate new ber of IPS conferences I know that they are a delegates to be entertained and informed technologies and/or present planetarium conference unlike any other. It’s a time to about the southern sky, but since we appre- material of their choice. As we know from catch up with old friends and make some ciate that many will be coming a long way past conferences these vendor evenings are new ones, an opportunity to be blown away for IPS 2006, we want to make sure that you certainly a highlight and we will be doing all by the latest technologies and demonstra- get to experience the wonders for yourself! we can to ensure the smooth running of tions, and a chance to be invigorated by the At the Night Sky Tour we will take a trip to these events for vendors and delegates alike. subject we love, astronomy. It is with great the Astronomical Society of Victoria’s Dark In addition we would like to introduce the eagerness that I look forward to IPS 2006 Sky Site situated 1.5 hours north of Mel- first Planetarium Showcase for an IPS confer- where we can add to this already wonderful bourne, near the central Victorian town of ence. This will be an all-day event that runs mix some true-blue Aussie hospitality and Heathcote. It is rumoured that the sky there in parallel with paper sessions at the main the brilliant Southern Hemisphere sky. is so clear and dark that the Milky Way will conference venue at the Carlton Crest Hotel. It is a great privilege to be hosting the first cast a shadow – something you must see for A series of 30-minute sessions will be made IPS conference in the Southern Hemisphere, yourself to believe. Remember that July in available to screen the latest planetarium and there are a number of special activities Australia is mid-winter and the perfect time show productions with first preference planned to embrace the uniqueness of our for stargazing – although you will need your given to astronomy productions. We hope location. To open the conference the world- winter woolies. The richest part of the Milky that the Showcase will provide an opportu- renowned astrophotographer Professor Way, incorporating the Galactic Centre in nity for those planetariums who are David Malin will be giving the first Keynote Sagittarius, will be stretching high overhead. involved in producing their own shows to Lecture. It would be surprising if anyone in Members of the Society will provide their exhibit their work. the planetarium field hasn’t been touched telescopes and astronomical expertise to It has certainly been busy times here at by David’s beautiful photographs of the uni- showcase your favourite southern objects. the Melbourne Planetarium. Not only have verse; they may have even we been in full swing with the pre- inspired you to enter the field liminary preparations for IPS 2006, of astronomy, as was certainly but we have also just been the case for me. Australia’s through a major equipment most lively and entertaining upgrade. In six weeks all the equip- astronomer, Dr Fred Watson, ment in our theatre was removed will be certain to make the and replaced with Sky-Skan’s full- conference dinner a night to dome system, DigitalSky. Not only remember. As the Astrono- will having this equipment be a mer-In-Charge of the Anglo- great benefit for IPS 2006, but we Australian Observatory, Fred also hope that the lessons learnt is well-qualified to expound during the equipment upgrade on the astronomical feats and will stand us in good stead for the adventures of observing the controlled chaos that is to be southern sky. He is also a mar- expected when vendors take over velous story-teller and there’s our dome for IPS 2006. no knowing what tales may We are very excited to be wel- be exposed. With the theme coming IPS members to the “Under the Southern Skies” Southern Hemisphere. We hope you can’t get any further south for astronomy than Photo courtesy Museum Victoria. (Please see IPS2006 on page 53)

26 Planetarian September 2005 DomeFest 2005

Jennie Zeiher Production & Events Manager Sky-Skan, Inc. 51 Lake Street Nashua, New Hampshire 03060-4513 USA [email protected]

Kudos to David Beining & the University Innovative Piece of New Mexico’s Lodestar Astronomy Center A Bell in the Storm; Virtual Environment team, for the success of DomeFest 2005. A full dome thunderstorm created to form The 3rd annual international festival for the backdrop to the play “A Bell in the full dome digital theaters at the Lodestar Storm”. Astronomy Center, Albuquerque, New Mexi- Martin Sawtell, producer, animation & com- co, July 15 - 17, was a remarkable success with positing more than 500 people treated to the finest Oliver Loweth & Simon Rudland, sound examples of immersive digital art, science, design, Independent, Perth, Australia entertainment, education and experimental works created from around the world. Show Excerpt Artistic Piece DomeFest 2005 drew 41 submissions from Molecularium-Riding Snowflakes Percepts: Precepts eight countries and over 110 minutes of con- Excerpt from the magical show about the An artistic experiment of sensorial affection tent in which the expert jury selected 14 inner universe of molecules and atoms that attempts to manipulate the audiences pieces for a 40-minute juried show. developed through an artist/scientist collab- cognitions of movement and expectations The DomeFest 2005 Jury consisted of: Alex oration. of space. Barnett, CEO & Executive Director, Chabot V. Owen Bush, director/co-Writer Theo A. Artz, visual design Space & Science Center (Oakland, California); Kurt Przybilla, producer/co-Writer, Nano- John Avarese, audio design, amalgamation Sam Black, SIGGRAPH2005 Animation Chair toon, Troy, New York, USA house, Inc., Drexel University, Philadelphia, & former Pixar engineer (San Francisco, Cali- Shekar Garde, lead scientist/co-executive Pennsylvania, USA. fornia); Leo Hourvitz, Technical Art Director, producer, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Experimental Piece Electronic Arts (San Francisco, California); Troy, New York, USA Dome Sketch David McConville, Director of Noospheric Hand-drawn artwork that attempts to main- Research, The Elumenati (Asheville, North Student Piece tain depth and perspective. Carolina); Michael Stearns, Composer & Traveler Ryan Wyatt, art/direction Audio Designer, The Guest House (Santa Fe, Collaboration of 3D Animation Students, Jeff Oishi, music, Independent, New York, New Mexico); Hue Walker, Artist & Educa- visuals New York, USA tor, University of New Mexico ARTS Lab (Al- Vincent Ascoli, music, University of New buquerque, New Mexico); John Weiley, Full Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA dome/Film Director, Heliograph (Byron Bay, Australia). Harmony Channel Mood Video Award (The Of the finalists, the 2005 jury awarded the Moodie Award) “Domie Awards” for the best of five cate- Moonlight gories. And the domies go to … Andrew J. Quinn, visuals & audio, Lucerne Planetarium Artists in Labs Program (Zürich, Best of Fest Switzerland) Milano, Italy Generative Computational Landscapes Generative algorithms created amazing visu- The three-day festival abounded with all als sorts of full dome goodies. Commencing Jared Tarbell, code and visual design, levitat- DomeFest 2005, was the world premiere of ed.net / complexification.net, Albuquerque, “Gronk’s BrainFlame”, a 14-minute computer New Mexico, USA animated piece digitally depicting what hap- Joe Abraham Dean, producer/director, Lu- pens during an epiphany. Produced as a col- menscapes, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA laboration between ATC programs: the Digi- Michael Stearns, music, The Guest House, tal Pueblo Project and the Artist in Residence Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. program, utilizing the talents of Los Angeles- based artist, Gronk and animator, Hue Best of Fest winner: Generative Compu- tational Landscapes, by Jared Tarbell and Joe Abraham Dean. (Please see DomeFest on page 71)

September 2005 Planetarian 27 IPS 2008 Official invitation IPS Conference 2008, Morelia, July 5th to 9th

Planetarium “Lic. Felipe Rivera” Av. Ventura Puente S/N Col. Felix Ireta C.P. 58270, Morelia,Michoacán,México www.ceconexpo.com

heart of Mexico City, equipped with the latest technology. The city of Morelia was built in the six- teenth century. Its beautiful architecture in the Historical Center made it recognized by UNESCO as a Mankind World Heritage since 1991, with more than 1200 historical build- ings. Morelia is the city where the first university and also the first conservatory of Pyramid of Tingambato, Indian As- music in America were established. tronomical Observatory, courtesy Lic. It is a motive of pride for Morelia to have Carlos Chavez Garibay. the most important astrophysical institution Dear friends, members of the International in our country as well as one of the most Planetarium Society: important radio telescopes in America. This last mentioned is part of a big project which The phenomena and stars up in the sky Cathedral at Night, courtesy Plane- served our ancestors to predict the origin is being developed along with England, tarium Lic. Felipe Rivera. and effects of events on earth. In time these India, and Japan. predictions became a culture lasting over a 19th International Planetarium Society Con- thousand years. ference. We would like to share with you The prehispanic societies that flourished something more than our history. We would in Mexico kept their attention on the stars. like to share with you our love for science These societies, such as the Mayas in Cancun, and the stars, our passion to teach children the Aztecs in Mexico city, and especially the about this wonderful universe we live in, Purhepechas in Morelia, built impressive and mostly we would like to share our pyramids which were in fact astronomical Mexican hospitality and the kindness of our observatories, which we can still admire people which are our identity in the whole today. world. This tradition which we inherited certain- We look forward to seeing you in Morelia ly explains the reason why we have twenty- in 2008. three stationary planetariums and three trav- Dr. Genoevo Figueroa Silva eling planetariums in Mexico. This interest General Director has not come to an end yet; in March 2004, The Morelia Convention Center is consid- Convention Center of Morelia the newest planetarium was opened in the ered one of the most complete in Mexico. The facilities are truly magnificent. It is Lic. Gerardo Trujillo Jimenez located in the middle of an attractive park Director which makes it an excellent option for busi- Planetarium “Lic. Felipe Rivera” ness tourism. It is surrounded by 70,000 meters of green areas and is adjacent to the best shopping centers and hotels in the state. The Planetarium “Lic. Felipe Rivera” was built 30 years ago and is part of the Conven- tion Center of the city which also includes an orchid green house and a modern theater with capacity for 1330 persons. Our planetarium is a contemporary structure resembling the nucleus of a comet with an eight-point star at the center. The projection hall has a capacity for 365 people. Dear friends: astronomical research is part Sky Theater with Zeiss Mark IV Pro- of our daily lives and for this reason it would jector, courtesy Lic. Carlos Chavez Planetarium Lic. Felipe Rivera, cour- Garibay. be a honor to become the next host of the tesy Planetarium Lic. Felipe Rivera.

28 Planetarian September 2005

ers’ (77 minutes) takes a look at the pro- What’s New grammes seeking out comets and asteroids. ‘Danger! Solar Storm’ (55 minutes) looks at how safe the Earth’s technology is from solar storms and goes inside the NOAA’s Space Environment Center. ‘Wheels on Mars’ (98 minutes) takes a close look at the Mars rovers and the teams that sent them. ‘Searching for SuperStars’ (55 minutes) visits the Tenagra Observatories and meets astrophysicists and astronomers on the quest to find the age of the universe. Each DVD is in widescreen format with digital 5.1 surround sound and bonus image galleries. Also released is Starry Night Pro Plus version 5.0. Many of you will be familiar with the Starry Night interface. However, in this version the night sky is made up of full colour CCD photographs comprising of about 20,000 individual images brought together in a mosaic showing the night sky card with a long exposure photograph on to magnitude 14-15. Andrew Buckingham the front turning over to information and It also includes a plug-in for MaxIm DL Stardome Observatory room to write your postcard on the back. imaging software which lets you control an One Tree Hill Domain automated telescope to find a target object. You can then take an image, process it in Royal Oak, Auckland Rob Walrecht Productions (Fuutstraat 6, MaxIm DL and import the image back into New Zealand 3815 JP Amersfoort, The Netherlands; phone Starry Night. +31 33 475 5543. [email protected]) have It still has all the many features of Starry 64 9 624 1246 added to their range by producing a 1:10 bil- Night Pro. Go to www.starrynight.com for 64 9 625 2394 fax lion solar system scale model. more information and a full feature list. Consisting of 15 plates of a thick laminat- [email protected] ed paper in two sizes, either 20 x 28 cm or 29 x 36 cm, covering the Sun, the nine Lastly, as Crux and the southern Milky Welcome to what’s new, and the first planets, asteroids, Quaoar (at 640m from the Way are now rising high in the sky, I have thing that is new is me. I have agreed to take Sun) and comets. The plates contain infor- decided that I have had enough of winter over the column and step into Jim Man- mation on each object with either metric or after one week so I am heading to the north- ning’s shoes. Thanks Jim for all the great non-metric data and details to explain the ern hemisphere for a few weeks to lengthen columns you have written in past issues. “path” of the scale model, all of which can be out the summer, explore the northern skies So, if you have any new products and customised to suit your need. There is also a and see what new products I can find. I have resources, please send me some information plate to explain the solar system and the decided that winter goes much faster if you on them. scale model and one for objects beyond the change hemispheres for part of it. Firstly, some background on our facility. solar system. So a reminder, if you have any new prod- We are an observatory and planetarium Rob has hung the plates in shop windows ucts please contact me at andrewb@star- C with a Zeiss ZKP-3 star projector under an 11- throughout his home town to create the dome.org.nz. metre (36-ft) dome with 87 seats. Located in a scale model. Contact large park near the central city, we have Rob for more infor- about 60,000 visitors per year, with about mation and sample half in our public programmes and half in images of the plates. our school programmes. Feel free to look out our website (www.stardome.org.nz) or contact me for more information. Imaginova Canada But let’s look at some new products - first- Ltd (284 Richmond ly something local. Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 1P4, phone (416) Starman Productions (5 Aurea Ave, Paku- 603-8381, fax (416) ranga, Auckland, New Zealand. phone +64 9 603-8389, www.star- 576 3161. [email protected]) has produced rynight.com) have a range of Bookmark Postcards including several new products. two astronomical, Scorpius and the South- Firstly, four new ern Cross with Pointers. Each bookmark is 70 DVDs. ‘Comet Hun- x 218 mm (2.75 x 8.6 in), printed on heavy ters / Asteroid Seek-

September 2005 Planetarian 31

Jordan Marché II, Rutgers University Press, planetarium! (p. 19). The educational value Reviews 100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, New of the planetarium was immediately clear Jersey 08854, 2005, ISBN 0-8135-3576-X, hard- to all, but its ability to entertain was just bound, $US49.95. beginning to be appreciated. Waldemar Kaempffert wrote “A planetarium is noth- Reviewed by John Mosley, Griffith Observa- ing more nor less than a playhouse in tory, Los Angeles, California, USA which the majestic drama of the firma- ment is unfolded.” I’ve been a planetarium professional since • The first Jena planetarium on the Zeiss fac- September, 1970, when I began my first full- tory rooftop presented up to 9 shows a day time planetarium job – and that was one with audiences as large as 600 people month before this book ends. In October, squeezed into a small dome (p. 20). The 1970, CAPE (Conference of American Plane- Jena planetarium drew more than 100,000 tarium Educators) was held, and it marked visitors during its first year of operation. the coming-of-age of planetariums (or planetaria – take your pick). If I’d had this book In this scholarly book Jor- then, I would have known the history of my dan traces the history of profession up to when I entered the field and planetariums, especially in could follow its development first-hand; as it is, I’ve picked up planetarium history in bits North America, from the and pieces through the years. very beginnings until April S. Whitt In this scholarly book Jordan traces the 1970. … The book’s tar- history of planetariums, especially in North Fernbank Science Center America, from the very beginnings until get audience is obviously 156 Heaton Park Drive NE 1970. It’s not a page turner and you won’t the planetarium profes- recommend it to your friends and family, sional, so this volume Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA but I found it fascinating. isn’t one for your book [email protected] These questions (page X) drive his narrative: What motivated private donors to con- shop. But it is one for Saving light, saving face, or saving your struct the first American planetariums in the your book shelf. mental health during a rainy afternoon with 1930s? What criteria were essential for peo- campers – this issue’s selection of books rep- ple to become planetarium directors? What resents the variety of information we plane- was the effect of the advent of an inexpen- • George Ellery Hale influenced the design tarians use and teach. If you’re interested in sive pin-hole projector? How was the Ameri- of exhibits at several planetariums, includ- some real savings (as in “free”) contact me at can planetarium community influenced by ing Fels and especially Griffith. He be- the address above. There is a stack of books Sputnik and the dawning of the space age? lieved that planetariums should be re- needing reviewers. Choose your favorite And how have planetariums been incorpo- search centers, and not merely the tools topic and send it to me in an e-mail message. rated into popular culture? Jordan divides for the popularization of science, and that You get to keep the book, and your fellow his book into four parts (page 3): The first if planetarium directors were professional readers get to share your insights. explores the origin of planetariums, which research astronomers it would enhance Many thanks to our reviewers: John occurred largely, but not entirely, in Europe. the institution’s stature (p.36) He cam- Mosley, Georgia Neff, and John Schroer. The second examines the formative period paigned for the inclusion of public tele- (1930-1946,) when Zeiss-equipped facilities scopes, especially solar telescopes, for dominated the scene, and the program inno- direct viewing of celestial objects (and vation that occurred during this period. The hence Griffith acquired a set of research- third section covers the introduction of grade solar telescopes) because visitors Armand Spitz’ low-cost pinhole planetarium would want to see the real thing in addi- and the effect of its wide use. The fourth cov- tion to projected images. ers the burst of planetarium-building follow- • The first planetarium director’s job des- ing Sputnik and the beginning of the space cription was written in Germany in 1928 race. (p. 49). The director was to “be learned in Among the many things that I learned are: astronomy,” able to operate the equip- • Planetarium shows were compared to ment, and qualified to explain the celestial movies as early as 1927 (p. 18). Movies did- display. Early American job descriptions n’t even have sound then. This compari- included administrative duties including son was made by a magazine that didn’t supervising assistants, preparing press understand what a planetarium did. Albert materials, and monitoring ticket sales. Ingalls noted that planetariums were com- • The difference in philosophy between parable with time-lapse motion pictures in German and American planetariums dates that they permitted astronomical motions to the 1930s (p. 68). All shows were closely to be “accelerated many fold” and made themed to astronomical demonstrations Theaters of Time and Space: more understandable. (“The Moon and its Motions,” “Constella- • Planetarium professionals discovered the tions of the Summer Sky”), but American American Planetaria, 1930 - value of mixing entertainment and educa- planetariums changed shows monthly, so 1970 tion as early as 1925 – when there was one audiences would return again and again, September 2005 Planetarian 33 and at the end of the year a person who since their inception … Lessons gained at David Prerau, Thunder Mouth Press, 1700 returned for all 12 had a short course in Morrison Planetarium were never circulat- Fourth Street, Berkeley, California, 94710, astronomy. In contrast, German planetari- ed among the broader planetarium com- USA, 2004, ISBN 1-56025-655-9, $US23. ums ran the same program endlessly until munity (beyond its small coterie of execu- attendance had dropped. Adler Planetari- tives) and were subsequently forgotten. Reviewed by John Mosley, Griffith Observa- um’s Director Fox insisted that visitors see Bunton’s experiences with Vortex were to tory, Los Angeles, California, USA. “a stirring spectacle, … the heavens por- be relearned time and again by every insti- trayed in great dignity and splendor, tution that repeated his little-known Twice a year we (or most of us) go through dynamic, inspiring, in a way that dispels experiment” the familiar ritual – move our clocks ahead the mystery but retains the majesty.” • Delegates disagreed over the benefits of or back one hour and we go on (or off) day- • Shows with dramatic and entertaining live vs. pre-recorded shows, and the merits light saving time. It’s become routine – but themes, such as “How the World Will of the use of science fiction, at the first for most of the last century, it was anything End” and “Trip to the Moon,” originated nation-wide symposium on planetarium but. I had no idea how complex and con- in the 1930s at Fels and Hayden (p. 74). education in 1958 at Cranbrook (p. 152). tentious has been the idea of “saving” day- James Stokley transformed the planetari- “Nonetheless, a consensus of opinion light during the summer months until I read um into the interior of a space ship (the emerged that techniques of “good theater” this book. creator of the Buck Rogers comic strip were essential for success, no matter what David Prerau, a “senior knowledge engi- designed the space ship’s “control panel”), subject or audience was addressed.” Presi- neer” living in Massachusetts, has coauthor- and visitors arrived on the moon in time dent Eisenhower sent his greetings to the ed three U.S. government reports to Congress to witness an eclipse of the sun by the assembled planetarium professionals at on the effects of daylight time, and he earth. His audacious programming style the meeting the following year (p. 156). knows his history. He begins his story with a exploited the full entertainment capabili- * Norman Sperling coined the word “plane- review of time-reckoning schemes in ancient ties of the new medium, and was much tarian” as a label for any planetarium societies and how we ended up with our 24- imitated in years to come. worker, and his term was subsequently hour day. He next traces the story of the • At a planetarium directors meeting in 1954 chosen as the title of this journal at the long road to standard time zones. This is it was proposed that the possible exchange IPSE Constitutional Committee meeting familiar territory, but David tells it engaging- of packaged planetarium shows (script at Baton Rouge in 1971 (p. 167). The choice ly with many details, and it is a surprisingly and audio tape) be investigated (p. 107). precipitated great disagreement (Jordan fast read. Programs had been shared in the 1930s, doesn’t describe the nature of the conflict). Then to daylight saving time, which was but not packaged for wide distribution. I could go on with many, many more proposed by none other than Benjamin • At a meeting in 1957 it was widely recog- examples. The book’s target audience is obvi- Franklin in 1784, who calculated how many nized that planetarium shows compete ously the planetarium professional, so this millions of candles would be saved were the with movie theaters, and that traditional volume isn’t one for your book shop. But it is sun to set later each evening. astronomy shows (“Reasons for the one for your book shelf. Franklin thought it a waste of daylight to Seasons”) must be replaced by more dra- My only complaint is that Jordan can’t sleep through morning hours when the sun matic “End of the World”-type shows (p. give us access to the full text of the many was up, and to then need to provide artificial 109). This was largely accomplished, at interesting articles, speeches, and reports that (candle)light during the evening, after sun- least in America, by this time. Educational he cites and quotes from. I would like to set. Others argued that delaying the time of shows whose primary mission was to have known more, and I finished the book sunset would provide health benefits by giv- teach astronomy had been replaced by with lots of questions that I didn’t have ing more time for children to play outside in dramatic shows whose purpose was also to when I started. the evening (this was before TV). The pro- awe and inspire. posal was not put into effect, however, until • Astronaut training began at the Morehead World War I, when the economic benefit of Planetarium in 1960 (p. 137). Not only was saving coal and gas used for artificial lighting Morehead relatively close to Cape Cana- during the evening won the argument. The veral, its Zeiss II had been upgraded with Kaiser’s Germany used its emergency powers additional projectors for the 42 brightest to begin “Sommerzeit” in April, 1916, and navigational stars. Anthony Jenzano other countries quickly followed suit. People championed the use of his theater as the were eager to return to normalcy when war first planetarium “analog spaceflight simu- ended, and daylight time – which was associ- lator.” ated with rationing and conservation – was • The first planetarium light shows (long an early casualty of peace. before Laserium) were Vortex at the Mor- Daylight time, known as War Time, was rison Planetarium in 1957 (p. 141). The pro- back during World War II for the same rea- grams were a mixed success at best, and son – to save energy used for artificial light- director George Bunton felt the planetari- ing – and it ended along with other emergen- um had been “invaded” by less-desirable cy measures as soon as the war did. But many elements of the community. The light people had grown to like the late sunsets in shows caused substantial tension to the summer and the prolonged leisure time on staff and “friction and discord” among patios and around barbecues. administrators, and were a “general nui- Daylight time remained, but was made sance.” According to Jordan, “Vortex pro- Seize the Daylight: The optional – and that created a monster. Each grams posed the most serious challenges community could decide whether or not to to matters of identity, purpose, and audi- Curious and Contentious observe daylight time – and which dates to ence satisfaction that planetaria had faced Story of Daylight Saving Time start and end it – and chaos reigned for 34 Planetarian September 2005 decades as, for example, St. Paul observed Stephanie Nolen, Four Walls Eight Windows, of the societal norms of those days, but daylight time while adjacent Minneapolis 39 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10011, Randy Lovelace - a NASA doctor who super- did not (except for government offices in St. 2002, ISBN 1-56858-275-7 $US22.95 vised the selection of Mercury astronauts, Paul, which did not), and even adjacent and Donald Flickinger, an air force brigadier school districts differed in time zone in a Reviewed by John Schroer, Dassault general and pioneer of aviation medicine, checkerboard pattern no one could make Systèmes Planetarium, Detroit Science ignored the norms of their day to come up sense of. I had no idea the situation had got- Center, Detroit, Michigan, USA. with a woman in space program. They select- ten so out-of-hand during the ‘60s and ‘70s, ed Jerrie Cobb, an extraordinary pilot, to go before the federal government stepped in, Any planetarian with an interest in space through the same tests used to select the and in legislation reminiscent of that which exploration believes that they know the Mercury 7. She excelled, and the program created standard time zones a century earlier, story of the Space Race, how America and was expanded to a total of 13, named the imposed the order we enjoy and take for Russia competed for prestige and propagan- FLATs, the Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees. granted today. da. The FLATs were a group of extraordinary But few know the entire story, including Why do we have trouble I had no idea how com- the saga of the American women who were remembering these un- selected and studied to see how they would plex and contentious has common women and been the idea of “saving” perform in the same tests and processes used to select the Mercury 7 (male) astronauts. So their accomplishments? daylight during the sum- why is their story unknown to so many? Why is the story of the This story has been told before: in maga- mer months until I read FLATs (Fellow Lady Astro- this book zines in 1963, again when Sally Ride became America’s first female astronaut, and again naut Trainees) untold to when Eileen Collins was appointed the first the last two generations The book is full of wonderful anecdotes, female commander of a space shuttle mis- the best being the story of Palestinian terror- sion. Why do we have trouble remembering of girls? ists who entered Israel with two bombs set to these uncommon women and their accom- detonate on crowded buses at precisely 6:30 plishments? Why is the story of the FLATs women who ignored traditional roles, defied p.m. – but who forgot that Israel had just (Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees) untold to convention, and broke through barriers. switched back to standard time; the bombs the last two generations of girls? How did Their story is a tale of the painful, destruc- exploded exactly one hour early, and blew these extraordinary women overcome the tive experience of being caught on the cusp away three time-challenged terrorists. social norms of their time to reach for the of social change. Promised the Moon: The I read the book cover-to-cover and thor- stars? To understand this tale of women Untold Story of the First Women of Space oughly enjoyed it, and recommend it to all astronauts from forty years ago, we need to Race is told with a balanced view, passion who are interested in timekeeping - as all we understand how the role of women has and attention to detail by Stephanie Nolen, planetarians are. You’ll find more informa- changed in that time. an experienced foreign correspondent for tion (and an order form) at www.seizethe- It is said that change is a universal con- The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national news- daylight.com. stant. While traditions and customs are paper. retained, and even treasured, change does The story of the FLATs is one of restrictive take place in human societies. It does not social norms, sexual politics, the testos- matter in which society you live, change is terone-filled atmosphere of America’s part of human existence. While arriving later National Aeronautics and Space Admini- in some places than others, one of the most stration, and conflict between two influen- profound changes has been the evolving role tial female pilots. One, Jacqueline “Jackie” of women in society. Today, women have Cochran, was well-known for air racing and more choices in career, family, and politics. I was politically well-connected. Jackie was a mention this to highlight how different our tireless self-promoter, and ran several large world is from the world of 50 years ago. businesses, unusual for the time. She also had Fifty years ago, women were expected to a strong, assertive personality that overcame marry and raise a family. A woman needed the obstacles of the male-dominated field of her husband’s signature to buy a car. It was a aviation. common experience for a woman to be The second was Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb, turned down for a good job because “it the first of the FLATs, to whom Jackie Coch- wouldn’t look right to have a girl in the ran was a hero. In the end, Stephanie Nolan manager’s office or at the front desk.” Few has gathered many points of view to discov- women walked the halls of power, or sat in er the fascinating tale of women dreaming of the boardrooms of companies or corpora- space exploration, twenty years before Sally tions. No anti-discrimination laws existed to Ride and Mae Jemison. I highly recommend assist a woman in following her dreams of a this book to anyone interested in the history career. of crewed space flight. Now imagine during this time, 13 women being selected and tested in the same man- Promised the Moon: The ner as America’s first astronauts, the Mercury 7. Imagine the dream of space exploration by Untold Story of the First women in such a society. Hard to do in light Women in the Space Race (continued on page 38) September 2005 Planetarian 35

retold and Illustrated by Dayle L. Brown, information, a vocabulary list, activities and AuthorHouse, 1663 Liberty Drive, Blooming- a very useful chart of National Education ton, Indiana, 47403, USA, 2004, ISBN Standards correlation is available to accom- 1418493244, $US24.25 pany the book. The guide contains repro- ducible sheets for use with students or camp Reviewed by Georgia Neff, Peoria, Illinois, groups. Skylore’s extensive bibliography lists USA. a variety of books and articles for further reading. This book, charmingly illustrated by the author, retells the tale of Orion as seen by fif- This book, charmingly ill- teen different cultures. For every planetarian ustrated by the author, who has shared the story of Orion and Diana retells the tale of Orion as more times than can be counted, here are possibly unfamiliar legends from around the seen by fifteen different world. cultures. Every inhabited continent is represented, plus Polynesia. The stars of Orion variously This book would be a great addition to represent individual animals or people, or your collection of storytelling tools. Tea- whole battle scenes. Each simply-told story chers would enjoy it for the variety of inter- includes a full-page illustration suggesting disciplinary activities. Planetarians will find the art style of the people who told that ver- it a source of new stories to tell. Camp and sion of the tale. The artwork incorporates scout leaders will find it a great resource for Skylore from Planet Earth: the star pattern as seen from the tale’s area of multi-cultural events. And any reader will Orion origin. enjoy the variety of tales. Order it on-line at A parent-teacher guide with background www.authorhouse.com. C

38 Planetarian September 2005

11 years that it’s been my pleasure to be the ment into space is fraught with peril. The Forum editor. tragic experience also showed us another c c c side of human nature: how complacent we had become. Since Columbia’s maiden flight The Vision for Space Exploration on 12 April 1981, all shuttle flights have had When Steve Tidey first solicited inputs foam debris shedding events from the exter- from planetarians as to the realistic nature nal tank during ascent. Some of these events and goals for NASA’s Vision for Space were more significant than others, leaving Exploration (VSE), I was wintering over in their imprints on the underside of the shut- Moscow, Russia. I missed the call for inputs tle. We had become accustomed to foam and commentary in that issue of Planetarian. shedding. I appreciate the opportunity to submit my This is not a stab at NASA; rather, it is a remarks and to respond now, albeit belated- basic tenet of human nature. Yet, the work ly. that NASA does is quite uncommon. We I understand how the internet (i.e., list- should have known better! Whether this was servs such as Dome-L or FPSpace, the various the 1st flight or the 113th flight, we should .astro groups, blogs, etc.) and forums such as have known better. this gives us the feeling of empowerment. When the shuttle returns to Earth from This is especially so when we have the op- orbit, the double sonic boom is heard pre- portunity to use it as a platform to make a cisely on time as predicted. If it is not heard statement against an organization or agency Steve Tidey at that moment, something horribly wrong and our leaders. While I understand this has occurred. Senior NASA management, 58 Prince Avenue, sense of satisfaction, I would suggest that it including the Administrator, and the takes away from one’s argument to use epi- Southend, Essex, SS2 6NN crewmembers’ families were waiting near thets and hurl insults while attempting to the runway at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). England make a point. When that double sonic boom was not Over the past several months, nearly [email protected] heard, Bill Readdy and several others knew every planetarian with whom I have corre- we were in a contingency situation. The sponded or bumped into at the airport, In a galaxy far, far away Darth Vader families were immediately moved to a pri- thinks the return to the Moon and the VSE is enters the Dark Side … vate location. Administrator O’Keefe and a joke or, at best, a political stunt. I have OK, that’s the first line of the next Star senior NASA management met with and pointed many colleagues to several sources. Wars novel, in which Darth Vader walks consoled them on the loss. (A few months These range from Mike Griffin’s testimony into a planetarium during a show. Now for later, in April 2003, we had another poten- before the Senate; his draft study on the First the Forum column … tially similar situation with the return of the Lunar Outpost (FLO) from 1991-92; Columbia Before we get down to reading contribu- Expedition 6 in Soyuz TMA 1 as the Soyuz Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) details; tions I’ve received in response to the current vehicle experienced a ballistic re-entry. We and, to the more recent multi-author report Forum topic, I’d like you to read a marvelous could not find the crew - and had no com- on how NASA might best extend human late contribution I received to the previous munication with them - for nearly four presence in the solar system. one replies to which appeared in the June hours. Once again, the families and loved I want to use this opportunity to share Planetarian. I don’t normally accept contri- ones were removed to a secure, private loca- my viewpoint regarding some aspects of the butions that come in after the deadline, but I tion.) Columbia tragedy, the original decision to was happy to make an exception in this case I will not take up valuable space discus- not return to HST, completing the Inter- because the author, Rob Landis, is in a sing the CAIB report. Folks may find it at national Space Station (ISS), and the renewed unique position to offer an insider’s view- URL http://caib.nasa.gov. effort to go beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) as point about the topic that was as follows: After the initial CAIB report and its rec- outlined by the VSE. ommendations were released, NASA leader- Columbia How realistic is President Bush’s new Space ship said we would comply with all recom- Since the dawn of the Space Age, planetar- Initiative? Will astronaut safety issues hold mendations. ians and space educators have played a vital NASA back from achieving the initiative’s Hubble Space Telescope role in communicating with the public at stated goals of establishing a base on the When I had begun working at Space large. All of us are inspired by the sky and the Moon and Mars, or will it forge ahead and Telescope Science Institute (STScI), all of us sense of adventure that the space program view this as its new reason for being, for knew that the loss of another shuttle could imbues. The year 2003 was eagerly awaited which the Agency has been searching these ultimately be the end of HST servicing mis- and widely anticipated. It was the 200th last few decades? sions and could curtail the life of the tele- anniversary of the start of the Lewis and scope. Assuming a nominal sequence of sce- Clark expedition, the 100th anniversary of You see, Rob has worked for NASA for narios, Hubble’s planned life was 15 years, the Wright brothers first powered (con- many years, and he’s recently had some face- interspersed with four servicing missions. trolled) flight as well as the continued opera- to-face discussions with the Agency’s new This year (2005) is the 15-year-mark of HST tions of numerous spacecraft (ISS assembly, Administrator, Mike Griffin, so his take on on orbit. Columbia’s last completed mission, continued HST operations, spacecraft to the topic is particularly relevant and I want STS-109 (March 2002), was the fourth servic- Mars and Saturn – to mention a few). to give everybody the chance to read his ing mission to HST. The breakup of the space shuttle orbiter, enlightening and insightful thoughts. I rec- It is against this backdrop - the tragic loss Columbia, on re-entry was a stark reminder ommend them to you as possibly the best of the STS-107 crew (and the shared uncom- that our tomorrows are not promised to us. contribution I’ve had to this column in the mon grief with the astronauts’ families); the The business of sending humans and equip-

40 Planetarian September 2005 loss of the good ship Columbia; the apparent fied timelines to destinations. The first of please see the article posted to the Space inability to provide safe haven (and proba- these is coming soon – the Lunar Recon- Review: http://www.thespacereview.com/ ble effective repair of the shuttle) on a mis- naissance Orbiter (LRO), slated for launch in article/115/1. sion to service Hubble; and the planned end 2008. We have a Systems Readiness Review Mike Griffin, Owen Garriott, Charles of life for this great orbital telescope — that (SRR) next month at Goddard Space Flight Kohlhase, Tom Jones (who many may the decision was made to not return to HST Center (GSFC) to be followed by a remember from the 1995 GLPA conference with a human crew. Privately, I did not and Preliminary Design Review in October. The in Grand Rapids), and others prepared an still do not agree with the decision, but I Level 0 and Level 1 datasets will flow into independent report for the Planetary Society think I understand the context within both human and robot landing site selec- on how to best implement this vision. In which it was made. tion. The mission requirements include fact, Mike has referred to this report several NASA now has a new Administrator. accurate geodetic maps and resolution of the times in his Senate confirmation hearing as Provided we demonstrate the successful lunar surface down to 50 centimeters. We well as number of press conferences. The full return to flight along with tile repair tech- want to avoid another Apollo 11 (Eagle) or report may be found at http://planetary.org/ niques, it is probably in the cards that one Apollo 15 (Falcon) type of landing. For more aimformars/study-summary.html. more servicing mission to HST will be per- information on LRO, see http://lunar.gsfc It is well worth reading – especially if you formed. I was at the NBL (Neutral Buoyancy .nasa.gov. want to know more about which direction Laboratory - located off the main JSC cam- we may likely head when it comes to the pus) a couple weeks ago. The NBL team had human return to the Moon. Will it be based the aft shroud of HST out of storage, along upon FLO or the paper authored by Griffin, with a few radial pallets. In the event we get et al.? It is too early to say right now. Perhaps the ‘GO’ to insert an HST servicing mission it will be a combination of the two. into the queue, we want to be prepared to Some contend NASA needs more money – promptly execute a training plan for that the same level of funding in the heyday of next servicing mission. Apollo. NASA funding began to decrease in Hubble has been an incredible machine. 1966. Much of the money spent up through The shuttle and the human lives on it are that time was on capital to get ready for finite resources. The United States will honor Apollo. NASA has been in existence for 48 its agreements with the European Space years. That is a nice round number. If that Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Space Agency figure is split into thirds – 16-year ‘thirds’ – (JAXA) to deliver their respective modules to NASA funding has remained steady, adjust- the ISS. Regardless of how many more flights ing for inflation. to ISS or a final shuttle flight to HST, we plan LRO is the first of many steps in the return For the current fiscal year, NASA was to retire the shuttle by 2010. to the Moon. The next steps include robotic funded at around $16.3 billion. Next year, it To the Moon, Mars and Beyond landers and a sped up development cycle for will probably go up to $16.5 billion. (As of Landing on Mars as part of the Mars the CEV. The new NASA Administrator, this writing, this has passed the House and Excursion Rover team was the most incredi- Mike Griffin, has made it abundantly clear will soon go to the Senate). The onus is upon ble experience of my life - personally and he wants to shorten the last flight of the us – the civil servants and contractors at professionally. We are now on the cusp of shuttle in 2010 and the first flight of the NASA – to be excellent stewards of the repeating that for a new generation of flight CEV, perhaps in 2011. American taxpayers’ money. Radical expen- controllers in the return to the Moon. Meanwhile, there is a core of us studying ditures are probably not a good, long-term Within 10 days of MER-A’s (Spirit) landing various architectures (i.e., lunar direct or a solution; but measured, consistent, responsi- on Mars at Gusev Crater, President Bush out- dual-launch and lunar orbit rendezvous) to ble, progressive expenditures are a much lined a plan to retire the shuttle, develop the send four astronauts down to the surface – at healthier solution. Crew Exploration Vehicle, and a timeline to least, this is one of the current studies we are There will be an international component return to the Moon. The President clearly working on for a lunar sortie reference mis- in the return to the Moon and expanding stated this would be a journey, requiring a sion. I do not know how many sorties will be humanity’s presence throughout the solar long-term commitment to extend our pres- made before beginning work on a lunar base. system. It is unlikely the international part- ence into the solar system. No matter what We anticipate the first sortie will be a 2014- nership will be modeled after the ISS pro- side of the political aisle we opt to be, this is 15 timeframe. gram. Rather, the international aspect of not a mere ‘political stunt.’ It is more than As far as going to Mars, robotic missions returning to the Moon and exploring the that – it is the policy of the United States are the way to go for the moment. Before solar system will probably more closely that will span multiple Presidential adminis- sending humans to Mars, it might make resemble the Cassini-Huygens probe or the trations. I encourage folks to read New Moon more practical sense to visit a few near-Earth Hubble Space Telescope. Rising by Frank Sietzer and Keith Cowing to asteroids (NEAs) first. This will afford both The Space Exploration Initiative (c. 1989) learn more about the some of the behind- crew and the ground to become more accus- Some may ask, “But, wait … didn’t we do the-scenes work that occurred within the tomed to being a few light-minutes from the this before, didn’t the President’s father paint White House and at NASA. President Bush’s Earth. a grand vision?” speech on 14 January 2004 went beyond the Expanding Human Presence Through the Yes, and it was called the Space Explor- general statements made by former Solar System ation Initiative (SEI). The former President Presidents. The full text of the Vision for Nearly 14 years ago or so, when Mike Bush (aka “Bush 41” for the 41st President of Space Exploration (VSE) is at URL http:// Griffin led the exploration effort from NASA the United States) has said he was very disap- www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/ Headquarters, he led a team that developed pointed and frustrated it went nowhere. 2004/01/20040114-3.html. the First Lunar Outpost (FLO) white paper. Hindsight being 20/20, it is easy to point to The President provided goals within speci- For details and a discussion regarding FLO, the faults of SEI. Perhaps the most noticeable

September 2005 Planetarian 41 oversight is that his Administration (Bush 41) is achieved, you beget the question: what is ‘60s. In some respects NASA have been trying did not consult NASA or Congressional staff to be done next? Omitting scores of details to play down comparisons with Apollo for members extensively prior to putting the SEI and caveats, I hope this helps explain how the last 30 years, but in another sense they together. The current Administration (aka NASA has become what it is today. And yet, want to do stuff that evokes the same sense “Bush 43”) did. Bush 41’s team attempted to despite those who look back wistfully at of achievement, and I believe they think sling something together on the cusp of the those halcyon Apollo days – look at what has they’ve found that new golden target to aim 20th anniversary of Apollo 11. Bush 43’s team been accomplished: four spacecraft pushing for with the VSE. Let’s give them a chance to spent considerable time and effort consult- towards interstellar space, a school bus-sized get it off the ground over the next five years ing with engineers, astronauts, scientists, spacecraft at Saturn, five spacecraft at Mars, or so before we pass judgement. space policy wonks and more to pull off a another on its way to Mercury, a number of OK, that’s it for another column, so I’ll see reasonable, practical program. comet and asteroid flybys and more have you next- Another reason why SEI did not come happened since those glorious Apollo days. Oh, silly me, Rob’s piece was so long it felt together as we all may have hoped is that NASA needs planetarians to effectively like a whole column in itself. We’ve got to the NASA Administrator was not a huge fan communicate our exploration endeavors as move on now to the current topic for discus- of the initiative. He was fired. (It is generally we free ourselves from low-Earth orbit. The sion. You can read it while I go and put my career limiting if you’re a Presidential planetarium is a most incredible and unique brain in gear: appointee and you are unwilling or unable cathedral of inspiration to motivate young to implement the President’s policy.) The minds to hopefully some day come and We don’t always like to admit it, but some books New Moon Rising by Cowing and work for us. planetarium shows are considerably better Sietsen and Dragonfly by Bryran Burrough Rob Landis than others. So, in your eyes, and without discuss this in greater detail. NASA Johnson Space Center mentioning specific shows adversely, what In 1992, NASA had a new Administrator Mission Operations Directorate elements set the really good shows apart from the run of the mill? and the SEI was in the process of being re-cal- c c c ibrated (from which the FLO study had When President Bush announced the VSE emerged under Mike Griffin). However, with Tom Callen’s standing by with clipboard last year I admit to being conflicted; I was a new President, NASA’s budget and priori- and pen in hand, so let’s see what’s on his list. excited but also skeptical, because of ties changed. The space station was re- inevitable comparisons with the infamous c c c designed and then re-designed again to SEI (which some of you may also remember I don’t know if you can really ask plane- incorporate the Russian Mir 2 program as the so called 90-Day Report) that Dubya’s tarians this question, as I’m sure there are as (which became the Russian segment of the father commissioned. That was quietly many answers as there are types of equip- International Space Station). shelved quicker than you could have said, ment that one finds in them. Combined Conclusion ‘Crikey, where’s the money coming from?’ with the old and long-running discussion Despite the disparaging comments some I’ve been a subscriber to NASA’s press about live shows versus pre-recorded shows, have made about NASA leadership and the releases by email for many years (email there are even more possible viewpoints. I American President (in this column and on [email protected]; leave the subject line also think that what makes for a good show Dome-L), NASA is on the precipice of doing blank and in the body of the message just for us in the business differs from what some of the most incredible things – ever. type subscribe press-release) and in the three makes a good show for our visitors, whether The President articulated some very clear months or so following the VSE announce- they be school groups or the general public. goals for NASA: return to flight, complete the ment, I was encouraged to see many press Perhaps it eventually boils down to – as in ISS, replace the space shuttle, go to the Moon, releases about significant organisational so many other forms of media - the actual learn more stuff, go to Mars and beyond. changes in the Agency at its headquarters story in and of itself. If you don’t have a Good grief! It seemed like science fiction. and field centers, specifically designed to lay good, logical, interesting and compelling Sure, I was still on the high of my first the groundwork for the VSE to be put into story, then no amount of media technology (NASA’s fourth) landing on Mars and getting practice. Nothing like that happened after will save it. This even happens with Holly- ready for my second (NASA’s fifth) landing. the SEI came out, so it was a clear sign that wood blockbusters; you can have all the The Moon, Mars and beyond. Wow. It’s a fea- the NASA leadership is genuinely trying to resources of a giant special effects house like sible, reasonable beginning that will pro- make this thing work. And I still feel the Industrial Light and Magic at your disposal, gress. It’s a journey. When I was a boy, this same 18 months later, especially now that but if there is no story then it becomes only was the Space Age I had imagined! Mike Griffin is the new Administrator, as he so much fluff without substance. Many of the older planetarian generation seems to have space in his blood. Only time Personally speaking, what works for me is yearn for the glory days of Apollo and what will tell if the relatively modest several hun- a planetarium show that is engaging both President Kennedy had done when it came dred million dollars of new money the US artistically and intellectually and the tech- to the first volley of lunar voyages. Apollo government is prepared to give NASA each nology that delivers it is transparent to the had three essential ingredients for its success: year for VSE projects, combined with money viewer. A good level of “gee whiz” and some 1) it had the support at the very top (i.e., redirected from other projects, will be surprises – visual, audio, or informational – Presidential level); 2) technology enabled the enough to do the job the way we’d like. But I don’t hurt either. There should be a good endeavor, and 3) there was a popular culture feel we shouldn’t doubt the Agency’s sinceri- flow of both the story in a sensible order that supported the effort. To be sure, it was a ty in doing what it can to achieve its stated (while the movie Pulp Fiction was brilliant different paradigm at the time. However, I goals within the current realities of space in its non-linear approach, it would not have would argue when President Kennedy made exploration in the modern world, which in made for a good learning experience) that the commitment to go to the Moon, over- some respects are far more limiting and con- also has a good sense of logical motion. For night he changed NASA. NASA became a trast wildly with the much different world example objects should move across the one-issue agency (i.e., get to the Moon!). Like and business state of affairs in which NASA dome in such a way as to not feel contrived many one-issue political parties, once success operated back in the halcyon days of the or cute, and objects should not move first

42 Planetarian September 2005 from the left to right and then from the delivered live, or pre-recorded – can make all show is in progress. Whether it’s a chuckle, right to left. I’ll be the first one to admit that the difference in the world. No one actually kids singing along to a song, or kids shouting a dome is not the friendliest place for trying sets out to produce a bad show, but some- out answers to a question, such audience par- to introduce objects to a scene compared to times resources and capabilities don’t meet ticipation when none is expected is the sig- the rectangular format of film and televi- up to one’s plans and expectations. Perhaps nature of an exceptional show. This is the sion, but then too that’s part of the fun and part of the success of producing a planetari- kind of show that a presenter never gets tired challenge of producing a show. um show also lies in being able to pull back of running. Shows specifically designed to be Music should keep to the background and and realistically look at the whole picture, interactive invite in and rely on audience only attract attention to itself when appro- and match what can be done with what is participation, but when the audience, unin- priate, and there should be some parts in the available and then strive to try and meet vited, feels compelled to jump in and be part soundtrack where there is no narration so those goals. of the show, you know you’ve made a pretty that the composer has the possibility to Tom Callen good connection. ‘stretch out’ a bit and bring the music for- Astronomer/Program Producer Ultimately, a good show teaches some- ward before the next bit of narration. This Cosmonova thing. That something can be as mundane as doesn’t mean, however, that the music has Swedish Museum of Natural History a fun fact about the solar system or as magi- to be boring and unimaginative; a good Stockholm, Sweden cal as a newfound awareness of the splendor composer can keep it unobtrusive yet still c c c of the night sky. However, in the limited interesting. Using appropriate music for the timeframe of a public program, there is not a A good planetarium show has a healthy right parts of the show is also good. I don’t whole lot that can really be taught. It should balance of many things. It has just the right expect to hear heavy handed techno music therefore not be the goal of a show to satisfy mix of substance and entertainment. The when we’re seeing a part about how Her- a need for knowledge, but rather it should be narration speed and tone are just right, and schel discovered Uranus with his homemade to leave a person hungry for more. This is the soundtrack isn’t too lulling or too over- telescope. Sometimes taking the opposite exactly what the best shows do. powering. These details are important, as approach works well; Strasenburgh’s first I figure that if the audience leaves with they set the mood or atmosphere. Also, the composer, Tim Clark, often used the oppo- sleep in their eyes, you’ve got a mediocre runtime is just right, although more often site sound counter to the visuals (for exam- show. If they leave with massive headaches, than not, too long is usually more of a prob- ple, very quiet music during a supernova’s you’ve got a bad show. And if people leave lem than too short. However, there are many explosion and expansion), but one has to be asking questions, you’ve got yourself a show decent shows that have all or most of these careful in order to pull it off well. Whenever that’s out of this world. things at their foundation. So what sets some I work with a composer on an original score Elizabeth Klimek above the others? for a planetarium show, I make up a list of Mueller Planetarium First of all, a good show successfully caters what sort of music that I had in mind when University of Nebraska State Museum to its audience. I think that the more general the scene was written and then we discuss it 210 Morrill Hall a show is, the harder it would be to write, as from there and usually reach a mutually sat- Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588 USA you have to appeal to a range of age groups. isfying score. A storytelling style seems to work really well c c c Glitz doesn’t matter, but how the story is for this, although it is not the only way. It I have always felt, and taught, that plane- told, what the visuals and music are and seems that the younger the audience is the tarium presentations (not shows) rest on how they are used do matter. One of the more interactive elements you need to have. three elements: science, drama, and educa- examples that has always stood out in my Little kids are the last people in the world tion. The science need not be astronomy – I head was from a Christmas show that we ran who want to sit still and watch an educa- have used the planetarium to illustrate how at Strasenburgh back in the early 1970s. A tional program, and on top of that a lot of Galileo serendipitously discovered the speed panorama of a snowbound village was over- them tend to be afraid of the dark. Engaging of human response, which falls under physi- lain with a sky full of moving storm clouds kids in a little game or song, or even just hav- ological psychology. Drama – this is what with a heavy snowfall underway. Streams of ing a character or presenter address them makes it interesting, which requires some smoke rose from some of the house’s chim- directly, is usually a failsafe way to keep talent, some understanding of your audience neys. The clouds and snow slowly faded them excited and focused. (don’t start talking about ammonium radi- away and as the sky cleared we saw lights Secondly, a good show tries to make use of cals in nebulas to anyone not taking ad- coming on in windows and colorful strings the domed environment as much as possible. vanced chemistry!), but does not require the of Christmas lights on some of the pine trees While specific capabilities and in-house toys latest flashy special effects. Education – a deft seen in the panorama lit up. Once the sky vary from theater to theater, the constants touch to leave people knowing and under- was completely clear and we only saw the of every planetarium are the dome and the standing a bit more than when they walked bright, crisp stars of winter, the full moon presence of a real live person. These are the in. rose over the eastern horizon to complete main things setting the planetarium apart Why not “shows”? Those are in theaters, the scene. All of this was set to Ralph from the Discovery Channel. A person pays either with stages or movie screens. Yes, we Vaughan Williams’ Variations On A Theme to go to a theater for a unique and different can use a planetarium for a staged produc- by Thomas Tallis, and for my part it was a experience, not to see essentially the same tion, but usually we are not doing that. guaranteed chill up the spine every time Nova program he could have watched while Audiences walk in with a different set of that I saw it. Simple, effective, no narration, lounging around in his pajamas at home. A expectations for “shows” as opposed to pre- just the music and visuals spoke for them- show should transcend a documentary. sentations, and if you lack the latest whiz selves leaving an indelible impression on the A presentation does this by connecting bang effects, they’ll be disappointed at not audience. with the audience in some manner. In this seeing something equal to what Industrial A good, well-paced and informative story way it stands apart from and above the run Light & Magic can do. with well planned and executed visuals and of the mill. This is most evident when there Drama - okay, you can march victims to the right music with a good narration – is a positive audience reaction while the the top of a Mayan pyramid and cut out

September 2005 Planetarian 43 their beating hearts (as a former student of Thomas Hamilton thing I come back to each time I asked my mine did), but drama can be more subtle, HOSS Planetarium self what made those programs so special was too. Personally, I think knowing what a Hamilton Outer Space Services the music. I know that is not a very satisfying brown dwarf is, or hot Jupiters, can be plenty 153 Arlo Road answer but, at least to me, it seems to be true. dramatic if well handled. Staten Island, New York 10301, USA The two programs in question are: Cosmos Education – while most at least know the c c c and Galaxies. (Both were distributed to a large world is round these days, surprisingly few number of planetariums a few years back). The short answer is: I wish I knew, but I know what causes the Moon’s phases or why However, to counter what I’ve just said, my think I may have a clue. You could say good astronauts don’t have to worry about bump- favorite program of all time is The Last writing, good flow, good story, good expla- ing into stars on their way to the Moon. Question by the Strasenburgh Planetarium – nations – that’s all important. However, I One sixth of any audience will go home but that was because of content. remember two shows that just (for some rea- delighted if you just point out the two zodia- I guess the important question is not what son) grabbed me. I thought long and hard cal constellations best placed for that night’s planetarians think make good shows; it is about why. Did these shows have some spe- viewing. Toss in Ursa Major, Polaris, and a what does the public think make good cial writing technique? Did they explain constellation no one has ever heard of (e.g. shows? something such that anybody could under- Lupus, Monoceros, or Scutum), and they will Gary Tomlinson, Retired stand it? Did they cover topics that grab the think you are a genius. Chaffee Planetarium imagination? I try to avoid talking about NASA or ESA 5075 N. Division The answer to all the above questions is plans, as plans change, budgets shift, launch- Comstock Park, Michigan 49321, USA no, they weren’t out of the ordinary is any of es fail, and I’m not paid to take flack for those respects, so what was it? The only c c c NASA or ESA. So there you have it. Lots of good advice if you happen to be writing a show at the moment. (And if you are, please consider submitting it to the IPS/Eugenides scriptwriting competition by December 31 at the latest. Details in the March 2005 Planetarian, or on the IPS web page, ips-planetarium.org). Ed Lantz contacted me recently and asked me to use a Forum topic that links with a series of articles he is writing for Planetarian, in which the current and future development of digital technology is examined. (Coordinated articles? Whatever next? And you thought we just threw these issues together). This seemed rather appropriate to me, because a few issues back we covered in this column people’s likes and dislikes about digital, and so it’s natural for us to take the next step and, in the knowledge that the technology is here to stay, look at how planetarians wish to see digital develop in the long term. And so I’d like you to respond to this topic, as written by Ed:

Given the inevitable growth of digital planetarium technologies, what positive impacts might this technology have on the planetarium profession in the coming decade, and what ‘digital guidelines’ do you think the planetarium profession should follow to realize this vision?

You know the routine by now. Please send me your thoughts on the above topic (it’s going to be key to the overall development of our profession, so I’m hoping many of you want to contribute something) by the deadline of October 9. Right, that really is it for now. I’m off to NASA to advise them if they keep slamming their probes into planetary atmospheres and comets, it’s going to send their no claims bonus right down the swanny … C

44 Planetarian September 2005

46 Planetarian September 2005 of other comets. NASA Space Science News One of the challenges of writing a quarterly news column is timing; by the time you our world were trained on Tempel-1 hoping read this, Discovery should have completed to record the impact and its effects. The Deep its mission to the International Space Station Impact science team is now feverishly sort- and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter should ing through reams of data. As of this writing, be on its way to Mars. So let’s look beyond no word yet on the size of the crater. Target- the near-term: In January 2006, a long-awaiting to a roughly 6 to 7-km object traveling at ed journey to Pluto will take a big step, when 37,000 kilometers per hour and placing the NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft launches Impactor in its path to hit a sunlit area of the from Cape Canaveral. The launch window rotating elongated nucleus was a huge tech- opens January 11, 2006, with an expected nological challenge. The first results will be encounter with Pluto and its large moon released at the American Astronomical Charon in July 2015. Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences Throughout 2006, Cassini will observe annual conference, in Cambridge, England, Titan, with as many as 12 flybys ranging September 4-9, and papers will be published from 2000 to 1000 kilometers altitude. All of in Science magazine that month as well. Cassini’s events are listed at http://saturn Early analysis shows that the comet nucle- .jpl.nasa.gov/operations/cassini-calendar- Anita M. Sohus us is very dark, with an albedo of about 4%, ALL.cfm. which is darker than a block of charcoal. On January 15, 2006, Stardust will return NASA/Jet Propulsion Some features may be as much as twice that its precious cargo of comet dust and inter- Laboratory, California bright. Features as small as a few meters stellar dust grains, parachuting the sample return capsule over the Utah desert. Stardust Institute of Technology across can be seen in images, including numerous “circular features.” The science team is encountered Comet Wild-2 on 2 January 4800 Oak Grove Drive fighting the impulse to call them craters, as a Pasadena, California 91109 few voices remind them that the surface is dominated by sublimation from ice to gas, USA and thus any impact structures have likely (1) 818-354-6613 been erased though this process. Emission lines of water, carbon dioxide, carbon (1) 818-354-7586 fax monoxide, and hydrocarbons have been [email protected] identified so far. The impactor’s entry was oblique, about 20-30 degrees above horizon- Smack! On July 4 (UT), NASA’s Deep tal, and the plume was composed of very Impact spacecraft punched a hole in Comet small microscopic particles believed to have Tempel-1, a step toward learning what these been released from the surface (rather than enigmatic bodies are made of and how they created by the impact). The expansion veloc- work. Telescopes around, above, and beyond ity was about 5 kilometers per second, based When NASA’s Deep Impact probe col- on tracking features in the debris. As of this lided with Tempel 1, a bright, small writing, the actual crater has not been seen flash was created, which rapidly ex- yet, perhaps because of the optically thick panded above the surface of the comet. This flash lasted for more ejecta cloud, or perhaps the crater rim was than a second. Its overall brightness not raised enough to be illuminated by the is close to that predicted by several models. sun. (Stay tuned for the science papers in After the initial flash, there was a September!) The scientists do report hot pause before a bright plume quickly water vapor measuring 1000-2000 Kelvins, extended above the comet’s surface. The debris from the impact eventual- and the hydrocarbon emissions were strongly cast a long shadow across the sur- ly enhanced. Eventually the science team face, indicating a narrow plume of should be able to separate the gas-to-dust ejected material, rather than a wide cone. The Deep Impact probe appears ratios. In addition, as the spacecraft to have struck deep, before gases were approached, outbursts (jets) from the nucleus heated and explosively released. The impact crater was observed to grow were observed with good time resolution, in size over time. which may help in pinpointing their origins A preliminary interpretation of these on the rotating nucleus. data indicate that the upper surface of the comet may be fluffy, or highly In late July, the Flyby spacecraft per- porous. The observed sequence of im- formed a course correction that will keep pact events is similar to laboratory Deep Impact’s Impactor performed open an option for an extended mission to experiments using highly porous tar- three auto-navigation trajectory cor- gets, especially those that are rich in rections after its release from the Fly- observe Comet Boethin in 2008. Deep Im- volatile substances. The duration of by spacecraft. The first correction pact carries the most sensitive near-infrared the hot, luminous gas phase, as well as the continued growth of the crater moved it farther away from the spectrometer yet carried into deep space, comet! The second moved it onto the over time, all point to a model consis- comet, and the third refined the im- combined with a large telescope (30-cm aper- tent with a large crater. pact point to optimize the view by ture), so scientists hope these instruments This image was taken by Deep Im- pact’s medium-resolution camera. the Flyby spacecraft. Credit: NASA/ can be used to study the nucleus and coma JPL-Caltech/UMD. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD.

September 2005 Planetarian 47 2004, when the spacecraft flew 236 kilome- evolved and changed over millions of years. next New Frontiers-class mission to go for- ters (about 147 miles) from Wild 2. By observing both protoplanets with the ward. A polar orbiter, Juno will investigate In late May 2006, NASA’s Dawn mission is same set of instruments, Dawn could shed the existence of an ice-rock core; determine scheduled to liftoff on its historic journey to new light on the formation and evolution of the amount of global water and ammonia two of the largest asteroids, Ceres and Vesta, our solar system.” (http://solarsystem/mi present in the atmosphere; study convection which are also wildly different from each ssions/profile.cfm?Sort=Chron&StartYear=2 and deep wind profiles in the atmosphere; other. Dawn is scheduled to arrive at Vesta in 000&EndYear=2009&MCode=Dawn, down- investigate the origin of the Jovian magnetic late July 2010, and study it for a year before loaded 18 July 2005.) field; and explore the polar magnetosphere. setting off to visit Ceres. Plans call for arrival Seeing these missions come to fruition Juno is scheduled for launch no later than at Ceres in August 2014, which the spacecraft makes me feel like Tevye from “Fiddler on June 2010. will orbit for about a year. Powered by ion the Roof:” “I don’t remember growing older, Keeping track of the NASA planetary mis- thrusters, Dawn will be the first mission ever when did they?” I participated in the compe- sions is hard enough; then one must also add to orbit two different asteroids. According to tition phases for the development and selec- in the astrophysical missions and Earth- the NASA Solar System Exploration website, tion of most of the current missions. It is observing missions, plus the human flight “Ceres and Vesta evolved under radically dif- exciting to see them happening. Many were missions, not to mention the international ferent circumstances in different parts of the proposed several times before being selected missions. Space, 24/7! solar system more than 4.6 billion years ago. and some are combinations of various mis- The original Space 24/7, of course, is the Water kept Ceres cool as it evolved. There is sion concepts. I wonder how many times sky, and the northern hemisphere fall 2005 evidence of frost or vapor on its surface and, Columbus or Magellan or other early Earth presents very nice viewing opportunities for possibly, liquid water under the surface. explorers proposed their voyages? Mars. Although farther away, Mars will be Vesta’s origins were hot and violent. Its inte- Several issues ago I described the NASA higher in the sky, and it will be showing ret- rior is melted; its surface dry. As a result of competition between two missions, one to rograde motion. C these diverse evolutionary paths, Ceres Jupiter and one to the Moon. Jupiter won remains in its primordial state, while Vesta this round, as NASA has selected Juno as the

48 Planetarian September 2005 jointly publishing, with the Great Lakes President’s Message Planetarium Association (GLPA), a superb scriptwriting booklet. This will be an updat- More importantly, though, the people of ed version of the 1999 GLPA publication Tips Earth share a wonderful view of the night for Planetarium Scriptwriting, edited by sky. Yes, there are north-south differences Steve Tidey. This earlier version itself is that add to the interest, but it is something invaluable! Steve is working on the new edi- that people of all countries, from all walks of tion as I write, and it promises to be a valu- life around the world, are able to experience. able resource. As it will be a joint publica- No matter what happens, the familiar con- tion, it will be made available on CD to IPS stellations are there, and the planets contin- members and GLPA members. Well done, ue to wander against the starry backdrop. Steve, for this important initiative, and People in our profession around the world thanks also to Dale Smith and the Publica- share the task of making people more aware tions Committee, as well as the contributors, of this æ and we perform it well. As I men- for their work on this topic. tioned in an earlier President’s Message, there A bright note for me in recent months was is great friendship between planetarians my attendance at two excellent conferences around the world – another result of our in May, and a subsequent visit to two NASA common goal. I know that for many of us, sites in the USA. the live segment, describing the current First up was the Conference of the Associ- night sky, is the favourite part of presenting ation of French-Speaking Planetariums (APLF), which ran from May 5 to May 8 in Martin George, Curator a show. It certainly is for me – and I like to join in with the audience’s excitement, mak- Nantes, France. Nantes is a fascinating, Launceston Planetarium ing it clear that I am looking forward to see- vibrant city, and it was the birthplace of Jules Verne. The Conference was combined Queen Victoria Museum ing these sights in the sky tonight, too! It is important to make our audiences with the Third European Meeting of Itiner- Wellington Street think æ not just to sit and listen – ant Planetaria, chaired by IPS President-Elect Launceston, Tasmania and to help them to realise that they are Susan Button. Included was a session at the an important part of the proceedings. As Nantes Planetarium, a trip on the river Erdre, Australia Dale Smith (President, 1999-2000 and current a visit to the Natural History Museum to see +61 (3) 63233777 Chair of the Publications Committee) once a superb display about Mars entitled Mars, said to me about a show: ‘I like it because it Découverte d’une Planète, and a fine tour of +61 (3) 63233776 fax reaches into the mind’. the region on the last day. [email protected] Indeed, reaching into the minds and Most importantly, there were valuable ses- hearts of people is an important way of sions during both the Conference and the working towards a peaceful co-existence. Meeting. I enjoyed gaining an insight into Not long before putting finger to key- Let’s keep it up. what is being done in French planetaria, in board for this article, I learned of the terror Now, on to different things! Speaking of addition to meeting many French planetari- of the London bombings. I am sure that our the content of planetarium shows, I am ans and making many new friends. The thoughts are with all who have been affect- delighted to mention that the IPS will be Itinerant Planetaria meeting was wonderful, ed by these events. Once the reality of what had happened had set in, I began to reflect on a role that, as planetarians, we have in promoting world peace in our own special way. We make our audiences aware of our place in the universe and enhance their understanding of our sur- roundings. As we do this, we also make people aware of the importance to us of our planet Earth. Martin Ratcliffe (IPS President, 2001-2002) wrote some months ago: ‘A planetarium is a place we expose our local community to amazing events of exploration of our universe, and try to place mundane activities of human existence in a greater context’. Placing our activities in that greater context is a central issue that relates to my thoughts. One of the Apollo astronauts once remarked that he could hold his hand up and cover the Earth with his thumb. Every- thing that is important to our daily lives (with the exception of our exploration of Gilles Roussel, Director of the Nantes Planetarium, demonstrates one of the many the universe!) is on that bluish-white ball. outdoor astronomical exhibits. Photo Credit: Martin George

September 2005 Planetarian 49 too, with several interesting sessions and a close visit to launch pads 39A and 39B, underneath one! number of portable domes set up on the which are historically important because of I then had the even greater pleasure of mezzanine floor of the conference venue æ not only the Apollo launches but also the making an official visit – on behalf of the IPS Nantes’ Cité des Congres. Space Shuttle launches. – to the Johnson Space Centre near Houston, Many thanks to Gilles Roussel and his On another day, an even more enjoyable where I was superbly looked after by Rob team in Nantes, to Agnes Acker, and to Susan tour was the ‘Then and Now’ tour, which Landis and many dedicated people there. Button for their fine work! included a number of the pre-Apollo sites as Gaining an insight into the people and the I then filled in a few days by travelling to well as the famous Apollo 1 site, where a fire work that is done at JSC was an unforget- France’s south, and couldn’t resist a visit to tragically took the lives of three astronauts table experience. the Cité de L’Espace at Toulouse. What a in January 1967. An especially exciting part of my visit was superb setup – a fine planetarium, an IMAX On both tours, it is possible to see the the ISS Control Room, where I had the plea- theatre, and superb space and astronomy famous Saturn V, beautifully housed and dis- sure of meeting Flight Director Sally Davis exhibits both indoors and outdoors! played in a large exhibition hall. It is one during actual ISS operations. One of the Congratulations to planetarium manager thing to mention the dimensions of the more moving experiences, however, was to Marc Moutin for his contributions to mak- Saturn V in our planetarium shows and relat- stand in the Apollo Mission Control room, ing it a first-class venue. If you do pay the ed exhibits, but the full impact of its size is where so many exciting events occurred place a visit, try to fit in a side trip to the really only felt while being able to stand three and a half decades ago. Standing nearby historical Joli- amongst the consoles, I mont Observatory. Also, could easily imagine the if you are in the area, less many thrills and occasional than three hours drive disappointments of people from Toulouse is the in the room as the major famous observatory at events of the Apollo era Pic du Midi. There’s no unfolded. As I turned to need for me to tell fellow face the rear of the room, planetarians of the signif- there was the area where icance of this place, but the families would stand, it’s great to be there to watching both eagerly and enjoy the spectacle! It’s a with trepidation as their must if you are in that loved ones carried out part of the world. activities which were at the Over the weekend of forefront of human ability. May 14-15 was the Con- Visiting the training ference of the British facilities, too, was a terrific Association of Planetaria, experience. There is a full- which was held at the sized replica of the ISS, and Museum of Science and two shuttle simulators. One Industry in Manchester. is designed to simulate Although I was able to smooth flight and another stay for only one day, I The five main engines of the Saturn V, which is on exhibit at Kennedy is a motion simulator. This Space Centre. Photo Credit: Martin George. thoroughly enjoyed sit- was temporarily not being ting in on the sessions used, fortunately allowing and, again, making many me to see a little more than new friends. Many I would have done other- thanks especially to Julia wise. Training, of course, Riley and her team for also includes the famous their assistance in organ- Neutral Buoyancy Labora- ising my visit, and of tory at the Sonny Carter course to outgoing BAP Training Facility, although President Teresa Grafton. I remained well clear of Also, a big welcome to anywhere my feet may new President and BAP have become wet! Affiliate Representative I’d like to thank Rob and Tom Mason. Tracie Landis for their won- Across the Atlantic, derful hospitality, together and to Cape Kennedy with Donna Kitchen, Carl- where I saw everything ton Allen, Lorraine Whea- as an ‘ordinary’ tourist. ton, Sally Davis, Charles It’s well worth the visit, Spencer, Linda Singleton, but the highlights for me and Tim Baum who all were the two ‘optional contributed to making my extra’ (at a cost) tours. visit as IPS President so The ISS Mission Control Room at Johnson Space Centre near Houston, The ‘Up Close’ tour where IPS member Rob Landis is Russian Interface Officer. Photo Credit: enjoyable. I was proud to includes a relatively Martin George. represent the membership

50 Planetarian September 2005 at this superbly organised visit, and I am sure Regarding the 2008 Conference site, a focusing on the way our Society is run and that occasions such as these forge still closer reminder to you all that the contenders are look forward to that being the basis for a links between the IPS and NASA. Chabot Space and Science Centre (Oakland, smooth discussion in Beijing. Do bear in I can’t resist mentioning that my May California); Adler Planetarium (Chicago, mind, however, that any recommendations visit to the USA concluded with a visit to Illinois) and The Morelia Planetarium by Council will be put to the members for Chabot Space and Science Centre in Oakland (Morelia, Mexico). In the previous issue of voting – everyone has a say! – one of the sites bidding to host the 2008 IPS the Planetarian, the two first-named sites Finally, a roundup of some key planetari- Conference. Having already visited both of included articles about their bid, and I am um meetings before year’s end. Don’t forget the other contending sites, I decided to make hoping that by the time this issue reaches to check out the IPS website for a full list of my first-ever visit there in advance of the you there will have at least been a writeup in related events! Beijing Council Meeting. Congratulations to IPS news about the Mexican bid. I am also September 7-9: Western Alliance Conference Executive Director Alex Barnett for the great hoping that all three contenders will also be of Planetariums (RMPA, PPA, GPPA, work that she is doing there, and for being a in Beijing to make a final presentation. SWAP) in Colorado at the Denver Muse- fine host. I would encourage all IPS members Therefore, if your affiliate group has not yet um of Nature & Science. to visit this great facility! come to a decision as to the site for which it September 16-18: Nordic Planetarium This brings me to other IPS matters. As will vote, do contact your representative to Association Conference, Orion Planetari- you receive this issue of the Planetarian, the inform him or her of some major points that um, Jels, Denmark. 2005 Council Meeting in Beijing, to be held you feel relevant if making a decision at the September 24-25: The 2005 IPS Council on September 24-25, will be very near. I hope meeting itself. Meeting in Beijing, China. that many members of affiliates have been With regard to governance, Council will October 9, 2005: XX National Meeting of discussing, especially with their representa- be continuing to discuss several matters, Italian Planetaria, Brescia (Italy). tives, some of the issues that will be on the although a good deal of discussion, especial- October 19-22: Great Lakes Planetarium Asso- agenda at this meeting – in particular, the ly about governance, will hopefully have ciation (GLPA) Annual Conference, Public conference site for 2008 and possibilities for already taken place. In July, I circulated Museum of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, changes in the governance of the IPS. Council members with some key questions Michigan, USA. C

September 2005 Planetarian 51

lines for fulldome theater design and show Digital Frontiers production. Many of us feel that fulldome standards No one person has all the answers, of development is important for IPS, as it firmly course. It is through listening to many voices establishes digital dome theaters as a legiti- from diverse quarters that clarity emerges. mate medium, provides common ground for With eyes wide open, we will be in the best communications and content exchange, and position to take the future into our hands encourages third party providers of content and move forward proactively with a clear and equipment to enter our field rather than vision for the future of the planetarium. I “re-inventing” fulldome technology and therefore invite the reader to listen to the independently branding it as something else. voices in this issue, and consider with an Standards and guidelines also provide the open mind what positive directions we individual institution with the backing of might set our sights on as a profession, and the entire profession when seeking funding how you can individually contribute to for upgrades or original programming, or shaping this future. when insisting on certain theater design fea- Our first article by Ka Chun Yu, Curator of tures. In short, they provides IPS members Space Science at the Denver Museum of with a measure of control in our digital Nature and Science, draws parallels between future by establishing ourselves as an author- digital domes and virtual environments. He ity in fulldome technologies and by gently also reviews how 3D astronomy teaching guiding the design and application of this can help alleviate common misconceptions emerging medium. Ed Lantz regarding fundamental astronomical con- This summer the Fulldome Standards Sub- Visual Bandwidth, Inc. cepts. Next Jim Sweitzer, principal of Science committee will be holding international Communications Consultants and former meetings to recruit members and to begin 1290 Baltimore Pike, Director of Special Projects for the new Rose development of standards. Stay tuned to full- Suite 111 Center for Earth and Space Science in New dome.org for a meeting near you – or provide your inputs online when the draft docu- Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania York City during the Hayden Planetarium digital upgrade, discusses his insights into the ments are posted for public review. 19317 USA care and feeding of digital domes. Ryan Thanks again to our special issue authors for taking the time to share their vision and [email protected] Wyatt, Science Visualizer at the American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center, experience. expresses his passion for the fulldome medi- For more information on standardization The planetarium profession is changing um and offers his insights into immersive procedures, check out the following two forever. The shift to digital image generation show production. Finally, astronomical artist links: American National Standards Institute: and projection is sweeping the world’s plane- Don Davis gives us a fulldome artist’s view of http://www.ansi.org and Institute of Electri- tariums, both large and small. Some planetar- the profession. cal and Electronics Engineers standards pro- C iums will make the digital conversion soon- We will continue to explore the topic in cess: http://standards.ieee.org/guides. er, some later, but it is clear that in time the next issue of the Planetarian with anoth- optomechanical astronomical simulators er round of invited papers. If you are interest- will eventually go the way of the Model T ed in submitting a paper for the next issue (IPS 2006, continued from page 26) Ford. The issue is no longer whether digital feel free to contact me with an abstract, or technologies are appropriate for planetari- contact the editor John Mosley at any time. I that we can make this a conference to ums, but rather how and when they should also encourage you to respond to Steve remember. The IPS 2006 website at www they be applied, what are the long-term Tidey’s Forum topic in this issue. .ips2006.com is filled with information rele- implications, and how we can proactively There are many ways to get involved in vant to the conference. You can download work together to make the digital transition the digital planetarium revolution. A good our Registration and Call for Papers bro- as seamless as possible. start is to join the online forum at http://full- chure. Further information about the In order to take proactive control of our dome.org and the yahoo fulldome email list Planetarium Showcase and other Sponsor- future as planetarians, we need to assess at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fulldome. ship and Exhibition opportunities can be where we are and where we are going with If you are interested in becoming active profound in our Sponsorship & Exhibitor the new digital technologies. This special fessionally, we are continuing to accept Prospectus, which can also be downloaded issue on Digital Domes and the Future of members in the IPS Full-Dome Video Com- from the website. The website includes infor- Planetariums is intended to spark dialog, mittee. Our first goal is to establish a stan- mation about our special events – the Night debate, introspection – and hopefully, clarifi- dards document for the dome master format Sky Tour and the keynote speakers – as well cation of the issues for readers. It is time to for show transfer. This is clearly the “low- as more general information about visiting examine some of the more subtle issues, such lying fruit” of standards formation. From Melbourne, including travel and visa as changes in maintenance and funding here we will move on to more challenging arrangements, local weather, time zones, and paradigms, changes in required staff and skill tasks, such as adopting a standard nomencla- currency information. Do not hesitate to sets, new educational and show production ture (i.e. are next-generation planetariums contact us should you have any questions; capabilities and workflow demands, new digital all-domes, fulldome theaters, digital we are here to support your participation in opportunities for collaboration, and the planetariums or immersive visualization every way. We look forward to seeing you at C resulting impacts on our profession, both environments?), developing standards for IPS 2006! near-term and distant future. display measurement, and authoring guide-

September 2005 Planetarian 53

Operator” is April 15. For more details go to cost planetariums in the Sonora State. After a Mobile News the following website: http://www.colibrion year of hard work promoting the project line.it/MG/Week_in_Italy.htm or http:// with local governments, the result was only www.STARLAB.com/slwork.html#Anchor- two planetariums created in Sonora and four 11481. more outside our state. Last year, Constella- August 31st is the deadline for applicants of tion Program modified its goal to now pro- “A Week in Italy for a French Planetarium mote mobile planetariums. Two planetari- Operator”. For more details go to http:// ums started to operate since then, Antonio’s www.colibrionline.it/MG/international_ and mine.” collaboration.htm. “We have faced many problems regarding September 30 is the deadline for appli- apathetic government and educative institu- cants of “A Week in Italy for a Spanish Plane- tions to promote astronomy and science tarium Operator”. For more details go to http study. I don’t know if there will be more ://www.colibrionline.it/MG/international_ Planetronix planetariums, but at least I have collaboration.htm. the satisfaction to have created this little educative piece.” Free StoryTellers DVD for plane- “Now, my efforts are focused on educa- tarians tion with the mobile planetarium rather The Myths, the Magic, and the Mysteries than building new ones, but I still can build of the Universe … http://www.lpi.usra.edu/ one if there is any interest here in Mexico to education/skytellers. Designed for portable have one. Planetronix is only for the domes- Susan Reynolds Button and fixed dome planetariums, the SkyTellers tic market.” program unites Native American stories “I started teaching with my planetarium Quarks to Clusters with science explanations, allowing children last October and the very first thing I did was 8793 Horseshoe Lane — and adults — to enter the exciting realm of to modify my projector to be more compact. science through imagination and curiosity. Chittenango, New York The original projector was intended to be Ten story couplets on DVD, accompanied by fixed and was a little bulky and not practical 13037 USA a Resource Guide, connect literature and sci- for mobile operation, so I changed that.” (1) 315-687-5371 ence through topics such as Moon phases, “At the beginning I had only my projector, galaxies, meteors, and our solar system. but I realized that a slide projector could be a (1) 315-432-4523 (fax) For information on how your planetari- good tool to reinforce teaching, so I bought a [email protected] um or science center may obtain a free copy used one, bought some slides, and prepared of the SkyTellers program, contact Becky them according to a theme. I fixed a 45° Nelson, Department of Education and Public angle first-surface mirror to project at the Teaching Opportunities In Italy: Outreach, Lunar and Planetary Institute, zenith of the dome so everyone can see the Corey Radman (Consultant, Discovery 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas slides without obstruction. Science Center, 1661 Kirkwood Drive, Fort 77058 USA; phone: 1-281-486-2166; email “I added a semi-fisheye lens adapter right Collins, Colorado 80525 USA; phone: 1-970- [email protected]. in front of the slide projector lens so I can get 224-5083; email: charradm@comcast.net) is SkyTellers, funded by a grant from the almost a full dome projection!” the winner who was selected for the 2005 National Science Foundation, is available for “My sound system is a little Discman American in Italy Contest. distribution in the U.S. only. Free copies are player and a pair of 240W PC multimedia Corey currently runs a home consulting available on a limited basis, after which a speakers. I do my own CD recordings in the business specializing in astronomy educa- nominal fee for production and shipping tion, marketing, and graphic design. As a will be charged. member of the NASA IDEAS teaching team, she coordinated a week-long summer Starlab Constellation Program – News training session for 18 rural teachers this from Mexico June. Corey also maintains the Discovery Saul Grijalva Varillas (Calle 20 Nº 187 Col. Science Center’s astronomy programs by Centro Guaymas, Sonora, México 85400; recruiting and training volunteer Starlab pre- phone 52-33-622-222-2111; fax 52-33-622-224- senters, coordinating public events, and con- 3002; Website www.planetronix.com.mx ducting school outreach. As the museum’s (Spanish); email [email protected] primary astronomy educator (2001-2004), .mx). Corey presented most of the STARLAB plane- Saul wrote to tell me how much he appre- tarium shows. This program served over ciated the new IPS Spanish language CD. I 15,000 visitors aged 2 to 92. asked him to tell me more about his interest- The attributes of Corey’s experience, plus ing new work. He replied, “And here is a sum- a strong application, make her an excellent mary about what happened with Planetron- choice for this teaching experience in Italy. ix and ‘Constellation Program’ in Mexico:” I encourage you to take advantage of these “As you remember, in 2002 I started exciting opportunities to teach in Italy by Constellation Program and it was conducted applying before the listed deadlines. by Antonio Sanchez-Ibarra, chief of the Each year the deadline for applicants of “A astronomy department of the Universidad Week in Italy for an American Planetarium de Sonora, to create a network of small low- This is the new mobile Planetronix. Photo by Saul Grijalva Varillas.

September 2005 Planetarian 55 computer. I use Audacity (free software) to record voice, music, and sound effects and mix all them, and then I burn a CD.” “Until now what I do with my planetarium to teach kids is a presentation with two stages. First, I run the previously recorded CD and I synchronize manually the slide projector, the blue and amber ambient LED light of the planetarium, arrow pointer, auxiliary projectors, and the stars projector according to the script. The second stage is interactive and starts with a short description of the night sky for the date, and then come all the questions and answers, etc. For little kids I can’t run prerecorded shows, and I need to be live and very, very interactive.” I really love doing planetarium shows for kids!” “I am preparing a small guide to building some inexpensive auxiliary projectors I use in my shows that could be useful for everybody who runs a small planetarium. I will send you the guide when I have finished it.” Entertainment by Per Broman: Swedish Bagpipe music! Photo by Susan Button.

NASA Explorer Institutes (NEI): Exploring the Possibilities for Collaboration with the Informal Education Community As I reported in the June column, NASA and the Great Lakes Planetarium Association Focus Group convened on 27-28 January 2005 at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. This was one of 11 Explorer’s Insti- tutes funded by NASA’s Informal Education Division. The Focus Group was officially titled: “Planetariums as Conduits to NASA’s Target Audiences: A Two Day Focus Group on How Best To Deliver NASA’s Science & Technol- ogy Explorations To Small & Mid-Sized Plan- etariums.” I just received the final report of the 11 NASA Explorer Institutes that was generated in July 2005. Page 19 of this report states, “Based on the input from over 552 individual Fiscal-Year 2004 NASA Explorer Institute Conference attendees explore the Nantes Planetarium’s fascinating astronomical (NEI) participants, representing at least 314 garden. Photo by Daniel Audeon, Planetarium de Nantes. institutions, the next steps of the NEI project have been developed in conjunction with the writing of this report. The four categories of NEI projects that will be considered for funding in fiscal-year 2005 include Profes- sional Development Workshop Opportu- nities, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Teaching Tools and Products, Infrastructure Development Projects, and Partnerships for Sustainability.” Although this is a national initiative for the USA, it will impact all IPS planetarians as part of the world’s informal education community. The IPS Council will continue to develop a stronger partnership with NASA. Through these efforts and the new NASA directives we should be able to address more of the needs of IPS planetarians. Five full domes and one half-dome were set up in the “Mobile Zone!” Photo by Susan Button.

56 Planetarian September 2005 Third European Meeting of Itinerant Planetaria Gilles Roussel, in Nantes, organized a marvelous 2005 APLF Conference and the Third European Meeting of Mobile Planetaria. The Conference was held in the “Palais des Con- grès” of Nantes, from Thursday afternoon, May 5th, to Saturday evening, May 7th (www .aplf-planetariums.org). Twenty enthusiastic participants attended the meeting for mobile planetaria. During the day we moved between a room that was set up for paper presentations and the “mobile zone,” where various mobile domes were located in the vendor area. We mingled with our very hospitable French-speaking colleagues during breaks, meals, and tours. We managed to communicate a bit with varying abilities in the use of English/French and body/sign language! Papers and activities that were presented on Walter Riva from Genova, Italy, “plays” with the E&S digital system. Photo by Friday include: Daniel Audeon, Planetarium de Nantes. Tuukka Perhoniemi (Astronomical Associ- ation Ursa, Helsinki) Paper: “The essence of planetariums in use of pedagogy.” Per Broman (Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden) Paper: “Master’s program in science communication at Dalarna University prepares for jobs with planetariums.” Demonstration in the dome: “A planetarium projector and a computer in a mobile planetarium.” Torbjorn Urke (Volda – Norway) Paper: “How to prepare small children for listening in the darkness” Demonstration in the dome: “Sami Sky (Lapp)” Christophe Bertier (RSA Cosmos, Sorbiers, France) “RSA Cosmos’ Mobile Planetarium: From Gala Dinner in the Fine Arts Museum. Photo by Daniel Audeon, Planetarium de Nantes. optical to digital” Patrick Pelletier (Médas, Vichy, France) “Presentation of the new Goto: Nex 3” Evans & Sutherland (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) “What’s New with Digistar 3?” Johan Gijsenbergs (Sky-Skan, Amsterdam, Netherlands) “Reaching out to portable planetariums” Karrie Berglund (Digitalis Education Solu- tions, Inc., Bremerton, Washington) Demonstration: “Teaching with a portable digital planetarium” Susan Reynolds Button (Quarks to Clusters, Chittenango, New York) Paper and Demonstration: “Interactive techniques under small and mobile domes”

Papers and activities that were presented on Sunday sunrise at the Park of “Grand Blottereau.” On only two days of the year you Saturday include: can observe the passage of the Sun, in a counter clockwise direction, through the holes of this modern stone sculpture. Photo by Daniel Audeon, Planetarium de Susan Reynolds Button (Quarks to Clusters, Nantes. Chittenango, New York)

September 2005 Planetarian 57 Demonstration under the dome: “Native American cosmologi- cal stories” Marian Vidovenec (Slovak Central Observatory, Slovak Republic) Paper: “Starting with Starlab in Slovakia” Patricia Reiff and Hung Pham (Rice Space Institute, Houston) Demonstration under the dome: “Immersive Earth: teaching Earth (and space) science in a portable planetarium” Wilfried Lang (Zeiss, Allemagne) “New developments for the small size mobile planetariums at Carl Zeiss” Lionel Ruiz (Observatory of Marseille, Francia) Paper: “Some 3D real-time astronomical animations now possible under the small domes: solutions and features.”

In closing, we had a group discussion and filled out question- naires about the new technologies we had experimented with. We also discussed possible plans for the next meeting to take place in Slovakia in 2007. After that we used the remaining time to continue sharing, experimenting with the various projectors, and/or attending the APLF conference. The meeting closed with a “gala dinner” on Saturday night followed by a very early morning visit to the Park of “Grand Blottereau” and then a sightseeing trip to a vineyard and the ocean near Nantes on Sunday.

Comments About New Technologies on the Market During the Third Meeting of European Mobile Planetaria we were able to examine six of the newest planetarium projectors designed for small and mobile domes. I distributed a question- naire to attendees. The main question posed by this document asked, “What are your impressions of the new technologies?” Some comments were consistent for all participants, such as: “There is a correlation between the cost of the system and the quality of the projection.” “Heavy and bulky systems are not as desirable.” “We are not knowledgeable enough about the digital operating systems to understand fully which is easiest to use.” “There are many digital projector choices and more capabilities than we can understand right now.” “The digital options look interesting and fun and can make you feel dizzy/queasy and overwhelmed. They remind you of a video game or an IMAX movie.” “Digital projections look very good on some domes and not on others. (Reflectivity and wrinkles are two major factors to consider.)” Other thoughts and questions arose, especially for one specific participant of the conference … Tuukka Perhoniemi (Ursa Astronomical Association, Raati- miehenkatu 3 A 2, FIN-00140 Helsinki, Finland; phone: +358 9 684 0400, dom. (09) 6840 0400; fax: +358 9 6840, dom. (09) 6840 4040; email: [email protected]; website: http://www.ursa.fi). Tuukka, a philosopher, has been working with the Ursa Astronomical Association for four or five years, in southern Finland, sometimes with a Starlab and other times with a Prodome (homemade) projector. Tuukka took the time to comment rather extensively. His thoughts, written below, resonated with me and I am sure reflect the thoughts of many other planetarium directors. He does not propose answers, but rather many interesting questions that I feel we must really think about and come to terms with in order to best satisfy our stated missions.

(Please see Mobile on page 70)

58 Planetarian September 2005 you are in Genk next year you will see the International News Europlanetarium growing. Association of French-Speaking Planetariums The APLF conference and the Third Euro- pean Meeting of Mobile Planetaria met in conjunction in Nantes. It was a very produc- tive and most interesting meeting and all participants appreciated the hospitality of Gilles Roussel. The IPS president George Martin was pleased to speak at the opening on Thursday morning, and he was glad that his presence there may have increased the profile of the IPS. The number of APLF people attending was impressive (more than 100). Both APLF and IPS members wish to continue to develop their friendships at future meetings and conferences, starting with the IPS in Melbourne in 2006. Top: The new building from the side of the restaurant with the existing New shows were presented by the plane- planetarium behind it. Bottom: The tariums from Cappelle and Villeneuve Lars Broman front of the new building with the d’Ascq, from Marseille, and from Montpel- planetarium on the left. Photos by Dalarna University Medland, courtesy of Europlane- lier. A workshop was devoted to a new oper- tarium. ation: in order to improve the jobs related SE 791 88 Falun, Sweden with scientific animation, especially using that is the reason for us to expand. In the planetariums, APLF, in collaboration with +46 2310 177 new building, the entrance will be on the the Paris and Strasbourg astronomical obser- [email protected] ground floor; there will also be a shop and vatories, proposes a 520-hours educative library. On the second floor is a restaurant, www.sciencecommunication.se operation, planned from January 2006 to conference and exhibition rooms, and a pas- January 2007. sage to the former entrance hall of the plane- A second workshop focused on the role of My doctor thought that flying soon after tarium. planetariums in a cultural approach to sci- a TIA wasn’t a good idea, so I missed the IPS For now there will be no changes to the ence. Musicians, painters, dancers, and actors Mobile Planetarium Meeting in Nantes. My planetarium and the observatory, but the presented their artistic views on the astro- brother Per was there, however, and he auditorium Wendelen Zaal will get a new nomical world. The General Assembly of the spoke highly about the event; for proof, see projection and sound system. The video wall APLF was on Saturday morning. Technical the delegates photo from Nantes, at right (3 - 5 m; 10 - 17 ft) will be replaced with a pro- innovations were demonstrated on Saturday (Per is third from the left in the top row). I jection screen of 5.5 - 10 m (18 - 33 ft) and a afternoon. The social events at the confer- did, however, attend the ECSITE Conference Barco iCon H600 projector. The sound sys- ence were a delight, culminating with the in Helsinki; see the NPA report below. I feel tem will be a Bose 5.1 Dolby surround. A superb setting (Musée des Beaux-Arts de well-recovered and it is, as always, a delight sound and video production studio will be Nantes) for the dinner on the final evening, to edit news from IPS affiliate associations all implemented in the Wendelen zaal together and the interesting tour on Sunday (wine over the world. Many thanks to Agnès Acker, with a video, sound, and image archive road “Côte de Jade” along the Atlantic Bart Benjamin, Tony Butterfield, Ignacio room to give the staff (and the public) better Ocean). See additional reports under Mobile Castro, Gail Chaid, Jack Dunn, Alan Dyer, access to the existing archive. This new addi- News Network and Gibbous Gazette. John Hare, Shoichi Itoh, Chris Janssen, Tom tion will be ready at the end of 2006, so if Mason, Loris Ramponi, Zinaida Sitkova, and Eduard Thomas for your contributions to this issue. Special thanks are due to Loris Ramponi, who contributes the calendar of events. You are welcome back with new reports, and I look forward to contributions from other associations as well. Upcoming deadlines are 1 October for Planetarian 4/2005 and 1 January 2005 for 1/2006.

Association of Dutch-Speaking Planetariums The Europlanetarium is becoming one of the entrance gates to the National Park Hoge Kempen. The park is 5746 ha (about 11,000 APLF meeting in Nantes, May 2005, hosting the IPS portable planetariums meeting. acres) in size and is the first national park in Foreground, from the middle to the right: Gilles Roussel (head of the Nantes the Flemish region of Belgium. This park will Planetarium), a representative of the Mayor of Nantes, Agnes Acker (APLF presi- open for the public in the next few years and dent), Martin George (IPS president), 3 APLF members, and Susan Button (IPS president-elect). Courtesy Shop Photo Sarl, Ets Percepied, 44000 Nantes.

September 2005 Planetarian 59 Association of Mexican Plane- Association of Planetaria was held 13-15 May E&S digital theatre demo, as well as other tariums at the Museum of Science and Industry in vendors of astronomical items. On 15 May, a The 2004 AMPAC meeting took place at Manchester (www.msim.org.uk). Fifty-four number of the delegates traveled to the Hermosillo, Sonora, in northern Mexico, and delegates from the UK planetarium commu- world-famous University of Manchester a more accessible meeting site has been cho- nity attended the meeting, representing radio telescope site near Knutsford. The huge sen for the upcoming 2005 AMPAC meeting. small mobile dome operators and large plan- Jodrell Bank radio telescope dish, built under Dates have been set for 23-25 November at etarium theatres. A welcome addition to this the supervision of Sir Bernard Lovell in the the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium in Mexico year’s event was the participation of more years immediately following WW2, is an City, with the hope that most AMPAC plane- vendors and demonstrations of digital sys- impressive sight. They were ably led around tarians will attend because Mexico City is tems for small and large operators. RSA the back office areas, including the control practical and easy to reach. Cosmos from Sorbiers in France showed room, by Dr Tim O’Brien, one of the univer- Worth mentioning from the previous their ISS digital system, Evans & Sutherland sity astronomers who works at the site 2004 AMPAC meeting is that the sound and their D3 family of products, and Sky-Skan images of that meeting were transmitted by Europe their Definiti PD machine. BAP’s Ray USON’s Web-TV (http://cosmos.astro.uson Worthy provided a dome for the Sky-Skan .mx/webtv), allowing the participation of system. The weekend event was a joint meet- those planetarians who were unable to ing with the Association for Astronomy Edu- attend. This was the first time such a feat had cation (AAE), and at the end of the BAP event been performed by a host institution for the AAE members met separately to discuss AMPAC, and perhaps it is a useful way that their business, as there is a certain amount of may be copied by other planetarium associa- overlapping membership between both tions and by IPS international conference organisations. meetings. Naturally the economic factor has On 14 May, the main business meeting to be considered, but it can be reduced if was convened during the morning to discuss transmission is part of an educational web matters of interest to the members and to TV net. elect new Council members. Teresa Grafton Various planetariums in Mexico have told that she was retiring from the London been benefiting from the astronomical infor- Planetarium at the end of the year. She had mation provided by numerous web sites. been president of the society for six years, These complement their educational pro- and the delegates thanked Teresa for her grams such as the Constellation Project Plan- efforts representing the UK’s planetarians during that time. Tom Mason from Armagh Visit to Jodrell Bank radio telescope etariums Group from USON Sonora, that facility. Left to right: Dr Tom Mason, have been transmitting to their audiences (at Planetarium was elected President to replace Director Armagh Planetarium and the same URL as above). They also project on her. They also elected a new treasurer, Julia President of the British Association Riley, and thanked outgoing treasurer Dave of Planetaria with Dr Tim O’Brien, their domes in realtime topics such as solar Jodrell Bank, Rebecca O’Brien, (Tim’s eclipses, the Deep Impact collision, the Thomas for his contribution to the well- Portable Heckling Unit), and Julia Cassini Mission, Martian rovers, and others, being of the society and for husbanding the Riley, Museum of Science and Indus- try in Manchester. Photo by Julie or they make this information available healthy balance in the accounts. Gill Russell Thompson, Armagh Planetarium. through their planetarium web sites and remains in post as secretary, and other Coun- related links as used by the Poveda Plane- cil members now include Anton Vamplew tarium in Culiacan Sinaloa: (http://www.ccs of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and Canadian Association of Science .net.mx/planetario/boletin/f_boletin.htm). Dave Buttery of Auriga Astronomy. Centres There is another new way to obtain astro- A welcome surprise for delegates was the In October, 2005, the H.R. MacMillan nomical information in Spanish beyond the attendance of Martin George, IPS President, Space Centre in Vancouver opens a new pro- traditional web sites and information chain: who addressed the delegates and hoped that gram on light pollution. Our Vanishing Skies you may freely access it at www.kosmos many would attend next year’s IPS confer- will include a public display in the Court .com.mx/radiokosmos. Available are radio ence in Melbourne. George is based at Yard Gallery as well as a live planetarium newscasts on astronomical alerts, ephemeri- Hobart, Tasmania, and he handed out small show in the Star Theatre. It is our goal to des, information capsules, telescope use tips, koala bears to remind all of other attractions raise public awareness of the issues surround- sky observation, interviews, live coverage of Australia. The afternoon session was dedi- ing light pollution, both as they relate to the programs, reports, biographies, astronomy cated to presentations by delegates, the most astronomical world and to the effects of news, events, and more. memorable of which was Denis Ashton of light and dark on human health. We will By the time these comments are printed, StarDome giving his recollections of many also address the question of what has night perhaps the designated site for the 2008 IPS years in the portable planetarium business. become in our 24/7 world. Are we losing our International Conference Site will have been His emotional commitment was obvious, night because we’re filling it with light? approved at the IPS Council Meeting in and his recollections and images struck a What defined night 300 years ago, and what Beijing, and hopefully Mexico’s Morelia chord with all of the delegates who have does it mean today? How does light and dark Planetarium will be the elected site. What- worked in the intimate atmosphere of a affect us? The question of why we should ever the outcome, don’t forget to visit the portable planetarium dome. What will he do care about light pollution will lead us to dis- State of Michoacan, México. with his energy overspill if he is not working cover alternatives to wasteful night lighting with children in a dome? in the future – all in the interest of the eco- British Associations of Planetar- The early evening was taken up with nomic use of our resources and saving the iums demonstrations by Sky-Skan and RSA Cos- night sky for the study of astronomy. The annual meeting of the British mos, while the vendor hall also hosted an Contact: Erik Koelemeyer at ekoelemeyer@ hrmacmillanspacecentre.com.

60 Planetarian September 2005 On 3 July the TELUS World of Science in Calgary presented a late night Live from a Comet special event using NASA-TV’s feed (via their new digital satellite channels) of the Deep Impact encounter, supplemented with local live “color commentary”. These “Live from …” space events have proven popular with the audience and generate a lot of media exposure. Many thanks are due to Anita Sohus and the public outreach staff at the Jet Propulsion Lab for making these events possible. New exhibits and the addition of a new gallery featuring a Creative Kids Museum will occupy many Calgary staff for the next year. On the planetarium side, the main project for the next few months will be acting as lead production facility (and script writer) for a new federally-funded planetarium show opening in 2006. While the title has yet to be finalized, the topic is extra-terrestrial life. The show is being produced jointly by the planetariums in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Montreal, following the suc- The Manitoba Planetarium’s innova- The Centre of the Universe, an astronomy interpretive centre at Canada’s cessful model that was established with their tive and award-winning nightclub- style Planetarium@Night combines Dominion Astrophysical Observato- first joint venture, The Quest for Origins, science with live music in a TV-talk ry, operates a new Starlab that trav- described in the June 2005 Planetarian. That show format. Courtesy Scott Young. els around Vancouver Island. Courte- sy Steve Ewald. program was honored by the Canadian Association of Science Centres with the open at the end of September. The Life and June was not only the summer solstice, but award for “Best Exhibit or Show” for 2004 at Death of Stars opening has also been post- also National Aboriginal Day. This was cele- the annual CASC Conference in Montreal poned until early 2006. Only Draco, the brated all week long at the Centre with abo- last June. For a planetarium show to win Celestial Dragon, the new public show for riginal astronomy planetarium and multi- over several major exhibits was wonderful kids ages 4-6, is on track for an opening in media presentations. recognition for our medium. Contact: Alan mid-November. All this shuffling around has Dyer at [email protected]. a lot to do with the future relocation of the Council of German Planetariums In April this year, Chris Janssen from the In Winnipeg, the staff of the Manitoba planetarium at a new site close to Montreal’s Europlanetarium in Genk, invited interna- Planetarium has been busy writing and pro- Biodome, Botanical Garden, and Insectar- tional planetarium representatives to the ducing several new shows for the coming ium. The “new” Montreal Planetarium will yearly ADP conference of the Dutch and year. The Stargazer’s Guide to the Galaxy ran be built at the foot of the famous leaning German speaking planetariums. This year during the summer, alongside the children’s tower of the Olympic Stadium. the main focus of the presentations was the program As the Sky Turns. Both shows cov- This past spring an important step was technological state of alldome video systems ered somewhat “classic” planetarium fare for taken in the relocation project. As of early and first experiences with them. different audiences: constellations, planets, June, 2005, a team of consultants coordinat- A lot of companies presented their new and the Milky Way all make appearances. ed by the architects Corriveau, Girard, Fich- products. Evans & Sutherland, Sky-Skan, and Opening in September is the new school pro- ten, Soiferman et Associates began writing RSA gave impressive talks about the possibil- gram Exploring the Universe, tailored to the the technical and functional program for the ities of their alldome systems. Mirage 3D Manitoba Senior 1 (that’s Grade 9) curricu- new institution. Written in close collabora- from the Netherlands presented the new all- lum. Their late-night series Planetarium@ tion with the Ville de Montreal team dedi- dome video show Origins of Life in a port- Night fuses science, music, and art in an edgy cated to this project, this program should be able dome with a TWIN from Zeiss/Sky- show aimed at the non-traditional planetari- available by the end of October this year. Skan. Zeiss and Goto gave an impression of um audience. (You know the type: too cool Everything will then be ready to launch the their plans for future star-projectors and for regular sky shows, too modern for laser architectural contest that will determine the hybrid alldome systems. In the German- shows …) The show features rants on current final design and concept of the new plane- speaking countries fulldome systems have space topics and live musical performances tarium. Hopes are to start preparing the been installed in Lucerne, Hamburg, and synched with visuals and video art perfor- blueprints for the new building in the spring Kiel. The talks gave field reports of the mances. The program won the Canadian of 2006. Contact: Pierre Chastenay at chast extraordinary opportunities as well as of Association of Science Centres’ Best Program [email protected]. new kinds of challenges in this amazing Award for 2004. Contact: Scott Young at The Centre of the Universe in Victoria, future of planetarium shows. [email protected]. British Columbia, got off to a great start for The conference was accompanied by There have been quite a few changes in the summer by running two successful pro- excursions in the natural park surrounding the Montreal Planetarium’s schedule since grams. First, the Starlab portable planetarium Genk and a visit to a lovely, closed mine. the last issue of the Planetarian. Astro-Quiz, was brought down to the harbour for the Every participant will remember the kind the new school show for 10-12 year olds, that Tall Ships Festival. It coincided with their way in which the staff in Genk organized was supposed to premiere in May, will now Celestial Navigation planetarium show and Sailing by the Stars multimedia show. 21 the days and the many unforgettable experi-

September 2005 Planetarian 61 ences. The next conference will take place in University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne pre- A second veteran Ohio planetarian is retir- the planetarium of Cottbus, Germany. sented Minneapolis Planetarium’s Aurora for ing this spring. Rod Thompson came to the The planetarium program Einstein and Fort Wayne’s Three Rivers Festival in July. Mentor Schools Planetarium in 1979 and in Black Holes has meanwhile received a grant Four additional aurora projectors filled the classes and programs has brought the stars to from the national Einstein Bureau, which is dome with auroras for this show. The Schou- Mentor students for a generation. Joe De- the governmental organisation for the coor- weiler’s spring experiment of offering public Rocher reports from the Shafran Planetar- dination of the Einstein Year. It was produc- shows one weekend a month was so success- ium at the Cleveland Museum of Natural ed in time by the planetarium in Bochum, so ful that it will become a regular part of its History that the Museum unveiled 1.3 - 1.8 m they had their first show at the beginning of fall and late winter calendar. (4 - 6-foot) HST images of the Whirlpool May. Meanwhile the program has been dis- Michigan. The Cranbrook Institute of Galaxy and the Eagle Nebula in April. Greg tributed to 20 other planetariums in Ger- Science Planetarium in Bloomfield Hills Harbaugh, former NASA astronaut from many. debuted their in-house production The Cleveland who grew up in nearby Willough- Many German planetariums participated Volumes of Strange Astronomy in June. This by and flew on the third HST repair mission, in the celebrations of the 15th anniversary of program takes audiences on a wild ride of was at the museum to help with the unveil- the Hubble Space Telescope that has been discovery as seen through the eyes of the ing. very well prepared by Lars Lindberg Chris- futuristic starship crew tasked with “filling At the Westlake Schools Planetarium, tensen at the Hubble European Space Agen- in” the gaps of our astronomy knowledge. In Jeanne Bishop is doing a live presentation for cy Information Centre. Due to the efforts of May, Cranbrook hosted members of a Uni- physics classes on the history of ideas of the the Hamburg Planetarium and the German versity of Michigan engineering team that solar system, taking students from the Earth astronomy journals Astronomie heute and designed and built an award-winning Mars view through the reasoning of ancient Sterne und Weltraum, the excellent DVD rover prototype. Greeks and Ptolemy to Copernicus and about the space telescope has also been trans- The Kalamazoo Valley Museum Planetari- Kepler. In western Ohio, Cheri Adams reports lated into German. um is offering Treasures of the Milky Way, a from Dayton that the Boonshoft Museum of Meanwhile Dr. Klaus Staubermann be- locally-produced program that explains the Discovery will feature Japanese astronomy came head of the Zeiss Planetarium Prenz- use of star maps and the process of star hop- during their live Sky Tonight planetarium lauer Berg in Berlin, succeeding Prof. Dr. ping to tour the summer Milky Way. shows this summer in conjunction with a Herrmann. Dr. Bernd Loibl of the planetari- Detroit’s Dassault Systèmes Planetarium’s temporary exhibit Jump to Japan. During um in Wolfsburg retired and Dr. Wilhelm new summer show WSKY: Radio Station to July, they will host two astronomy over- Martin will follow him as a scientific direc- the Stars, opened in June. Work continues nights for elementary students. tor. The city is known for the production of over the summer on a revamped solar sys- Spring shows at the Bowling Green State the Volkswagen, and in addition to the plan- tem show and Journey to the Edge of Space University Planetarium follow a common etarium they have the famous Autostadt, a and Time. The Shiras Planetarium in Mar- theme of the skywatching legacy of ancient large exhibition about the cars of the Volks- quette will continue with their Monday cultures around the world. The spring show wagen concern, and a new science center evening public programs. Topics include the Spirits from the Sky (from Adler) explored will be opened shortly. exploration of the Moon and other solar sys- the star world of the Pawnee. Sky Stones tem satellites, dark matter, and the current looked at stone monuments around the Great Lakes Planetarium Associ- sky. world. It’s About Time considered the astron- ation Abrams Planetarium in East Lansing will omy and history of our calendars. Star- Illinois. For the summer, the Staerkel Plan- continue its celebration of the World Year of Spangled Banners examined the sun, moon, etarium at Parkland College reduced its Physics with The Universe of Dr. Einstein as and stars on the world’s flags. schedule, brought back matinee shows on their primary show. Continuing as their chil- Wisconsin/Minnesota. Stars are shining Saturdays, and suspended its evening public dren’s show is Calgary’s The Super Sky Show. bright in Waukesha, Wisconsin, as Dave De- programs. Lakeview Museum in Peoria host- The Exhibit Museum Planetarium in Ann Remer recently opened the new Horwitz th ed its 7 annual Interplanetary 5K Race/1 Arbor has been awarded a grant through the Planetarium. Dave gave a private showing mile walk through portions of Peoria’s Com- Michigan Space Grant Consortium to help for contributors on 12 May, an open house munity Solar System; 175 persons participat- produce the program Hydrogen: The First on 21 May, and opened for public shows in ed. The planetarium will host their annual Element, which will look at this most com- early June. The planetarium is part of the Interplanetary Bicycle Ride in August. At mon of elements, from the Big Bang to Retzer Nature Center and will offer both Olivet Nazarene University’s Strickler Plane- hydrogen-powered cars of the future. public and school shows. tarium in Bourbonnais, student employee Ohio. The Ward Beecher Planetarium at Jeff Bass at the Milwaukee Public Museum Steve Case wrote and produced a new pro- Youngstown State University welcomed announced that the IMAX dome theater will gram titled, Companion to Night: Poetry of Patrick R. Durrell, who will take over plane- add planetarium shows in early 2006 with the Universe. tarium duties as Dr. Warren Young retires. the addition of a Digistar 3L projector from The Cernan Earth and Space Center of Their newest show, Cassini and the Myster- Evans & Sutherland. In Minneapolis, the new Triton College in River Grove has dramati- ies of Saturn, is the first all-video program planetarium is moving forward with the cally changed its public show schedule and produced at Ward Beecher. Lecturer Sharon state legislature’s approval of $22 million for group show offerings. All shows have been Shanks recently received a $50,000, two-year its construction and equipment. About $10 lengthened to at least 60 minutes and now NASA/IDEAS grant to produce the book A million still needs to be raised privately. It is consist of a regular-length planetarium show Briefer History of Time: From the Big Bang to scheduled to open in late 2007 or early 2008. plus a 10-minute Skywatcher’s Guide. Laser the Big Mac as a planetarium show. This shows have also been lengthened to become summer, the planetarium will have a new Great Plains Planetarium Society laser concerts. Teachers can now select one coat of paint added to the dome, new seats Zeiss and Sky-Skan’s R+J, a full-dome cine- full-length planetarium show and one mini- and carpeting installed, and a new SciDome matic interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, show for each weekday time slot. from Spitz. will make its world debut In Wichita this Indiana. The Schouweiler Planetarium, summer. Martin Ratcliffe and Davin Flateau

62 Planetarian September 2005 are keeping busy in many ways. The Cyber- was founded in 1986. An evening meeting describes mining, old ways of working, and dome has debuted a new website devoted to about portable planetariums will be orga- the industrial activities that characterize this astronomy news and information, Stars Over nized on Saturday, 8 October, in the Lumez- district. In the Santa Giulia Museum an exhi- Kansas (http://starsoverkansas.org), that is zane Planetarium; this will also be the bition of paintings by Vincent Van Gogh the companion website to their astronomy National Day Against Light Pollution. The will open 19 October 2005. and star-ID show of the same name. They program of 8 October also includes the meet- hope it will become a nexus of astronomy ing about Star Parks (astronomical initiatives Japan Planetarium Society information and events for Kansas and the in the natural parks) and a science walk in Japan Planetarium Society, Nippon Plane- Great Plains, and that it will maintain a con- the old Castle of Brescia, where a small tarium Forum, and All of Japan Planetarium nection with the public long after they have Observatory that also includes a mini-plane- Association will host their annual confer- seen the planetarium show. tarium, has been open to the public since ences at same place, Osaka Science Museum, Planetarian Jack Northrup at the King 1953. on 12-14 July. The three associations have Science Center Planetarium in the Omaha, Among the new members of Italian Plan- been discussing and seeking the possibility Nebraska, schools will start August with etaria’s Friends Association are small schools of unifying into one for a couple of years. Building Solar Calendars 101. Students will like Antonio Nuzzo Elementary School in This meeting is the test case for unification use found materials to build solar calendars Rome, where the activities of the mini plane- and is to decide which is better. In 1996, nine that will work correctly in the Omaha tarium Goto Ex-3 (installed in 1999) are coor- years ago, when the IPS Osaka conference metropolitan area. In September the plane- dinated by teacher Barbara Avella. A special was held, they had tried to unite, but unsuc- tarium will present Stars of the South Pacific. course that includes the use of the dome has cessfully. This show will look at the use of bright stars been started after many years without an The new Asahikawa City Science Center as a calendar system, and the students will be astronomy program, thanks to the work of for Youth will open in July at a new place in designing Easter Island (Rapa Nui) inspired the permanent staff of the school. Asahikawa, Hokkaidoh. They have installed star charts. In October they will be busy with The model Goto Ex-3, after many years of Zeiss Starmaster and Sky-Skan’s Digitalsky in labs related to our four new kiosk presenta- activities (since 1982) in the Physics Depart- its 18-meter dome. The previous Asahikawa tions: Earth’s Weather, Jumping on Other ment of Trento University, is now installed City Science Center was founded in 1963 Planets, Escape Velocity, and Mapping in the “G. Caproni” Museum (www.mtsn with Zeiss ZKP-1 projector in an 8-meter Gravity. And during November students will .tn.it/rete/caproni.asp) where it is managed dome. Kushiro Children’s Play Hall will open complete simulators to guide them in the by the Natural Science Museum of Trento. in July this year, too. They have Konika design of landers and rovers for planets and The projector is used with computer images Minolta’s GEMINISTAR 2 in its 15-meter moons in the solar system. and a video projector, and it is one of the dome. Mueller Planetarium’s show on quasars interactive activities promoted in the sci- Nishiharima Astronomical Observatory, and supermassive black holes, Point of No ence museums of Trento; this year they orga- Hyogo, will host a “workshop for populariz- Return, is nearing distribution. Ordering in- nized an exhibition, with science games, ing the results of the latest astronomy” on 5- formation including the downloadable form about Einstein. 7 September this year for the professional is located on their website at www.space Not far from Trento is also the Munici- development of the staffs of planetarium laser.com/quasars.html. The 23-minute show pality Museum of Rovereto (www.museo and science centers. The theme for the first is delivered on DVD, and it’s free if you fill civico.rovereto.tn.it), where a 6-meter dome workshop is The Search for Extra-solar out and mail in the form. On the website, was installed with an Italian planetarium Planets. there are also study questions, a sample model. Starting 15 October the Museum will script, and a still image list for the show – all be open each Friday and Sunday with an downloadable. The final animations are astronomical show under the dome, while being rendered and they hope to be sending each Thursday special events, including a out the show discs in July. This program was dinner, will be organized at the Astronomi- created as part of an IDEAS grant from the cal Observatory Zugna Mount, managed by Space Telescope Science Institute. Rovereto Museum. Each year since 1995 Serafino Zani Astro- Italian Planetaria’s Friends Asso- nomical Observatory has organized an ciation appointment called A Week in Italy for an The Planetarium and Space Museum of American Planetarium Operator. The winner the Pino Torinese Astronomical Observatory of the next week is Corey Radman, consul- in Turin (www.planetarioditorino.it) will tant of the Discovery Science Center, Fort open in 2006. It will be the first digital plane- Collins, Colorado, USA. The complete list of tarium in Italy, with a Digistar 3. The plane- U.S. participants to the Week is published in tarium will be a part of the big project of the English pages of the site www.brescia Turin Science Center. A special railway that scienza.it. The web site also includes the will allow seeing a panoramic view above Invitation to Italy and all the programs that the city will be built up to the top of the hill are devoted to foreign colleagues interested where the science center is located. Turin in visiting Italy. will be the site of the Winter Olympic games In the Brescia area it is worthwhile to visit 2006. monuments, museums, and historic build- Sapporo Municipal Science Museum The National Meeting of Italian Planetaria ings of astronomical interest. In Valley will install a Skymax DS, all-sky Friend’s Association is held each year in Trompia (Brescia), where Serafino Zani video system, by Konika Minolta th Planetarium Corp., in its 18-meter October. The XX Meeting will be organized Astronomical Observatory is located, a wide dome where Goto’s Uranus projector on 9 October 2005, in the Natural Science museum system exists called Iron Way that replaced Goto’s GN-T in 1997. Photo Museum of Brescia, where the association by Shoichi Itoh.

September 2005 Planetarian 63 Nordic Planetarium Association next issue of the Planetarian. Over 30 stu- berkeley.edu. The European Association of Science dents have been admitted to the master’s Dale Etheridge at the Community College Centers ECSITE arranges a yearly conference, program that starts in August. The interest in of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas reports that and for some years sessions related to the this 50-week program is so high that another their planetarium is undergoing a major up- planetarium field have been included. This program will start in January 2005. For infor- grade this summer. They are removing the year’s ECSITE conference was held 10-12 June mation see www.ScienceCommunication.se. Spitz 512 and replacing it with an Evans & in “NPA territory”, at Heureka Science As was reported in International News, Sutherland Digistar 3SP. The theater will also Centre in Vantaa (close to Helsinki), Finland Planetarian 2/2005, two authentic (?) UFO be upgraded to meet current American Disa- with over 600 delegates. Several Nordic/ photos by Tom Callen helped illustrate the bility Association standards which will Baltic planetarians participated in the event. recently published book Vetenskap eller vill- result in slightly less seating capacity. More The two planetarium sessions were held in farelse? (Science or Deception?), treating information is available from drdale@ Heureka’s 17 m (57 ft) Verne Theatre. Most of many kinds of pseudoscience. One of his nevada.edu. the time was used to present video tech- photos is included in this column for the At El Camino College in Torrance, Cali- niques, but Per Broman created an astonish- readers’ judgment – science or deception? fornia, Professor Perry Hacking says they ingly sharp and bright starry sky with a have replaced their aging Spitz A4 with a Starlab FibreArc projector. For more informa- Goto Chronos. They are delighted with the tion on the conference see www.ecsite.net. new Goto and they enjoy programming it. The upcoming NPA Conference on 16-18 At ESUHSD Independence Planetarium in September seems to attract more planetari- San Jose, two new programs are in produc- ans than the last couple of conferences. It is tion during the summer. Offered next year held at the Orion Planetarium in Jels, Den- for the younger set is Mister Rogers Neigh- mark, and it includes a trip to Mediendom in borhood, The Sky Above. For a long time the Kiel, Germany. For more information, see biology students have requested a chance to www.orionplanetarium.dk. Before then, on visit the planetarium, so next year a new 18-21 July, two Nordic planetarians, Per Bro- program called Cell Biology will be offered th man and Tom Callen, participated in the for them; it is also appropriate for the 4 - Digital Institute in Chadds Ford, Pennsylva- grade life science students. Other new pro- nia, USA. Northernmost Europe is gradually grams will be added as they receive them. All getting ready to incorporate fulldome video. programs at Independence meet California The number of small and mobile planetar- State Standards. Independence also has a new iums is steadily growing. Per Broman reports volunteer who is a retired engineer and ama- that a 5 m (17 ft) Eurodome equipped with a UFO over Gärdet with Tekniska teur astronomer, Dick Glasspool, who volun- Museet and Sjöhistoriska Museet in teered at the beginning of the summer and Starlab FibreArc projector was installed in Stockholm, Sweden in the same view. June in Science World, part of Fame World, a Photo by Tom Callen. who is making great strides in updating the creation by Sweden’s most well-known technology so programs can be enhanced amusement entrepreneur and artist manag- faster and easier. He has the vision and er, Bert Karlsson. Two Starlabs were recently Pacific Planetarium Association knowledge to make upgrades that will ex- delivered to Denmark, one to Esbjerg and Alan Gould, PPA President, reminds us of pand the planetarium offerings. Glasspool is one to Aarhus (more on the ultimate destina- the Western Alliance Conference of Plane- also part of the Project Astro program spon- tion of the Aarhus Starlab will be revealed in tarium Associations at the Denver Museum sored by the Astronomical Society of the the next column). Broman Planetarium, Inc., of Nature and Science, 7-9 September 2005. Pacific. For more information contact Gail has moved to a new site in downtown Falun, Information can be found on the conference Chaid, director at [email protected]; the Bergmästaregatan 26, SE 79139 Falun, website www.dmnh.org/main/en/General/ website is http://planet.esuhsd.org. Sweden. Lars Broman’s consultant company Planetarium/Upcomingshows/wacconfer In Northern California at De Anza College Teknoland, Inc. shares the localities with ence.htm. in Cupertino, Karl von Ahern tells that they Broman Planetarium. The URL is still the To join PPA, go to http://www.ccsn.ne have finished the final design for their same: www.planetarium.se. vada.edu/planetarium/PPA. remodeling. They are still looking for funds. Science Communication at Dalarna Uni- Gould reports that he was co-investigator The Infinium-S is in production in Japan. versity, Borlänge, Sweden, is growing. The for Education and Public Outreach on staff has been increased by three: Adjunct NASA’s Kepler Mission to discover terrestrial Professor Hannu Salmi, who is also research extrasolar planets. He was at JPL in early May director at Heureka Science Centre in Fin- for their Open House, a two-day weekend land, Associate Professor Ernst van Groninge, event in Pasadena, California, which nearly who is an astro physicist, and Assistant Pro- 50,000 people attended. Gould says he was fessor Maria, whose field is museology. Two using a LEGO orrery model of an extra-solar of this year’s master students have each re- system where visitors could turn a crank to ceived an Armand Spitz Educational Fund make three planets go around a light bulb scholarship. They are Shibey Ahmed, who “star”. A light sensor was aimed at the star has done his field work at South Tyneside and connected to a computer display that College Planetarium in England with Eva graphed the light curve, showing dips in Hans as local supervisor, and Miao Xu, doing brightness every time a planet transited a her field work at Orion Planetarium with star. The whole thing was a very effective Lars Petersen as local supervisor. Reports model of the Kepler method of detecting from their studies will be published in the Earth-size extra-solar planets by the transit DeAnza College Planetarium. Photo method. More information is at agould@ by Karl von Ahern.

64 Planetarian September 2005 They need money for new seating. They are also looking for donors to help with some of the expensive items on their wish list. They are also looking for a new name, and they may be DeAnza College Planetarium for a while. A new star machine, console, dome, and some building refurbishment are all covered in the plans at this time, but an all-sky video system, a new sound system, cove lights, and a new lobby are looking for bene- factors. More information is at vonah [email protected]. Projected new planetarium in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo by V. Hvyl. Russian Planetarium Association The Russian Planetarium Association Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium was interacts closely with the Euro-Asian Astro- founded in 1948 and placed in the historical James Sullivan, new Southern Skies nomical Society (EAAS) and is an associate building of the Blagoveschensky cloister, dis- Editor at a recent SEPA Conference. member of this organization, which consoli- posed on the high bank where the Volga and Photo by John Hare. dates more than 500 professional astrono- Oka rivers meet. The dome diameter is about mers and astronomy popularizers. During 1-6 8 meters. More than 50,000 spectators visit dealing with planetariums and astronomy. June, 2005, the VIII congress of EAAS and the the planetarium annually. Building the new Long-time editor Duncan Teague stepped international symposium “Astronomy 2005: planetarium in Nizhny Novgorod began this aside as editor of the SEPA journal, Southern Present and Perspectives” took place in Mos- past spring. The dome diameter will be about Skies. The newly-named editor is James Sulli- cow. Plenary meetings and even seven sec- 16 meters. van of Davie’s Buehler Planetarium. Sullivan tions, including astronomical education, brings a wealth of desktop publishing experi- were functioning there. The specific role was Southeastern Planetarium Associ- ence to the job. His first issue will be the sum- noted of planetariums and observatories of ation mer 2006 edition. Teague was thanked for universities as effective science-educational In June, SEPA concluded its annual confer- his long tenure as editor and Sullivan was centers in modern mega polices. ence, hosted by Atlanta’s Fernbank Planetar- warmly welcomed into his new position. In spite of the difficult situation with edu- ium. This was the fifth time Fernbank has The Astronaut Memorial Planetarium in cation and science in Russia, RPA, together hosted a SEPA conference in the 35-year exis- Cocoa, Florida, will host the 2006 SEPA Con- with EAAS, goes on working with the Russi- tence of the organization. Along the way, ference, scheduled for 20-24 June 2006. an government for the promotion of a feder- they also hosted the 1974 ISPE conference! Director Mark Howard presented prelimi- al program “Planetariums of Russia”. This This year’s four-day event featured visits to nary details of the conference including program aims to increase the number of the Fernbank Planetarium and Observatory, plans for a visit to the nearby Kennedy Space planetariums in Russia and also to modern- Fernbank Nature Center, Emory University Center. The conference hotel is the Radisson ize the old planetariums. The letter concern- Planetarium, and Agnes Scott College’s plan- Hotel and Conference Center located just off ing this program was delivered to the presi- etarium and observatory. The conference the beach in Port Canaveral. dent of Russia, V. Putin, on 16 May 2005. was an interesting mix of speakers, vendor Hummel Planetarium Director and SEPA The Barnaul planetarium will celebrate its demonstrations, paper sessions, planetarium founding member Jack Fletcher retired in 55th birthday on 26-28 August 2005. Cosmo- shows, and social events. One of the confer- June after more than 28 years as director of naut Gregory Grechko and colleagues from ence highlights was a session entitled the Richmond, Kentucky, facility. Fletcher various planetariums will be guests on this Astropardy. This was a creation of Jon Bell hosted three SEPA Conferences at two differ- holiday. and was a take-off of the popular TV show ent planetariums and was active in both Jeopardy. Astropardy featured categories SEPA and IPS during his career. Jack and his wife June will reside in their new retirement home located on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Fletcher was recognized for his extensive contributions and was accorded the status of Emeritus Member. SEPA will produce a solar system show and has targeted 2006 for its distribution to all members, free of charge. Further information regarding SEPA is available at our website, sepadomes.org.

Southwestern Association of Planetariums “We can’t view the night time sky from the city, so let’s take a look at what the sky looks like from a location in the country, away from all of the city lights.” Sounds like something you would hear in many plane- Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium. View of Blagoveschensky Cloister in Nizhny Novgorod with the planetarium to the left. Photo by B. Kleinberg. tariums across the world. Unfortunately, the

September 2005 Planetarian 65 stars as viewed from the country have, over around to find out where it does go. What he 15-18 October. Association of Science-Tech- time, lost their clarity and sharpness. Not found is that some of it has been sold for nology Centers (ASTC) Annual Confer- that the stars have lost their edges or turned spare parts and some places are holding on to ence and Expo, Science Museum of Vir- digital or something, but in fact, sky haze is it to someday to make a display of antique ginia, Richmond, USA. www.astc.org. now at record levels. Many people in Texas equipment. Repair experts state that many 17-23 October. A week in Italy for an Ameri- enjoy going to Big Bend National Park. Like older star machines can be repaired to as- can Planetarium Operator (each year since many Class 1-A locations, it is suffering from good-as-new status and then sold to a new 1995). www.bresciascienza.it/cityline/cult/ hazy skies, making beautiful vistas during home. photog.htm. the day as well as faint deep sky objects at 19-22 October. Great Lakes Planetarium Asso- night harder to see. Good news is, however, ciation Annual Conference, Public Muse- on the horizon. The EPA (US Environment um of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Michi- Protection Agency) has a program called gan, USA. Contact: David DeBruyn IMPROVE. This program has established www.grmuseum.org/chaffeeplanetarium/ standards and limits on haze in the air and a chaffee.shtml. large education program to teach companies 31 December. Deadline of Eugenides Founda- and people about the impact of haze. On tion Scriptwriting Contest (contestants Thursday, 16 June, EPA passed new laws to can submit scripts from 1 July 2005). For help reduce the haze. According to EPA, more information: [email protected] without the effects of pollution, a natural .uk. visual range should be approximately 220 2006 km (140 miles) in the western and 150 km (90 19 March. International Day of Planetaria. Congratulations and celebrations miles) in the eastern US. Due to anthro- are in order for the retirement of Jim www.planetaritaliani.it. pogenic emissions of fine particles and their Rusk from Discovery Place Planetar- May. Meeting of Association of French- precursors, visibility has been significantly ium in Fort Worth, Texas. The draw- Speaking Planetariums, Montpellier Plane- ing was made by Adam Barnes for reduced to a point that the current visual Jim Rusk. tarium, France. [email protected], range in the West is 50-150 km (30-90 miles), www.aplf-planetariums.org. and in the East the current range is only 20- 8-10 June. European collaborative for science, 33 km (15-25 miles) on average. Texas has Calendar of events industry and technology exhibitions two class 1-A federal regulation zones: Guad- 2005 Annual Conference, Technopolis, Meche- alupe Mountains National Park and Big Bend 5-7 September, Japan Planetarium Society, len, Belgium. www.ecsite.net. National Park. Both are located in the dry Workshop for popularizing the results of 20-24 June, South Eastern Planetarium and barren areas of western Texas. In eastern the latest astronomy, Nishiharima Astro- Association Conference. Astronaut Mem- New Mexico you find Carlsbad Caverns nomical Observatory, Hyogo, Japan. orial Planetarium & Observatory in National Park. The closest planetariums to Theme: The Search for Extra-solar Planets. Cocoa, Florida, USA. Contact: Mark How- those National Parks are the Robert H. 7-9 September. Western Alliance Conference ard, [email protected], www. Goddard Planetarium in Roswell, New of Planetariums (RMPA, PPA, GPPA, brevardcc.edu/planet. Mexico, the Gene Roddenberry Planetarium SWAP), Denver Museum of Nature & 24-27 July. Under the Southern Skies, 18th in El Paso, Texas, and the Blakemore Plane- Science, Gates Planetarium & Space Odys- International Planetarium Society Con- tarium in Midland, Texas. With new light sey exhibition, Colorado, USA. vonah ference, Crown Promenade, Melbourne, pollution laws and EPS regulations, over [email protected]. Australia. www.ips2006.com. time the pristine-ness of the night sky will 12-16 September. Workshop in immersive 25-28 October. Great Lakes Planetarium st hopefully be reclaimed once again. cinema, 1 European Workshop in Full- Association Annual Conference, Merrill- In Huntsville, Texas, the Sam Houston Dome, Centro Multimeios de Espinho, ville Community Planetarium, Merrill- State University Planetarium will re-open Portugal. Organized by Navegar Founda- ville, Indiana, USA. Contact: Gregg with a Konica-Minolta MediaGlobe. After tion. http://fulldome.multimeios.pt. Williams, [email protected], two years of being closed, the Robert H. God- 14-16 September. Building Community: The www.mcpstars.org, www.glpaweb.org/ dard Planetarium in Roswell, New Mexico, Emerging Educational and Public Out- conference.htm. has reopened with a new Planetarium Direc- reach (EPO) Profession, as part of ASP’s 28-31 October. Association of Science-Tech- th tor, Marge Bently. Stonehenge, UFO’s and 117 Annual Meeting in Tucson, Arizona, nology Centers (ASTC) Annual Confer- Beyond is a public show to be played during USA. http://astrosociety.org/events/meet ence and Expo, Louisville Science Center, the 4th of July weekend, and other new ing.html. Louisville, Kentucky, USA. www.astc.org. shows will open at the start of the next 16-18 September. Nordic Planetarium Associ- 2007 school year. Gidget Smith, Planetarium ation Conference (NPA), Orion Planetari- 10-14 October. Great Lakes Planetarium Director in Wichita Falls at the Wichita Falls um, Jels, Denmark. www.orionplanetar Association (GLPA) Annual Conference, Museum and Art Center, and Dr. Brian Oeti- ium.dk. Triple Conjunction Planetarium Confer- ker from Huntsville are new to the planetari- 24-25 September. IPS Council Meeting, ence with MAPS, SEPA, and GLPA). Host: um field and are excited to learn more. Best Beijing Planetarium, Beijing, China. Benedum Planetarium, Oglebay Resort, regards for Janelle Redlaczyk who has moved 30 September. Deadline for the applicants of Wheeling, West Virginia, USA. Contact: away from Wichita Falls. A week in Italy for a Spanish Planetarium Steve Mitch, [email protected], What happens to old planetarium equip- Operator. www.colibrionline.it/MG/inter www.oglebay-resort.com/goodzoo/plan ment? Throughout Texas several planetari- national_collaboration.htm. etarium.htm. ums have recently upgraded. Does the old 9 October. XX National Meeting of Italian For corrections and new information equipment retire on South Padre Island? Planetaria, Brescia, Italy. www.colibrion please send a message to Loris Ramponi, Who knows? Tony Butterfield checked line.it/MG/planetari_news.htm. [email protected], [email protected]

66 Planetarian September 2005 Parlez-Vous Français? Gibbous Gazette European planetarians descended on the beautiful city of Nantes, France, for the them to me for a future edition of this col- Third European Meeting of Itinerant Plane- umn, until then let’s send our … taria at the Palais des Congres, in conjunction with the yearly meeting of the Associ- Congratulations to … ation of French-Speaking Planetariums … the Deep Impact Mission Team for their (APLF). In addition to a river cruise past ex- fine display of fireworks on the 4th of July pensive chateaus, winery tours, and a quick and to Buhl Planetarium alumnus Paul dip in the Atlantic Ocean, attendees sampled Stumpf at JPL! Speaking of alumni, it was vendors wares, paper sessions and planetari- great to see Jim Manning in the NASA-TV um and museum tours around Nantes. If coverage from the Hubble Space Telescope you’d like to join them for next year’s con- Offices during the Deep Impact Comet En- ference visit their website at www.aplf-plane counter! tariums.org. An extra special thanks to … the DomeFest 2005 “Domie” Award Lionel Ruiz, APLF webmaster, for amassing Winners! Hosted by David Beining at the an impressive photo archive of the confer- LodeStar Astronomy Center in Albuquerque, ence. DomeFest is the annual international festival for immersive digital dome theaters and James P. Hughes planetariums. From July 15th to 17th, more than 500 people were treated to some of the Planetarium Producer finest examples of immersive digital art, sci- Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium ence, entertainment, education and experimental works created from around the & Observatory world. This year’s festival drew 41 submis- Carnegie Science Center sions from eight countries for juried review. The best 14 pieces were selected for the 40- One Allegheny Avenue minute show. Of the finalists, the 2005 jury Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania awarded the “Domie Awards” for the best of five categories. New this year, the founders 15212 USA of the Harmony Channel, an on-demand, (1) 412-237-3348 high definition cable network featuring (1) 412-237-3395 fax mood videos, selected a “Moodie Award” prize, and the winner will be invited to [email protected] screen the piece on the network when it Observing the passage of the sun in the axis of the Large Meditating goes live. The Domie and Moodie Award Stone in the Park of Large Blot- Back in October of 1991, I bought my first winners are listed on page 27 earlier in this tereau. Photo by the Association of house, which is located just down the street issue. French Speaking Planetariums. from the Allegheny Observatory. I can walk out my front door, turn to the left, and watch the sun set over the three big domes of the observatory. Operated by the Univer- sity of Pittsburgh, the observatory is also the final resting place of telescope maker John Brashear and his wife Phoebe. They are buried in the base of the 0.762-m (30”) Thaw Refractor. Talk about pouring yourself into your work! I like to think that I am dedicated to my profession and I know that many of you reading this probably get the same joy as I do learning some new fact about the sky or dis- covering some reference to astronomy in everyday life. When I see some old ad for slide projectors or an observatory in a television commercial I always sit up and take notice. I get even giddier when I find a stereo card of the Moon or some obscure photo- graphic device. I haven’t found a description or definition for this condition yet, maybe planetarian says it all! I like to say I work Everyone is almost in place for the group photo of the APLF meeting outside the near the stars and I live near the stars. What Museum D’histoire Naturelle in Nantes, France. Photo by the Association of French space stories do you have to share? Send Speaking Planetariums.

September 2005 Planetarian 67 Martian surface model in the exhibit, Mars, exploration d’une planète at the Museum D’Histoire Naturalle. Photo by the Mars Rover model in the exhibit, Mars, exploration d’une Association of French Speaking Planetariums. planète at the Museum D’histoire Naturalle de Nantes. Photo by the Association of French Speaking Planetariums..

Standing in front of a Ray Worthy portable dome, Rob Spearman and Karrie Berglund of Digitalis Education Solutions, Inc., of Bremerton, Washington, USA, http:// DigitalisEducation.com, meet with Fabien Chéreau of Stellarium Planetarium Simulation Software. Stellarium is free GPL software which renders realistic skies in real time with openGL. It is available for Linux/Unix, Windows, and Outdoor Astronomy exhibits in the Moisan Public Garden at MacOSX. With Stellarium, you really see what you can see the Planétarium de Nantes. Photo by the Association of with your eyes, binoculars, or a small telescope. Downloads French Speaking Planetariums available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/stellarium. Photo by the Association of French Speaking Planetariums.

The Future Is NOW!!! .jp/homestar/index.html. farewell to their planetarium colleagues. The planetarium is about to join the ranks If you can remember using terms like Hi-Fi They will be teaching English in Kazakhstan! of the Walkman and the iPod as the latest and tube tester you might be an electronics Email Luke a note at [email protected] and electronic gadget to captivate the tech- enthusiast. If you tingle every time you walk for a behind-the-scenes tour, visit their blog obsessed youth of the world. Sega Toys of past a Radio Shack, you should check out this at http://jenandluke.blogdrive.com. LFI now Tokyo, Japan, unveiled a home planetarium Japanese clearing house of new tech toys at has two staff members handling the Theater/ called the Home Star at a Tokyo toy show http://www.akihabaranews.com/en. Planetarium division. Ted Smith, a very tal- last July. Set to hit the Asian market in ented technician, will be the one to conduct August, the cute ball-shaped projector can People On The Move service calls for you if and/or when the time display about 10,000 stars and is priced at just Laser Fantasy International (LFI) Thea- comes. For all other needs, Roberta McHatton under US$200! At this price, it is clearly more ter/Planetarium division has been undergo- will be your primary point of contact. than just an educational toy. If you’ve seen ing some personnel changes this year. Luke Should you need to renew of network con- the Home Star in action, please send us your Donaher, the previous man-in-charge of this tracts, arrange service calls, or purchase of review for a future issue of this journal! Read division, has left LFI to join the Peace Corps. equipment/shows, Roberta will be happy to all about it (in Japanese) at www.segatoys.co Luke and his wife Jen recently stopped in assist you. Contact her at LFI International, Pittsburgh to visit family, and they send fond 13221 SE 26th Street, Suite H, Bellevue,

68 Planetarian September 2005 Hot Digital Fun In The Summer Sun Twenty-eight planetarians attended the SPITZ Digital Institute in Chadds Ford, Penn- sylvania, from July 18 to 21, 2005. Twelve presenters covered a variety of topics during the four-day Institute. Subjects included intensive Starry Night software training; a presentation by Learning Technologies about educational standards; two presentations from the Hubble Space Telescope Science Institute about finding Hubble images and STScI’s production of astronomy simulations; a presentation by Steve Tomecek about the PASS series; two-day intensive workshops by Pedro Braganca and Herb Koller of Starry Night about the new educational textbooks, Starry Night High School and Starry Night Middle School. These text- The Home Star Planetarium, coming books are compatible with the planetarium soon to a toy, electronic, or specialty version of Starry Night Dome. store near you. Image courtesy of Sega Toys. Scott Huggins of Spitz writes, “We also focused on the techniques needed for pro- Spitz Digital Institute attendees hard Washington 98005; phone 425-644-2777, fax duction in the digital era: Photoshop, digital at work. Photo by Spitz, Inc. 425-644-0330, roberta.m@lfiinternational .com. After 13 years of service, Jack Steiffer has retired from Oakton High School Planetar- ium in Fairfax County, Virginia. Rebecca Pifer, a physics teacher from Woodson High School will take over for Jack. After 25 years in the Falls Church High School planetarium, also in Fairfax County, Gary Purinton is also retiring. Dave Fowler will now teach the astronomy program at Falls Church High School.

Digital Planetarians and their hosts take time out for dinner in lovely Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Photo by Spitz, Inc.

audio editing, navigating real-time databases, duction Coordinator John French answered and fulldome production. During the last his phone one evening late last year. The two days we broke the main group into friendly folks from the Food Network televi- three smaller groups and did a fun exercise sion show, Unwrapped, were planning to where each group had to write, produce, pro- create an episode of their popular program gram, and present a realtime fulldome show on the subject of sticky foods! John has spent in exactly three hours. This was fun, and an the last decade amassing a personal collec- amazing success (think “Junkyard Wars” for tion of Moist Towelettes which he has dome production).” assembled in a web-based online museum, www.moisttowelettemuseum.com, and as a From the Stranger Than Science permanent display in his Abrams office. Fiction File: The now-legendary collection has been You never know when you’ll suddenly be assembled through the generous donations Peace Corps volunteers Luke and Jen called upon to comment on some obscure of many of John’s planetarium acquain- Donaher are now in Kazakhstan. Photo by James Hughes. topic or specialty that you might have. That tances from around the world. The Unwrap- was the case when Abrams Planetarium Pro- ped crew visited John and his collection in

September 2005 Planetarian 69 January of this year and the segment on the Moist Towelettes appeared on June 13st. If you didn’t get a chance to see the world premiere, you may be able to catch it again in reruns (Episode CW1010). Besides a sudden influx of Moist Towelettes through the mail from many viewers of the program, John has also received notes from other collectors who have suddenly come out to claim their devotion to this soothing, cleansing wipe. Don’t forget to send John a moist towelette or two to expand his treasured collection Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State Univer- sity, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. Finally, if you have some strange collection or marvelous tale to tell, please send it to me at the address at the front of this column. I know that others reading this maga- John French amidst the wonder of the Moist Towelette Collection. Photo by John French. zine would enjoy hearing from you! C

(Mobile, continued from page 58)

Tuukka noted, “It is not a question of using the mouse or buttons on a computer or the accessibility of the gadget, but a question of what do we want to do and how do we decide what to do. Technology and Man is a bigger issue than just whether we should digitize our itinerant planetariums, but the big question is seen in the smaller questions in an interesting way.” Tuukka’s smaller questions for all of us to ponder: • Which one comes first, technology or people? • Does technology serve the planetarium or the planetarium technology? Tuukka Perhoniemi and Per Broman discuss the new technologies for mobile • Does the planetarium serve our needs? domes. Photo by Daniel Audeon, Planetarium de Nantes. How and why? • What do we want to do with the plane- etaria and small mobile planetaria? real experiences to science fiction or God’s tarium? • Is there any difference between what is (and objective/universal science’s) perspec- • What happens when technology gives us actually possible and what is science fiction? tive. possibilities to do more things? (The difference between reality and a theory • At least I don’t have enough knowledge • What is important in a planetarium? The or image that describes reality is blurred.) and capability to explain even half of the social situation? Human contact? For or against digitalization? things that can be easily done with an ad- • What does a planetarian desire? Tuukka asks: “Why do we hesitate to use vanced digital projector • Is the modern scientific worldview not digital technology in our planetaria? Is it • Technology develops rapidly and tells us too complicated to understand? Or teach? something principal? Is it just a question of what we can do, and what we should do, but • What kind of picture of reality do we control that must be delivered in some our understanding of social situations, want to create in the planetarium? form? Or, are the content and the form in- human beings, purposes of education etc. • Does the picture change when changing separable? One affects the other?” don’t develop at the same speed. equipment and perspectives? Tuukka’s final remarks: • What about all the great things that we • What are the limits of the planetarium? • What happens when we have 1000 dif- get with digital projectors? There’s no prob- Limits of imagination? Limits of current ferent ways to do a lesson/presentation? lem with digital technology as such, but technology? Limits of man? • If we have 50 readymade programs, do unfortunately the situation isn’t so simple. (I • Should we use the planetarium for all sci- we still have the motivation to do our own wish it was) – there’s all sorts of connotations ence teaching? programs? and contexts that are inevitable here.” • What are the capabilities of people/chil- • New possibilities seduce us to use many dren (different ages) to understand different applications and qualities/properties that Signing Off: medias and its relation to reality (the plane- don’t help us (and pupils) but distract atten- I would enjoy hearing your reactions, tarium is a medium)? tion and direct attention to irrelevant direc- especially to Tuukka’s comments. Please con- • What is the relation between pedagogy tions. tact me with your thoughts, experiences, and entertainment? • All the animations seen with the digital questions, and solutions! What’s going on in C • What is the difference between big plan- projectors moved the perspective from our your world?

70 Planetarian September 2005 (DomeFest, continued from page 27) IMAX Producer/Director, John Weiley intro- ings of ‘Creep No. 2’ by Dominic Bunning duced this new production, which has taken and Ralph Heinsohm of Kiel, Germany; time- Walker, with a number of students who elements from his IMAX productions, Solar- lapse footage by allsky.de presented by Ken- worked on the animation through the Digi- Max, and Antarctica. Made possible with un- an Bromann; and a seven-minute preview of tal Pueblo Project. precedented cooperation from ESA, NASA “Origins of Life” (Mirage3D, Netherlands). On Saturday, guests were treated to the 40- and the Japanese Space Agency, “Heart of the Through the support of Sky-Skan, Inc. and minute juried show, which also consisted of Sun”, allows planetarium audiences, see our the University of New Mexico, DomeFest pieces from Hue Walker; Softmachine star for the fist time close up and personal, 2005 next moves to SIGGRAPH 2005 in Los GmbH; Donna Cox, the NCSA and UIUC; using imagery from SOHO, YOHKHO, and Angeles (July 31-August 4) where a tempo- Donna Cox and the Denver Museum of Trace. rary dome will treat the 30,000 attendees to Nature and Science; and Enrico Trujillo. A special screening of “Molecularium: highlights of DomeFest 2005. The audience was also indulged to a Riding Snowflakes” (Rensselaer Polytechnic Didn’t get to attend DomeFest 2005? A demonstration of Digital Universe powered Institute & Nanotoon, New York), a magical, tour schedule is now being developed, with by Sky-Skan’s DigitalSky. Ryan Wyatt, of the musical adventure into the world of atoms the first stop being Auckland, New Zealand American Museum of Natural History, flew and molecules that helps schoolchildren ex- for the APS conference (August 13-14), fol- through this Digital Universe, traveling out plore the universe as it exists at the atomic lowed by the Fiske Planetarium, University of our solar system, past galactic surveys to scale. A special talk with the Producers was of Colorado, as part of the WAC conference the edge of the known universe – the Wilkin- extremely insightful into this groundbreak- (September 7-8). DomeFest 2005 will contin- son Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), ing collaboration between scientists, anima- ue traveling to full dome theaters around the all in real-time! tors, artists, educators and musicians in the world, including a stint at the Glendale Sunday included more special presenta- logistics of a large scale full dome produc- Community College, Los Angeles, California. tions, including a show preview of “Heart of tion. If you’re interested in playing DomeFest the Sun” (Heliograph, Australia), filmed in Sunday also included a moderated discus- 2005 in your full dome theater, contact the world’s largest film format, IMAX, and sion of the IPS full dome standards, followed David Beining, Director, Lodestar Astronomy for the first time, fully converted to a digital in the evening by a panel discussion on that Center, email [email protected], or phone full dome immersive experience. Renowned state of the medium, which included screen- 505-841-5985; www.domefest.org. C

September 2005 Planetarian 71 (answers) and must reply in the form of a ball is on a rocking platform. The object of Last Light question, Jon’s categories included The More the game is to relax, causing the brain’s alpha the Maria (questions about our Moon), waves to flatten, and thereby push the ball Messier Marathon (identifying Messier to the opposite side of the platform, while Objects by their number and a description), your opponent tries to do the same. Sort of a Star Treats (giving the name of a popular “who’s the most empty headed?” contest. astronomically-named sweet in response to The current champion at the museum? clues), and By the Numbers (in which contes- Their Director of Development. tants were given a number – “99%” for exam- Dr. Christopher De Pree hosted the last full ple – and had to come up with a question – day of the conference at Agnes Scott College. “What amount of the solar system’s mass is Agnes Scott is a women’s college, and stu- in the Sun?”). dents are encouraged to explore topics new The game was immensely popular, with to them. The Global Connections project contestants ringing buzzers and members of allows students from varied disciplines to the audience calling out, “I know! I know work together on a common project. This that one!” year Dr. De Pree took some of his astronomy Partway through the game, Jon men- students, along with fellow professor Donna tioned that he had tried these questions out Sadler’s art history students, to Italy for a on members of the staff at his college. They joint program. Sixteen students studied both April S. Whitt told him, “Dude! No one’s going to know topics before the visit, and traveled together any of this stuff!” to Venice and Florence, where they were Fernbank Science Center The constellation shoot-out is a perennial able to visit Galileo’s villa in Arcetri. 156 Heaton Park Drive NE favorite. Brave planetarians compete in Chris described the scene. The villa had pointing out stars, constellations and some been recently renovated, but was not open Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA deep sky objects in a dome other than their to the public for regular tours. Their group [email protected] own. Last year, a story-telling component was accompanied by an interpreter and was added. Contestants each have two min- guide. The villa was on one side of a narrow The Southeastern Planetarium Association utes to tell a constellation story, and are street, and the interpreter, Chris, Donna and (SEPA), one of the American regional groups, rated by the audience to determine a winner. sixteen young women were on the opposite met in mid-June at Fernbank Science Center. This year, Kris McCall won with her rousing side of the street waiting to cross. Paper sessions, speakers, planetarium pro- tale of Orion as a football player, describing, A car came flying down the street, and the grams, and workshops provided delegates “Here are his broad shoulders, here’s his occupants of the car, spotting the group, with a variety of information under the waist, here’s his tiny head. And if you find called out in Italian. The interpreter turned topic of astronomy education. The two plan- this star near his belt, you’ll notice that it to Chris and said, “What they said - it was a etariums at nearby Emory University and at looks kind of fuzzy. But we all know that a compliment.” Agnes Scott College shared their domes and Zeiss sky would never have a fuzzy star!” Another stop on the tour was the island of programs with us. It was a Triple Zeiss Event Kris also described an exhibit at her muse- Murano. “There are no public bathrooms on – each theater had a Zeiss star projector, um, a sort of tour through the human body. Murano,” Chris told us. “After a couple of either large or small. Vendors were generous One of the displays houses a “mind ball.” hours, I felt like I’d bonded with Tycho.” in their support, and evaluations indicated Two people put “Frankenstein” helmets on And a few more quotes from Dr. Einstein: that mostly a good time was had by all. their heads, helmets with sensors that mea- As far as the laws of mathematics refer to The Farthest Southern and Farthest sure the brain’s alpha waves. The sensors are reality, they are not certain; and as far as Eastern Member award goes connected to a mechanism in which a small they are certain, they do not refer to reality. to Andrew Buckingham, God does not care about our who traveled from his Star mathematical difficulties. He Dome in Auckland, New Zea- integrates empirically. land. It was winter there, of The release of atomic energy course, and when I asked him has not created a new problem. It about the change to summer has merely made more urgent weather here and what early the necessity of solving an exist- morning rising would be like ing one. back at home, he said, “My We should take care not to theory is, if the sun can’t be make the intellect our god; it has, bothered to get up and warm of course, powerful muscles, but the Earth, neither can I.” no personality. Jon Bell, well known to IPS To punish me for my con- members for his astronomy tempt for authority, fate made songs and award-winning me an authority myself. script writing, showed anoth- When you are courting a nice er creative side with his girl, an hour seems like a second. Astro-pardy game. Styled When you sit on a red-hot cinder after the television program a second seems like an hour. The SouthEastern Planetarium Association met in Atlanta this That’s relativity. C Jeopardy, in which contes- year. Aloha shirts courtesy GOTO, photograph courtesy tants are given clues Bernard Thoeny, Fernbank Science Center.

72 Planetarian September 2005