PLANETARIAN Journal of the International Planetarium Society Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997
Articles 6 Planetarium Mystique-Our Secret Weapon ..... Jon A. Marshall 12 Astronomy Link Update ...... Jim Manning 18 Invitations to IPS 2002 ...... hosts 22 Minutes of the 1972 Council Meeting ...... Lee Ann Hennig
Features 27 Computer Corner: Moontool & Jupiter's Moons ...... Ken Wilson 29 Regional Roundup ...... Lars Broman 32 Book Reviews ...... April S. Whitt 38 Planetarium Memories ...... Kenneth E. Perkins 40 Mobile News Network ...... Sue Reynolds 43 Forum: NASA & Public Education ...... Steve Tidey 47 Gibbous Gazette ...... Christine Shupla 50 What's New ...... Jim Manning 53 Opening the Dome: Spirit of Dome .. Jon U. Bell/Carrie Meyers 56 President's Message ...... Thomas Kraupe 59 Planetechnica: Computer Imaging Basics ... Richard McColman 66 Jane's Corner ...... Jane Hastings Seeing Is Believing! (Ps EDi'i[ZEe,arlums For further information contact Pearl Reilly: 1-800 .. 726-8805 I NSTRLJrvl fax: 1-504-764-7665 Planetarium Division email: [email protected] 170 E. Kirkham Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119-1791 The Planetartan USN 0090-3213) is published quarterly by the International Planetarilum Society. ©1997, International Planetarium Society. Inc.. all rights reserved. Opinions exo,res:sed Planetarian by authors are personal opinions and are not necessarily the opinions of the International etarium Society. its officers, or agents. Acceptance of advertisements. announcements, Vol. 26, No.4 material does not imply endorsement by the International Planetarium Society. its agents. The Editor welcomes items for consideration for publication. Please consult December 1997 "Guidelines for Contributors" printed on page 56 in the 1997 issue and web site. The Editor reserves the right to edit any manuscript to suit this put)lic.ltio1n' Executive Editor John Mosley IN D E F ERT R Griffith Observatory 2800 E. Observatory Road Bowen Productions ...... Los Angeles, California 90027 USA (1) 213-664-1181 work phone Buhl Planetarium ...... (1) 818-708-7314 home fax Davis Planetarium ...... [email protected] East Coast Control Systems ...... Advertising Coordinator Evans &: Sutherland ...... Sheri Barton Trbovich Hansen Planetarium Goto Optical ...... 15 South State Street learning Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 USA (1) 801-531-4949 Miami Space (1) 801-531-4948 fax Minolta ...... [email protected] NEOS Technologies ...... Membership Individual: $40 one year; $70 two years Planetarium Institutional: $150 first year; $75 annual renewal R. S. Automation ...... cover Library Subscriptions: $24 one year Direct membership requests and changes ofaddress Seiler Instruments ...... cover to the Treasurer !Membership Chairman Sky-Skan, Inc...... LP. S. Job Information Service Spitz, Inc ...... To receive word of new position openings in the planetarium field, send up to six self-addressed stamped envelopes to: S. Fentress, Director t 1'8 Strasenburgh Planetarium P.O. Box 1480 Jon U. Bell Rochester, New York 14603 USA Opening the Dome Back Issues of the Planetarian Lars Broman Christine ...... ,...... Available from: Regional ROIUDldu:p Gibbous GaZeltte Charlene Oukes Jane G. Hastings Steve IPS Back Publications Repository Jane's Comer Forum Strasenburgh Planetarium P.O. Box 1480 Richard McColman Rochester, New York 14603 USA Planetechnica
A cumulative index of major articles that have Jim Manning Ken Wilson appeared in the Planetarian from the first issue New COlmltlu1ter Comer
through the current issue is available on paper ""' ..... ·... ""'1· .... Perkins ($12 ppd) or disk ($5 ppd) from the Exec. Editor. Pllmc:~tart1J1m. Memories Final Deadlines March: January 21; June: April 21 September: July 21; December: October 21 International Plan So World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.GriffithObs.orgIIPSPlanetarian.html http://sunsite.unc.edu/ips
Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 Planetarian President Executive Secretary IPS 2000 Conference Chair Thomas W. Kraupe Lee Ann Hennig, Planetarium Pierre Lacombe, Director Steven Mitch EuroPlaNet @ imagicX Thomas Jefferson High School Planetarium de Montreal Benedum Natural ;:,)Clellce Rumfordstr.41 6560 Braddock Road 1000 rue O. 0-80469 Muenchen (Munich) Alexandria, Virginia 22312 USA Montreal, QC H3C Germany (1) 703-750-8380 Canada +498921031531 (1) 703-750-5010 fax (1) 5148724530 +498921031532 fax [email protected] (1) 5148728102 Fax [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer and Membership President Elect Chair Historian/Photo-Archivist Dale Smith Shawn Laatsch John Hare Planetarium Arthur Storer Planetarium Ash H'nt""rnM .".,'" Physics & Astronomy Dept. 600 Dares Beach Road 3602 West Bowling Green State University Prince Frederick, MD 20678 Bradenton, Florida 34205 USA Bowling Green, OH 43403 USA USA (1) 941-746-3522 (1) 419-372-8666 (1) 410-535-7339 (1) 941-750-9497 fax (1) 419-372-9938 fax [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 1998 Conference Chair Publications Chair Past President Undine Concannon April Whitt Jim Manning Planetarium Administrator Fembank SCience Center Taylor Planetarium London Planetarium 156 Heaton Park Drive NE Museum of the Rockies Marylebone Road Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA Bozeman Montana 59717 USA London NWI 5LR (1) 404-378-4314 ext 221 (1) 406-994-6874 England (1) 404-370-1336 fax (1) 406-994-2682 fax (44) 171-486-1121 april. [email protected] [email protected] (44) 171-465-0862 fax conference: June 28 - July 2
Association of French-Speaking (81) 3-3396-4391 Planetariums PlslnetariUIn Association (81) 3-3396-4393 fax Zinaida P. Sitkova Agnes Acker Dennis Simopoulos [email protected] NO'IT.!:!orod Planetarium Planetarium Strasbourg Eugerudes Planetarium Polm'V'aliJnslr:v SYezd 5-A Uruversite Louis Pasteur Syngrou Avenue--Amflthea Middle Atlantic P1anetarlum Society No'".!:!olrod, 603 001, Rue de L'Observatoire Athens. Greece Laura Deines 6700 Strasbourg, France (30) 1-941-1181 Southworth Planetarium 33-388 212042 (30) 1-941-7372 fax PO Box 9300 33-388 212045 fax dps@eugerudes_found.edu.gz Portland. Maine 04104-9300 (1) 207-780-4249 Assoc, of Mexican Planetariums Great Lakes Planetarium Assoc. (1) 207-780-4051 fax IgnaciO Castro Pinal Susan Reynolds [email protected] Museo Technologico C.F.E. Onondaga-Cortland -Madison Apartado Postal 18-816 B.O.C.E.S. Planetarium Nordic Planetarium M!Joc:iatiion CP 11870 Mexico City, D.F. Mexico P.O. Box 4774 Lars Broman (52) 55-16-13-57 Syracuse. New York 13221 USA Broman Planetarium (52) 55-16-55-20 fax (l) 315-433-2671 Ostra 1 (1) 315-433-1530 fax S-791 71 Sweden British Assoc. of Planetariums [email protected] 2310 177 Undine Concannon 2310 137 Planetariums London Planetarium Great Plains Planetarium Assoc. Marlybone Road April Whitten, BUSiness Mgr. London NW1 5LR. England Mallory Kountze Planetarium 52nd St. (44) 171-487-0227 60th & Dodge Streets Oklahoma OK 731 (44) 171-465-0862 fax Omaha, Nebraska 68182 USA Pacific Planetarium ~iIOCiatllon (1) work (1) 402-554-2510 Jon Elvert (1) 405-424-5106 fax Canadian Council of Science (1) 402-554-3100 Lane ESD Planetarium wayne. [email protected] Centres [email protected] 2300 Leo Harris John Dickenson, Managing Director Eugene. Oregon USA Ukranian Planei:arliumas Pacific Science Centre Italian Planetaria's Friends Assoc. (1) 541-461-8227 Dr. Alexander P. Lenin 1100 Chestnut St. Loris Ramporu (1) 541-687-6459 fax Rel)Ubllic~li Planetarium Vancouver, BC V6J 3.19 Canada National Archive of Planetaria [email protected] Krasnoarmeiskaia 604-738-7817 ex 234 c/o Centro studi e ricerche Serafino http://www.efn.org/ -esd_plt/ Kiev 252 005. Ukraine 604-736-5665 fax Zani 227-51-66 [email protected] via Bosca 24. CP 104 Rocky Mountain Planetarium 227-51-43 fax 25066 Lumezzane (Brescia), Italy Association Council of German Planetariums (39) 30 298 3686 John R. Peterson. RMPA President Prof. Dr. Dieter B. Herm1aIU1 (39) 30370 1048 fax El Paso ISD Planetarium Zeiss-Grossplanetarium Berlin 6531 Boeing Dr. Prenzlauer Allee 80 Planetarium Society El Paso. Texas 79925 USA D-10405 Berlin, Germany Uoh (1) 915-779-4316 +49-30-42184512 Suginami Science Education Center (1) 915-779-4098 fax +49-30-4251252 fax: 3-3-13 Shimizu, Suginami-lru, [email protected] Tokyo 167 Japan
U.l.J;;:\,.;.I.\... .:>, California
4 lished quarterly by the Astronomical Society specific. of the Pacific and is currently reaching over My only question to Mr. Michael 15,000 educators worldwide. Supported by a mer regarding his m()mlmentaH
grant from the IPS, all IPS members receive gratulatory article on .AAJLJ..U'U.J'F. "The Universe in the Classroom" as a benefit knows how can go of membership. "someone else," is: In an empty space Cordially, nothing but you Since August 1997, I am no longer the In Mike Bennett argument? formal Science Education Liaison for Astronomical Society of the Pacific p.s. - Please be so kind as to delmClnstrate Hubble's Space Telescope Science Institute 390 Ashton Ave. your wonderfully (STScI). I am relocating to Pennsylvania to San Francisco, CA 94112 why a fire-walker's feet are not burned join my husband [email protected] walking through a hundred feet of burnirL2 I will remain in the planetarium commu coals. Please make sure that aU observers nity, and hope to see many of you at confer "scientists," who armed with your 'C:AIJU;.UlUI.- ences and on the information superhighway! tion will be able to for themselves In the time between my departure from validi ty of your realsonmlgs, As a member of IPS I am writing this STScI and the arrival of my replacement, we after you in your to()tster)s short letter because I wish to have my have designated an interim contact here in coals. our Office of Public Outreach: Carole Rest. response to one of the Planetarian:S articles She is an excellent person and will do her printed. I do not see a "letters" section in the September 1997 issue, but I feel it is necessary best with our other staff to meet your needs. Salt Lake Please direct your comments and requests to to respond to a type of arrogance that I have often seen repeated by various "authorita her: tive" scientific contributors to this and other Carole Rest publications-Le., that modern rationalistic I must say this is one of the stranger Office of Public Outreach empirical science can discover, explain and ters critiquing my work that I have 3700 San Martin Drive understand everything there is to know received. In a five paragraph letter there isn't Baltimore, MD 21218 about reality. This seems to be the underly a single specific pOint about what apfJealred (410) 338-4590 phone ing assumption from which these various in the article excerpted from my book, (410) 338-4579 fax writers are coming. At the same time, all People Believe Weird Things, so I don't [email protected] other avenues of investigation and discovery are anathematized by them, if not directly, know how to respond. Ervin accuses me of being "authoritative," "monumentally If you cannot reach Carole, please try our then by implication. congratulatory," and "arrogant," without general information lines at: I know there are many open-minded dis senters to such an approach even in the sci ing a single instance or providing a And this accusation about (410) 338-4444 entific community. I have met some of them most straight-forward, non-confrontational outreach@stscLedu and they have often expressed views that would be taken as "pseudo-scientific" by the chapter in my book-a listing of standard fal lacies of logic and discussed in any We will be slightly short-handed while "defenders of reason" of the "true science." Philosophy 101 text. we search for a new liaison, so please allow Due to political and dogmatic pressures To address the (none more time for your questions to be answered have kept many of their more radical opin which pertain to what I wrote), no scientist, and your requests fulfilled ions to themselves. I do not feel so con especially and including me, would ever On a personal note, I would like to thank strained claim that empirical science "can discover, all of you who have made my time here at What we call science today was original explain and understand there is STScI a wonderful experience! ly called natural philosophy. It is a system to know about reality." This is a Clear Skies, that is preeminently useful at classifying and straw-man for Ervin's agenda (whatever that PrueSchran sustaining repeatable events-but not unique ones. In the realm of unique events, present is). With regard to "unique" events, I have scientific method has no jurisdiction. Intel written a good deal about in lect and reason have attempted to address my book in the section on how can realms for which other aspects of our be a science (and history is nothing if not Due to a production problem at the ASP, humanity are far better suited. Science like unique events). And what scientist in his or "The Universe in the Classroom" teachers religion is not independent of our humanity, her right (or even wrong) mind would claim newsletter was not included with the mail it is an expansion of it. There is no absolutely absolute infallibility? Who in God's (or who ing of the September 1997 issue of the Plan infallible system. To paraphrase Shakespeare, ever's) name is this person talking about? etarian. The newsletters were later mailed "There are more things in heaven and earth With regard to the two short separately and by now all Planetarian recipi than in all your philosophies." Conscious in directed at me (although still not about any ents should have received their copy tegration of all systems into a unified whole thing I wrote), I made it clear that these are (Number 39 -Third Quarter 1997). Any of would serve everyone far better than the ways that thinking goes wrong for all of us, yQUr readers who have not yet received their fragmentary, isolated approaches that are so not just for everyone but me! And I have copy should contact me immediately. We at prevalent. To know more, we must all BE walked on burning hot coals (described in the ASP apologize for the error and hope no more. To BE more, we must aU be willing to my book in detail) and have the video one was inconvenienced BECOME more. "The Universe in the Classroom" is pub- From the general, I now go to the
Vol. No.4, December 1997 Planetarian • because the very atoms I from stardust I from the eX1PloOlftg
as a in the audience the sensation that the roof Center has vanished and there's the to behold But oops! I've almost given away our Think back for a moment; how did you secret. Shhhhh ... we'll come back to this get into the business? How later. many of you went off to with the Why are we humanoids drawn idea that you would work in a stars in the do so many pl(me~taI'i planetarium? urn include phrases like, "As we gaze At a GLPA conference years ago, someone up into the sky, we wonder at what's reported on a survey of the Df()iesSI'OnaJ out there ... " or "Seeing the stars is training backgrounds of teach into the past '" " or "Is there ers and directors in which it was found that a somewhere out there in space substantial number of planetarians did not into their sky and wondering if there have in astronomy or but somebody else looking around, too?" had come into the field from a surprisingly What is the source of this wonder, this diverse range of areas, including math, biolo curiosity, this mysterious force which seems gy, English, psychology, and a few others. to beckon from the vastness of Is it But maybe it isn't so after all, con- sidering how programming has evolved over the last years or so. Abstract: At the beginning, in that dome on the fac- tory roof in the effect was so Conflicting Signals seem to unique and so (no pun intend- garding the effectiveness ed!) that were awe-struck the the areas of science artificial No panoramas misconceptions of floating along the cove, no views of Newton's like a square room the sun even though projected on a surface; U.S. citizens cannot a no Space Shuttle rocket launches zooming do simple computations as across the dome; a startlingly realistic simulation of being outside on a beautiful that in a few we clear evening with the stars overhead. No trained people. This seems to doubt there were a few purists who observed thousands of college that the stars didn't twinkle, but this minor was easily swept aside the cannot find effect that somehow when the lights went down in this room, the ceiling and roof seemed to have silently and magically opened up to reveal ... the stars! People came from near and far to see and marvel at "the wonder of Jena," hailing it as a of modem science. 70 years have passed since that triumph, and although a host of engineering refinements and new designs have produced a whole series of planetarium instruments (and an of them have been aimed toward that same goal, to
6 Plane tar ian willing to compromise, especially not just to nature as our main focus. I think it's impor shortage of cornpllicatio:ns achieve some questionable, and usually tem tant to point out to students that while we coming out of porary, resolution to difficult situations. divide science into what appear to be rather tUng attitude toward science he Some of these standards and principles, of independent disCiplines, the fact is that While scientists strive course, relate to our expectations for stu Mother Nature pays absolutely no attention ful precision in their work so that dents' accomplishment and behavior, while to this artificial separation, and operates as a sions are valid and reliable, po:Utic:ialls terror at even the sU$;1~e5;tion posals and methods be subljecteC1 Even though we haven't figured out where it comes from, this inher type of rig()rolls ent interest in the universe is something we all recognize as the ence's daily routine. key element in our professional operations. It is the one on which On the other hand, hope. The New York Times we must capitalize, not in an exploitative way, but in clever, subtle, July: and dramatic ways which will help our audiences to get answers for "In making its first ever on some of their questions and to stimulate them to pursue even er use of scien Ufic evidence in the room, the U.S. Court has more. that many judges will be fralntic:aH catch-up on the basics of the scientific others are based on our knowledge and vast integrated system. We poor humans method .... Yet lawyers and scientists training in science and its methods. have to learn things step-by-step before we sides of the debate over how much SO-~Calllf>fI If we can somehow establish the convic can see how the details fit into the big piC junk science is tion in our students' minds that we honestly ture. To say that a biology student intently the decision ... was a thcmghtltul, believe in their capabilities, and that we will studying the structure of leaves "doesn't see rational response to a messy and cornplex help them however we can, then they will the forest for the trees" may be literally true! issue .... In a case involving a m()rnin~~-silck know that we are going to expect them to ness drug blamed for birth defects, the court give us their best efforts all the time, and Scientific literacy ruled that federal judges must ensure that entific evidence and testimony admitted that nothing less will do. Our responsibility We are also the resource persons to whom is to keep prodding and tugging them the public often turns to have the facts and trials 'is not only relevant, but reliable' upward to whatever their particular achieve discoveries of science explained and inter court said federal judges must assume ment level should be. Oh, yes, there will be preted. People want to know how these responsibility for the quality of the scientific some kicking and screaming along the way, things affect them, but they don't want to be evidence in their courts and that but they will soon find out we are not about embarrassed by asking a "dumb question." they must look at the data under Guestilon to give in. No wonder, since we are surrounded and make sure scientific conventions were Please excuse me if I seem to be "preaching constantly bombarded by distressing exam lowed in the results. The to the choir," but we aU know the tremen ples of how the general public seems to lack suggested that federal judges must CO][1silc1er dous potential of the planetarium, and we even the most basic facts of scientific litera the basics of the scientific method are continually frustrated when circum cy. example, whether a stances interfere with our drive toward real But this is all the more disturbing when it ject to ret:)rOIc1w:tblle e:x:perinlentation izing that potential for our audiences. is glaringly displayed by public officials to out being falsified, a hallmark of rigOf()US Limited budgets, lack of adequate schedule whom we look for presumably informed ence .... The also insisted that courts time, not enough supplies, maintenance leadership. For example, consider this item should not base decisions about the admissi problems, no one to help us or even lend a from last June when United States Senator bilityof on agreement with the sympathetic ear to our complaints ... the list John Breaux of Louisiana was discussing the scientific conclusion, but rather on whether goes on and on. Nevertheless, we grit our proposal to impose a so-called Btu tax: the methods used to reach the conclusion teeth and set a determination that none of "I didn't know what [a Btu] meant, so final were sound ... The Carnegie Commission [on these roadblocks will stop us, somehow we ly I looked it up. A British thermal unit is the Science, and Government], are going to make it to our goals; we are amount of energy required to raise the tem research branch of the federal in going to find a way to do it, because we perature of one pound of water one Washington, has spent the last three years know our unique skills and knowledge will Fahrenheit. Now you think that ain't com studying the nexus between science and the make special things happen on that dome. plicated Is that from Washington or is that courtroom, and to have a pre~lirrlimlfY Why is this so particularly important for from Washington?" available by the end of the summer to us planetarians? Because we are in the dis Now we could spend a fair amount of discriminate between sci- tinctive position of having a physical facili time analyzing the implications of these ence and bad." ty in which we can put the sciences back comments, but let's look at just a couple: Is Here again there are lots of rarmtlcatiolns, together. The physics teacher, the chemistry the definition of a Btu really all that compli but consider just a few: For instance, should teacher, the biology teacher, and the math cated? Are we to accept the notion that such n't we wonder about what kind of scientific teacher are already overburdened with just things are so esoteric, and therefore so far testimony has been allowed in our court trying to teach people the fundamentals in removed from everyday practicality that rooms over the past 200 years if the SUJ)relme their specific areas. We planetarians need to ordinary people shouldn't waste their time Court has only just now made its first official help and encourage those teachers to even trying to understand them? Is he sug ruling the use of scientific emphasize the interconnections between gesting that Washington is responsible for dence? Not to mention the fact that the sciences, but we have the great advan the definition, or just its alleged complica courts' commission has spent three tage of being able to show this unity of tions? There has certainly never been any studying the relation between science and
Vol. No.4, December 1997 Planetarian the courtroom, and hopes to have a prelimi technological was announced which, nary guide available to judges by the end of at about $33 billion, may tum out to be the the summer. largest corporate merger ever made. What will this new gUide say? Will the According to what these envi- people who actually write and edit this sion, "we ain't seen nothin' yet," in terms of guide have the kind of scientific training and the impact and application of television and experience to qualify them to offer appropri computers in our lives. A commentator ate guidance for using science in the court wrote that the scale of the technology need room? One might be cynical enough to ask ed to develop "the box" which we will have whether its content will be screened for in our homes is thought to be so cOInplex "political correctness" as well as for scientific that no one company can handle it alone. authenticity. Will it be genuinely helpful to This box will interface our TV
We can use other people's technology in our place but they can't use ours in theirs! itations on judges, or will its guidelines be too compli sets, and personal computers literally with with the Universe! cated to be useful, in typical Washington the world, giving us random access to unlim We fashion? After all, look at Senator Breaux' ited programming and information services struggle with the Btu definition! at any time of day or night, complete with shots of adrenaline Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of rewind, fast-forward, freeze-frame, hard-copy in the nick of time. this article is that the justices insist that sci printout, videophone services to allow us to entific conclusions must be reached by using call Grandma and literally see that she's OK, sound methods. This is something we need education courses, home-shopping for virtu present in our chamber in to promote, too. ally anything induding automobiles, and on rience our pn~sel[lta:tions; The established facts of science are fasci and on. Do any of you remember a scale "remotes." nating, but there are so many new ones con prediction made years ago? I believe it was There stantly being added that even specialists can by someone at Bell Telephone Labs: that the get overwhelmed in their own field. What ultimate dream goal of the phone company efforts can we make to help our students and was to have a system whereby every person audiences with this? born would be assigned an individual tele information and ideas we'd I think we need a two-pronged approach, phone number for life, and would have a sent; how do we make the namely: content and method This is certain small portable phone unit to take with him We may feel '-'V'AA~J'-AJ''-'U ly nothing new or unique; it wasn't new everywhere. If you placed a call to someone try to compete with even thirty-six years ago when I first heard and got no answer, you would know that their terms rather than ours. about it at The College of Wooster. Looking person was either sound or had died. back now, I think the most significant thing I'm not so sure we necessarily want all of than difficulties. This is 0"01+",', .... 1,,, was that we students were made actively these portable phones to have video aware that this was the major aim of the col ity! lege's curriculum. The idea, of course, is that Just this past Sunday, the Cleveland Plain a person begins his education by learning a Dealer reported that almost none of the collection of basic facts and skills, and in the members of Congress make use of e-mail, process also begins to develop methods by few offices have explored on-line computer which he gathers and blends new informa bulletin boards, but there are so few tion and facts with the old. It's a matter of on Capitol Hill who know how to use them "learning how to learn." If he is reasonably that they "are almost like a net successful with this, he will be able to con work." tinue on his own, developing and extending his knowledge of any subject which captures his interest, even though he never sets foot in another classroom in his life. So where do we and our p1,mE~ta]:iums lt seems to me that this approach offers in to all this? I see us having some advan the only realistic way for people to deal with tages and some difficulties. Let me list some the challenges facing our society. We hear of each and then make some comments predictions that someone entering the about them: American work force today will likely Advatl'wre #1: Nobody else can show the change jobs at least five or six times during * sky like we can. his working career, and many students now Advatl'W[e #2: People have a built-in fas in our classrooms will be doing jobs which cination with that sky. haven't even been designed yet. Ad.va:nulR'e #3: We're here and Five years ago, who had ever heard the we've been around for a relatively term "information superhighway"? Just with time; that is, our planetariums already in the past two weeks, a merger of two major
8 Planetarian time for programs. Remember it; use it; make we11 be glad to use it anytime or all the time zations at both state and na'tiolnal it help you. to reinforce what we're trying to do with the One of the simplest and yet most dramatic main instrument, and when it all works presentations I have ever seen in a planetari together wow, it's fantastic. um was with many of you at a GLP A confer But notice we do all this under the dome; ence in Grand Rapids, when the cove lights when was the last time some multi-media were turned completely down, leaving only type asked seriously to borrow your plane the starry sky above our speaker, the Ameri tarium machine to use somewhere else? can Indian Tsunakwa. His gentle and yet Even StarLab owners don't get asked to bor commanding voice filled the chamber with row their projectors without the dome to go a whole series of wonderful sky legends from with it. his own native culture. We sat there in abso On Advantages #6, 7, and 8: Our inforrna- lute spellbound silence for nearly an hour as he weaved smoothly from each story into Suddenly the chamber was filled with long the next. As he came to the end of what was the last one and quietly sat down, we were so of appreciation for this moving transfixed by the effect of his presentation profoundly effective. To me, that a long time passed before we gradually to have on our audiences. realized that there wasn't going to be anoth er story and the program was over. Suddenly the chamber was filled with long and tion base extends back to the beginning of classroom in very best sense. resounding applause of appreciation for this time; the never-ending flow of information the way, our education system moving experience. So simple, and yet so giving us a constant supply of new items for ly isn't as profoundly effective. To me, that's the kind our audiences; and the fact that we deal with have us believe. own 1"><>,.. "",.,01 of effect we should seek to have on our audi the unlimited subject matter of the universe. tention has been that if our system ences. Obviously most of our topics don't These pretty much speak for themselves; in pH)QllClng such massive numbers lend themselves to such a method of presen fact, with these going for us, we're in failures, the United States tation - too bad there aren't more Tsunakwas shape compared to people who have to not be at all. It was around to help us! - but we certainly can try scrounge around for solid program material. to devise our techniques with such an im Notice that this list includes more advan pact goal in mind tages than difficulties. Not that we're off the Sciences I mentioned the advantage of planetari hook just by the numbers, but those advan "For years we have heard that ums having been around for a long time, and tages hold the keys to overcoming the diffi United States thus having made contacts with many peo culties. For instance, the difficulty that peo U.S. workers ple, both grownups and children. Whether ple must be physically present has often ac(:ordirlg to this view, 'skills Sh()rt;;lge' we're in a public museum planetarium, a col been addressed at our conferences and else errlergeC1 because of a mismatch h""i'UT£>,on lege campus planetarium, or a school plane where; numerous plans and have available tarium, there's no point in having a program been very successful at bringing audiences in if no one shows up. Before you say oh, well, and then them back over aPlDrC)acn: 'If build workers, the school planetarium doesn't really have a the years. If this is one corne.' problem since the kids in classes will just go you are facing, I would suggest that you to the planetarium anyway, remember that into your old conference files, notes, and an ongOing planetarium operation must Proceedings so you can get in touch with build up its effectiveness over a period of some of those people who reported on effec- time, especially with classroom teachers, so tive methods they used to a that their enthusiasm and interest will con and loyal audience base. tinue to bring their classes to the planetari By far the most troubling is the um. And for the non-school planetariums, second one, namely the serious lack of sup our old reliable customers from previous port for what we're trying to ac(:ornplislh. programs need to be reminded that we'd like Not only is there a shortage of money, them to come back for new programs to add many low-cost or even no-cost means to their collection of good memories from port are just not there. Something as the planetarium. as whether your supervisor, principal, board Okay, so we're into some heavy competi of directors, or executive director ever had risen to 87%, tion with other technology and media, but attends any of your programs, even when tion of school rl,.,,,,n'-.l1'h,, did you catch the significance of Advantage they are specifically invited, reveals much force half. #5: We can use other people's technology in about their true interest in the planetarium "Similar, in 1973 our place, but they can't use ours in theirs! and its possibilities. Obviously they need to force had gra,C1uateC1 Maybe we've got 'ern on this one. We wel be genuinely convinced that the planetari that had risen to almost 24%. come all their slide special effects um operation can make a major slgniticalnt "P"",.h'::In" this im:rease gizmos, computers, automation, video pro impact in its unique ways before we can jectors, laserdiscs, digital audio, and so on. Let expect to see real improvements in financ them develop aU this high-tech stuff for us; ing. The same thing applies to larger organi- National Assessment of Educational D ..r~
Vol. December 1997 Planetarian a nationwide representative survey of U.S. inventor of smeU-a-vision in the students, achievement scores for high school tarium. And no one who saw and heard seniors have remained virtually level over his show using Symphonie J:iarlta!iticlUe that time. will ever forget the effect when the exe "A skills gap could also develop if employ cutioner released the guillotine blade, ers are requiring much higher levels of skills and that bowling-ball head with the wig ... but case studies have found no direct rela on it rumbled down the chute between tionship between technological progress and the legs of the A3-P and crashed to the skills upgrading, since new technologies can floor. Talk about making an impact! require fewer skills as well as more. Always be prepared to deliver the most but very "Furthermore '" when asked what they are current and accurate facts you can get on school teacher in the movie, most likely to look for in prospective hires, your topics; people's confidence in our Society, and his favorite employers typically stress finding workers intellectual integrity must never be Diem"-Latin for "seize the who are 'reliable' and have 'a good work ardized partial or misleading answers advice for us As TV cmnrrlen:ial ethic' rather than knowledge of statistics or to questions; if you don't know, then It! mathematics .... honestly say so, with an offer to get the There's a well-known Qu.ot,atlon "The skills-shortage thesis appeals to both answer as soon as possible. To me, this is business and government leaders. It shifts a profoundly important issue, since there blame away from management practices are only a few thousand of us profession and prescribes a fix that tends to keep gov al planetarians in the entire world. a ernment out of business affairs .... Nevertheless, we reach vast numbers of "The role of government should be to people who in turn have their own all those m,'sterl0111S make companies aware of best-management extended contacts, so we need to have techniques and to create new relationships this network spreading a good reputa in the workplace ... tion for all planetariums. "Because such policies challenge business * Use your "planetarium time" with the enzymes, practices, they will be controversial. But this audience to its maximum e1tlCienICV; stars. country has used 'dumb workers' and 'poor especially that precious time with school What's in the future for planetariurns? schools' as scapegoats for too long. The groups whom you may see only once a Will all the nHT.·L.. "",n fT"r1lnn·.... u debates on how to improve productivity year. Use your powerful multi-media over, us must be redirected to the real issues: compa chamber to do things which can only be button and sit back and watch? Will ny organization and management." done there by you; leave classroom-type left to the dust from Sounds to me as if we need to re-examine activities to be done somewhere else at our old dinosaurs that no which way the so-called pyramid of educa another time. the starball? tion is pointed, too. While some special shows don't require I think not. After all, there's an Difficulty #3, that we have a hard time the main instrument, most of the time that must be done before "' .... ·" .. i,;nn-
making choices of what topiCS to present people come to a planetarium ...... 'J'-'-.LUJ'.. UUiJl-","U when that button from the deluge of information available is something to happen that relates to the It's pretty hard to imi:!J::!:irle actually kind of a nice problem to have. Better that than otherwise! And the last difficulty on the list, trying to We should seize every compete with other media on their terms machine. and I mean it rather than ours, is probably most effective more than merely ly faced by simply adapting the best of those other media and technologies to our own backdrop for something purposes, and relying on the uniqueness of out there has one! the overall planetarium experience to sell itself.
sky. We should seize every '-',",,'hU'LHL opportunity to use that star machine, and I mean it should be worked into the Since early in the summer, I have been program to do more than pro Producer! SCribbling down odds and ends of ideas and random thoughts. I've already managed to vide a passive, drifting, Look around this room. Think motion backdrop for something else. sneak most of them in on you, but here are a awesome power of all the marvelous Remember, none of those COlmr)etitors few last bits of advice, suggestions, or person you have seen demonstrated out there has one! years by the of GLPA. For al biases: Please try to do better than I have done you who are new to our pn::lfession Capitalize on the mystique of the plane * when it comes to avoiding procrastina tarium; that is indeed our secret weapon. GLPA be assured that Don't be afraid to unleash your creativi tion. Don't wait too long to push ahead who will with your long-range pro ""Vln.£"·"1~'",, and ideas, ty. When Ken Perkins burns those leaves jectsand ideas for the planetarium. You fri«;~ndship over in the corner while he talks about skills, and most of aU their sincere the seasons, everybody knows exactly keep hoping that somehow those road whenever you may need blocks will get moved aside, and at last to ask, and don't be ~l1rnri,~pn what season he means. I'm sure he is the you'll have the time and means to pro- arrivesi it'll be there.
10 Planetarian Vol. share these thoughts with you tonight. To be in 1964: ence, so honored by one's professional colleagues and up in conversations almost as if is a rare and wonderful joy. I can't seem to it had been a two instead of a find quite the words to express my feel whole year which had The greatest now, but please know I am most of these annual conferences is the profoundly grateful for this extraordinary boost of enthusiasm you will take with you honor. when you leave to go back home and The entire planetarium profession is forev in to your with renewed er indebted to Armand Spitz for his vision Store it up, think of it often, call up its stimu and and I would like to close next week as you return with a few lines from the first lecture in this work and those mundane series, on October 21, 1967 at the first
on their terms rather than by simply adapting the technologies to our own purposes, there is a vast network ,-""rOT,n", the overall planetarium experience and the facts of science as as a reminder of the real God to have contributed to this.
L:>U£,.,.",+Hr pressures try to you down. GLP A Conference to be held in Cleveland. [This paper was VAAF,HUUJ I want all of you to know that Armand himself was too ill to travel at the Armand Memorial Lecture asked by the Executive Committee to time, so his wife Grace presented the lecture, Great Lakes Planetarium Association this Armand Lecture was both a and I can tell you that it was a very tpf'pncp. held in Ohio. RelprintE~d fri$l~htE~nirlg and and experience for all of us who were there. She with from the GLPA I\T.o· ..",lo1"1".o".
I thank you for the n""ulI.O.,.A of me was quoting from the tape of a L\.jLUU'-U\., 1997.]
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Vol. No.4, December 1997 Planetarian Associate Professor of Astophysics and Planetary Sciences tr n my Link date UniverSity of Colorado Boulder, Colorado USA E-mail: bal1y~Yne~bula.(:ol<)ra.jo.~E!du jim Manning Areas: stru~ fOllllUlltion, irlte:l:stelllar Taylor Planetarium Dr. Gibor Basri Museum of the Rockies Professor, Astronomy Department University of California - Berkeley Bozeman, Montana 59717 USA Berkeley, California USA E-mail: basri@;lsoleil.'berkeley.c~du Last issue saw the inaugural publication of who have taken the time and made the the "Astronomy Link" list, designed to be a effort to suggest names and to offer input ty, T Tawi stars, high resolution spectroscopy supplemental resource for IPS members in and who in many instances have recruited their work, and an opportunity to forge people and secured entries for the list. This Dr. Reta Beebe Professor of Astronomy would have been a much poorer effort with additional connections between the scientif New Mexico State University ic and planetarium communities. This issue, out your help. Las Cruces, New Mexico USA I've prepared an updated and expanded list Such assistance will continue to be needed E-mail: rbeebe®nrnsu.edu containing 121 entries from fourteen coun in the future to keep the list vital and opti Area: atmospheres of giant planets tries, including Australia, Canada, France, mally useful to the membership. So please Dr. Max Bernstein Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, feel free to contact me with your ideas, sug Research Scientist Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the gestions, comments, and names of people NASA Ames Research Center United Kingdom, the United States, and the who might be good to include. You can con Moffett Field, California USA Fax: +1650 604 6779 Vatican. tact me at the address given above (street E-mail: [email protected] Please refer to the article in the September address: 600 West Kagy Boulevard) or at tele Web site: http://www 1997 issue accompanying the first list for phone +1 406 994 6874, fax +1 406 994 2682, space.arc.nasa.gov r astrochem details of the history and rationale of the or e-mail address
12 Planetarian Vol. No.4, December Madrid. Spain Flagstaff, Arizona USA Department of Astrophysics E-mail: [email protected] Mail: 14OOW.MarsHilIRd.Flagstaff.AZ 86001 University of Madrid Areas: stellar evolution, elliptical galaxies Phone: +1 520 774 3358 Madrid, Spain E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Dr.Juan Casanovas Areas: planetary astronomy (particularly the use of Areas: stellar formation, evolution of the SFR (star Doctor in Astrophysics occultations), airborne astronomy, instrumenta Vatican City Observatory (Specola Vaticana) tion for optical and infrared astronomy Vatican City (Castelgandolfo) Dr. Katy Garmany Fax: +3966988.4671 Dr. John Dyson Director of Planetarium/Research Faculty Member E-mail: [email protected] Professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy Fiske Planetarium/University of Colorado Areas: Alfonsine Tables (1251), Renaissance astrono University of Leeds Boulder, Colorado USA my, Galileo and Cope:micanism, discovery of Leeds, England, United Kingdom Phone: +1 303 492 7836 sunspots, Jesuit astronomers, Jesuit astronomers in Phone/Fax: +44 113 233 3869 E-mail: garmany'1Yjila.c()lolradcJ.eciu Olina E-mail: [email protected] Areas: Areas: !AU Division VI (Interstellar Matter), inter cation Dr. Lawrence Cram stellar and drcumstellar matter, activity in galaxies Professor of AstrophYSiCS and their nuclei Dr. Robert F. Garrison University of Sydney Professor of Astronomy/Associate Director - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Stephen Edberg Dunlap Observatory Address: School of Physics Astronomer/Member of Technical Staff-Senior University of Toronto University of Sydney Jet Propulsion Laboratory - California Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Sydney, New South Wales 2006 Technology E-mail: [email protected]:a Australia Pasadena, California USA Fax: +61 2 93517726 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Areas: solar system (planets, comets, meteors, Areas: president of !AU Division IV (Structure and eclipses), astrophotography, Galileo &: Cassin! Evolution of Stars), solar physics, stellar activity, Projects Javier Gorgas galactic radio emission, star formation in galaxies, Assistant Professor radio astronomy Dr. Fred Espenak Department of Astrophysics Astrophysicist University of Madrid Dr. Dale Cruikshank NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Madrid, Spain Research Scientist Greenbelt, Maryland USA E-mail: [email protected] NASA Ames Research Center E-mail: [email protected] Areas: stellar evolution, elliptical galaxies Moffett Field, California USA Web sites: E-mail: [email protected] http://planets.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.htrnl Dr. Rafael Guzman Areas: outer solar system, icy bodies, comets/,aster (Eclipses) Hubble Fellow oids, organic matter in the solar system http://planets.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/TSE1998/TSE19 Department of Astronomy 98.html (1998 Eclipse) Yale University Dr. Jeffrey Cuzzi http://planets.gsfcnasa.gov/ eclipse/TSE1999 /TSE19 New Haven, Connecticut USA Research Scientist 99.html (1999 Eclipse) E-mail: [email protected] NASA Ames Research Center Areas: eclipse prediction, planetary ephemerides, Areas: dwarf galaxies, large scale structure of the Moffett Field, California USA planetary atmospheres, infrared spectroscopy universe E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] gov Dr. Anthony Fairall Dr. James E. Hesser Areas: planetary rings, planetary formation, Professor of Astronomy Director, Optical Astronomy Voyager, Cassini, extrasolar planets University of Cape Town National Research Council of Canada/Herzberg Cape Town, South Africa Institute of Astrophysics Dr. Konrad Dennerl E-mail: [email protected] Dominion Astrophysical Observatory MPE - Max Planck Institut fuer Extraterrestrische Areas: galaxies and large-scale structure of universe Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Physik Fax: +1 250 363-6970 Garching, Germany Dr. Julieta Fierro Phone: +49 89 3299 3862 Full Time Researcher Area: soft x-ray astronomy (ROSAT, etc.) Instituto de Astronomia, UNAM Mexico City, D.P., Mexico Dr. Michael De Robertis Phone: +52 5 6 22 39 23 Professor of Physics and Astronomy Fax: +52 5 616 06 53 IngeHeyer York University E-mail: [email protected] Data Analyst (WFP2 Team) North York, Ontario, Canada Areas: !AU Commission 46 (The Teaching of Space Telescope Science Institute Fax: +1 416 736 5516 Astronomy), astronomy teaching in developing Baltimore, Maryland USA E-mail: mmdr®yorku.ca countries, science centers, popular astronomy Phone: +1 410 338 5017 Areas: extragalactic astronomy, active galaxies, books in Spanish E-mail: [email protected] quasars Areas: stars, planets, Hubble Deep Field, Wide Field Dr. David Flower Dr. Megan Donahue Professor, Physics Department Staff Astronomer Durham University Portuguese) Space Telescope Science Institute Durham, England, United Kingdom Baltimore, Maryland USA Phone: +441913742145 Dr. William Hiscock E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +441913743749 Professor of Physics Areas: clusters of galaxies, intergalactic gas E-mail: david.flower®durham.ac.uk Montana State University Area: interstellar matter Bozeman, Montana USA Dr. Edward Dunham E-mail: [email protected] Instrument Scientist Dr. Jesus Gallego Areas: Lowell Observatory Assistant Professor
Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 Plane tar ian Dr. Ian Howarth Dr. Ed Krupp Anglo-Australian Observatory Professor of Astronomy Director of Observatory Sydney, Australia Dept. of Physics and Astronomy Griffith Observatory E-mail: dfn[[email protected]~~ov·.au University College London Los Angeles, California USA London, England, United Kingdom Phone: +1 213 664 1181 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +1 213 663 4323 Areas: E-mail: [email protected] Areas: Atthaeoastronomy, ethnoastronomy, celes Dr. Peter Martin Dr. Steve Howell tial mythology Professor Assistant Professor Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics University of Wyoming Rob Landis University of Toronto Laramie, Wyoming USA Engineer Toronto, Ontario, Canada E-mail: [email protected] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center E-mail: [email protected] Areas: CCD's and other djgital detectors, interact Greenbelt, Maryland USA Website: ing binary stars Phone: +1 301 286 6032 http://www.cita.utoronto.carpgmartin/index.htm E-mail: [email protected] 1 Dr. Kate Hutton Areas: space-based astronomy, piloted spaceflight, Areas:inu~u~arnm1tt~.g~eot~netrul~,mcdwu Staff Seismologist history of science and technology, Russian space lar hydrogen Seismological Lab, California Institute of flight programs Technology Dr. Derek McNally Pasadena, California USA Dr. David Laney University of London Observatory E-mail: [email protected] South African Astronomical Observatory London, England, United Kingdom Areas: local earthquake seismology, seismidty Cape Town, South Africa Address: Mill Hill Park E-mail: [email protected] London NW7 2QS, United Kingdom Dr. James Kaler Areas: Cepheids, distance scales, interstellar extinc Fax: +44 (0)181 906 4161 Professor of Astronomy tion and reddening, astronomical history, crescent Areas: interstellar nmtter, star formation, adveISe University of Illinois moon visibility environmental impact on astronomy, astronomy Urbana-Champaign, Illinois USA Phone: +1 217 333 9382 Dr. Harold Larson E-mail: [email protected] Professor of Planetary Studies Areas: general astronomy, stellar astronomy University of Arizona Dr. Karen Meech Tucson, Arizona USA Associate Astronomer Dr. Larry Kirkpatrick Phone: +1 520 621 6943 Institute for Astronomy Professor of Physics E-mail: [email protected] University of Hawaii Montana State University Areas: infrared astronomy, planetary science, spec Honolulu, Hawaii USA Bozeman, Montana USA troscopy Fax: +1808 956 9580 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Area: physics/astronomy education Dawn Lenz Web site: http://wwwjfahawaii.edurmeech Graduate Student Areas: cmne1:s, solars}'Stem Dr. Michael Klein University of Chicago Manager, Deep Space Network Science Office Chicago, Illinois USA Discovery, Rosetta) Jet Propulsion Laboratory - California Institute of E-mail: [email protected] Technology Areas: solar and stellar astrophysics Dr. Cole Miller Pasadena, California USA Research Scientist E-mail: [email protected] Dr. Steve Levin University of Chicago Areas: radio astronomy, planet detection Research Scientist Chicago, Illinois USA Jet Propulsion Laboratory - California Institute of E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. David Koch Technology Areas: DUI,CKnO'it::i i:UlI;U:lelJUUn ~'~"', c'... .u .. ~ .... Astrophysicist Pasadena, California USA tivity, x-ray and gamma-ray astronomy NASA Ames Research Center E-mail: [email protected] Moffett Field, California USA Areas: cosmic background, radio astronomy, Dr. James Moran E-mail: [email protected] Jovian magnetosphere modeling, search for Professor of Astronomy - Harvard University Web site: http://www.kepler.arc.nasa.gov (Has extraterrestrial life Senior Scientist - Smithsonian Astrophysical downloadable Mac interactive educational soft Observatory ware including a planet detection simulation.) David Levy Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Area: extrasolar planets Jarnac Observatory Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Vail, Arizona USA Address: Mail Stop 42 Dr. Yoji Kondo E-mail: [email protected] Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Astrophysicist Areas: planetarium show writing, comets, origin of 60 Garden St. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center life Cambridge, MA 02138 Greenbelt, Maryland USA E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: kondo®Stars.gsfc.nasagov Dr. Mario Livio Areas: prE~dent Areas: lAU Division V (Variable Stars), interacting Senior Astronomer Astronomy), radio astronomy, use of molecular binary stars, local interstellar medium, active galac Space Telescope Science Institute tic nuclei, :relativistic astrophysics, astronomical Baltimore, Maryland USA observations from space, sdence in sdence fiction Phone: +1 410 338 4439 E-mail: [email protected] Dr. Richard Kron Areas: stars, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black Director of Observatory holes, supernovae (speaks English, Hebrew, some University of Chicago - Yerkes Observatory French) Lynn Moroney Williams Bay, Wisconsin USA Storytelling Author E-mail: [email protected] Dr. David Malin Skytellers, Inc. Areas: faint galaxies, galactic evolution Professor Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA
14 Planetarian Vol. Phone: +1 405 524 2152 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada tion of astronomy E-mail: skyteller®aol.com E-mail: [email protected] Areas: storytelling, sky lore, integrating science Area: variable stars and stellar evolution, interna Dr. Scott Sandford into language arts and social studies tional astronomy education and curricula at all Research AstrophYSicist levels, science centers NASA Ames Research Center Dr. Mark Morris Moffett Field, California USA Professor of Astronomy Dr. Catherine Pilachowski Phone: +1 650 604 6849 Department of Physics & Astronomy Astronomer E-mail: [email protected] University of California - Los Angeles National Optical Astronomy Observatories Areas: comets, meteoritics, astrophysical ices, astro~ Los Angeles, California USA Tucson, Arizona USA Phone: +1 310 825 3320 Fax: +1 520 318 8360 origin of life Fax: +1 310 206 2096 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Areas: stellar spectroscopy, composition of stars, Dr. Aage Sandqvist Areas: radio and infrared astronomy, the interstel stellar evolution, globular clusters, history of the Associate Professor lar medium, galactic structure, the galactic center, Milky Way Stockholm Observatory red giant stars, planetary nebulae Saltsjobaden, Sweden Dr. R. Marcus Price E-mail: [email protected] Dr. David Morrison Director, Parkes Radio Observatory Areas: ,..".."t",.. I1I,F ttl",,, Director of Space CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial NASA Ames Research Center Research Organization) Moffett Field, California USA Parkes, New South Wales, Australia Dr. P. Kenneth Seidelmann E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +61 068 611733 Director of Astrometry Areas: comet/asteroid impacts, nea:r-eart:h objects, Fax: +61 068 611730 U.s. Naval Observatory Space Guard, astrobiology, Mars exploration E-mail: [email protected] Washington, D.C. USA Areas: active galactic nuclei, non-thermal radiation Phone: +12027621441 Dr. Ewald Mueller in the Milky Way galaxy, supernova :remnants, Fax: +12027621516 Max-Planck-Institut for Astrophysics radio telescopes, spectrum usage measurements, E-mail: pks@spica.usno.navymil Garching, Germany optics and polarization, interactive and science Areas: president of lAU Division I (Fundamental E-mail: [email protected] center education Astronomy), astrometry, celestial mechanics, time, Area: supernovae reference systems Dr. David Roddy Dr. Norman Murray Geologist/Geophysicist Dr. Mike Sharra Assistant Professor U.s. Geological Survey Staff Astronomer Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, Flagstaff, Arizona USA Space Telescope Science Institute University of Toronto E-mail: [email protected] Baltimore, Maryland USA Address: 60 George 5t. Areas: impact and explosion craterlng, terrestrial Phone: +1 410516 6739 Toronto, Ontario M55 3H8 Canada and planetary impacts and impact mechanics, Areas: stars, novae E-mail: [email protected] shock metamorphism Areas: planetary dynamics, quasars, helioseismolo- Dr. Helmut Steinle 81, solar physics MPE - Max Planck Institut fuer Extraterrestrische Dr. Curt Roslund Physik Dr. Keith Noll Section of InterdiSCiplinary Astronomy Garching, Germany Staff Astronomer Chalmers University of Technology Phone: +49 89 3299 3374 Space Telescope Science Institute S-41296 Areas: hard x-ray andgamma~ray astronomy Baltimore, Maryland USA Gothenburg, Sweden E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +463181 2089 (or letter) Dr. Alex Storrs Area: planets Areas: archeoastronomy, ethnoastronomy, history Associate Scientist of navigation (Viking), interaction between earth Space Telescope Science Institute Dr. Wyane Orchiston and cosmos, debunking astrology and "andent Baltimore, Maryland USA Executive Director astronauts" E-mail: [email protected] Caarter Observatory (National Observatory of New Area: planetary science Zealand) Ekaterina Rossovskaya Wellington, New Zealand International Coordinator Dr. Paula Szkody Address: P.O. Box 2909 Central Siberian Privatization Center (CSPC) Professor of Astronomy Wellington, New Zealand Krasnoyarsk, Russia University of Washington Fax: +64 4 472 8320 E-mail: [email protected] Seattle, Washington USA E-mail: [email protected] Area: impact sites in Siberia E-mail: [email protected]'asttin~:t011.eclu Areas: astronomy education and displays, planetar Areas: iums, science centers and museums, history of Dr. Alan Rubin ing all major areas of astronomy astronomy, meteoritics Associate Research Geochemist University of California - Los Angeles Dr. Ruth Titz Dr. Yvonne Pendleton Los Angeles, California USA DLR (German Center for Aerospace) Astrophysicist E-mail: [email protected] Institut fuer Weltraumsensorik (Space Sensor NASA Ames Research Center Area: meteorites, asteroids Technology) Moffett Field, California USA Berlin, Germany E-mail: [email protected] Dr. Miguel Angel Sabadell Melado E-mail: [email protected] Area: infrared astronomy, observational astrono Associate Professor my, star formation, interstel1.ar and star dust, organ University of Zaragoza ic materials and connections to the solar system Zaragoza, Spain Phone: +3407201671 nons with DLR airplane Dr.John Percy Fax: +34 976 761140 Professor of Astronomy E-mail: [email protected] Dr. Virginia Trimble Erindale College, University of Toronto Areas: x-ray astronomy, dark matter, populariza- January to June ...
Vol. No.4, December 1997 Planetarian Professor of Physics Mike Bennett Phone: +1 617 495 7462 University of California Education Manager E-mail: [email protected] Irvine, California USA Astronomical Society of the Pacific/Project ASTRO Web site: http://cfa-wwwharvard.edu Phone: +1 714 824 6948 San Francisco, California USA Mission: study of the origin, evolution, and fate of E-mail: vtrimble®uci.edu Phone: +1 415 3371100, extension 111 the universe July to December ... Fax: +1 415 337 5205 Professor of Astronomy E-mail: [email protected] Billie Deason University of Maryland Web site: http://www.aspsky.org Education Team Lead College Park, Maryland USA Mission: building bridges between astronomers, NASA Johnson Space Center Phone: +1301 405 5822 educators, and amateursj education programs and Houston, Texas USA E-mail: [email protected] publications Fax: +12814834876 Areas: formation and evolution of stars and galax E-mail: [email protected] ies, cosmology, history of 20th century astronomy, Mike Bennett Web site: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/ high energy astrophysics (quasars, pulsars, super Co-Director of Education and Public Outreach Mission: novae, gamma ray bwsters), scientometrics SOFIA Project Moffett Field, California USA Dr. Sidney van den Bergh Phone: +1 415 3371100, extension 111 Edna De Vore Principal Research Officer Fax: +1 415 337 5205 Science Education Coordinator Dominion Astrophysical Observatory E-mail: [email protected] SET! Institute Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Web site: http://sofia.arc.nasa.gov Mountain View, California USA E-mail: [email protected] Mission: airborne infrared astronomy Phone: +1 650 960 4538 Areas: galaxies, star clusters, supernovae Fax: +1650 961 7099 Dan Brocious E-mail: edevore@SetLorg Dr. John Whiteoak Public Information Specialist Web site: http://www.setLorg Deputy Director Multiple Mirror Telescope Mission: search for extraterrestrial life, science of CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility Amado, Arizona USA the Drake Equation Paul Wild Observatory Phone: +15206705760 Narrabri, New South Wales, Australia E-mail: [email protected] Edna DeVore E-mail: [email protected] Website: Co-Director of Education and Public Outreach Area: radio astronomy http://sculptor.as.arizona.edu/foltz/www/mmt.htrn SOFIA Project I Moffett Field, California USA Dr. Wendy Whiting Mission: optical and infrared astronomy using six Phone: +1 650960 4538 SOFIA Operations Manger l8-meter telescopes, to be :replaced in summer,1998, Fax: +1 650 961 7099 NASA Ames Research Center with a single 6.5-meter mirror E-mail: edevore@setLorg Moffett Field, California USA Web site: http://sofia.arc.nasa.gov E-mail: [email protected] Dan Brocious Mission: airborne infrared astronomy Area: airborne astronomy Public Information Specialist Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory Richard Dreiser Dr. Jaime Zamorano Amado, Arizona USA Tour Coordinator Assistant Professor Phone: +1 520 670 5760 University of Chicago - Yerkes Observatory Department of Astrophysics E-mail: [email protected] Williams Bay, Wisconsin USA University of Madrid Web site: http://cfa E-mail: [email protected] Madrid, Spain wwwharvardedu/cfa/oir/flwo/flwo/whipple.htrnl Website: E-mail: [email protected] Mission: optical, infrared, spectroscopic observa Areas: galactic astronomy, active galactic nuclei, tion and gamma-ray and cosmic-ray astronomy instrumentation (telescopes, detectors) Bill Buckingham Dr. Bill Zealey Public Programs Director Head of Dept Lowell Observatory Department of Engineering Physics Flagstaff, Arizona USA University of Wollongong E-mail: wlb®lowell.edu Dr. Doug Duncan Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia Mission: modern astronomy research prlmarily Associate Professor, University of Chicago Phone: +61 02 42 213522 focused on the solar system, innovative public and Education Coordinator, American Astronomical Fax: +61 02 42 213151 private education programs SOciety (AAS) E-mail: [email protected] Chicago, Illinois USA Areas: star formation, comparative planetology, Geoff Chester E-mail: dUI1CaJn@(ieLlucttica:go.(~du supernova remnants and cosmic bubblebath, galac Public Affairs Officer tic dust and molecular clouds, astronomy educa U.s. Naval Observatory tion 3450 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, D.C., USA 20392 Public Information/Education Phone: +12027621438 Officers Fax: +12027621516 E-mail: grC®spica.usno.navy mil Robert Eklund Sandi Barnes Web site: http://www.usno.navymil Director of Public Affairs Director of Public Information Mission: to determine the positions and motions of Mt. Wilson Institute McDonald Observatory celestial objects, to provide astronomical data, to Pasadena, California USA Austin, Texas USA measure the earth's rotation and to maintain the Phone: +1 310 333 3478 E-mail: [email protected] Master Oock for the United States Fax: +1310 333 6912 Web site: http://stardate.utexas.edu E-mail: [email protected] Mission: to advance the science of astronomy by James Cornell Web site: http://'Wljvw.mtwiI.soIl.e(lu providing fadlities and support for varied astro Public Information Officer Mission: stellwr arld ~iOljn resem:h, ledlJCa,tioiWll 01J.t nomical research, support of public outreach and Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics reach via "Telescopes in Education" which uses a education in astronomy Cambridge, Massachusetts USA 24-inch remotely accessible telescope for educa-
16 Planetarian Vol. December tioni specializes in high-resolution astronomy with Phone: +1650 604 5S43 adaptive optics on the lQO-inch Hooker Telescope Fax: +1650 604 3953 and the Georgia State interferometer E-mail: [email protected] Office of Public Information Mission: research and responsibility on aeronau Space Telescope Science Institute Roger Elaerts tics, space, and information systems, including Baltimore, Maryland USA Head of Public Relations research in life sdences, earth science, and astrobi Phone: +1 410338 4444 European Space Agency (ESA) ology E-mail: outreach@StscLedu Paris, France Web site: http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/educa E-mail: [email protected] Rex Hunter tion/informal-science Web site: http://www.esalnt Administrative Officer Mission: manned and unmanned space research National Solar Observatory for peaceful purposes, development of space trans Sunspot, New Mexico USA ence port launchm Phone: +1 505 434 7000 E-mail: [email protected] Public Information Office Yvette Estok Web site: http://www.sunspot.noao.edu Jet Propulsion Laboratory Manager, Public Information Office Mission: solar research Pasadena, California USA National Optical Astronomical Observatories/Kitt Phone: +1 818 354 50n Peak Visitor Center Virginia Keiper Mission: planetary exploration Tucson, Arizona USA Lead Secretary (referral contact) Phone: +1 520 318 8163 u.s. Geological Survey Field Office Public Liaison Fax: +1 520 318 8360 Flagstaff, Arizona USA Department of Astronomy E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +1 520 556 7000 University of California - Berkeley Web site: http://www.noao.edu Web site: http://wwwflag.wr.usgs.gov Berkeley, California USA Mission: varied astronomical research Mission: study of the geology of earth and other Phone: +15106425275 worlds E-mail: [email protected] Dave Finley Areas: stellar ,mel gallactlc astrOJ:IO:ll:ty C()Sm,olO$!W, Public Information Officer Jacky Leighton radio astronomy National Radio Astronomy Observatory Assistant to the Director Socorro, New Mexico USA University of California Observatory/Lick Seth Shostak Phone: +1 505 835 7000 Observatory Public Information Scientist E-mail: [email protected] University of California - Santa Cruz SET! Institute Mission: radio astronomy research of all types for Santa Cruz, California USA Mountain View, California USA the international radio astronomy community Fax: +1 408 459 5244 Phone: +1 650 960 4530 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +1 650 961 7099 Ms. Ayako Fujimoto Web site: http://www.ucolick.org E-mail: [email protected] Public Relations Office Mission: astronomical research and training; par Mission: search for extrater:restriallife, science of National Space Development Agency ofJapan tial management of the Keck Observatories the Drake Equation (NASDA) Hamamatsu-cho, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Leslie Lowes Gretchen Van Doren Phone: +81 3 3438 6000 Galileo Lead Outreach Coordinator Technical Writer Fax: +81 3 5402 6512 Jet PropulSion Laboratory Apache Point Observatory E-mail: [email protected] Pasadena, California USA Sunspot, New Mexico USA Mission: development of satellites (including space Address: MS 264-419 Phone: +1 505 437 6822 experiments and the space station) and launch Jet Propulsion Laboratory Fax: +1 505 434 5555 vehicles, and methods, equipment and facilities for 4800 Oak Grove Drive E-mail: [email protected] launching and tracking them Pasadena, California 91109 Web site: http://'wv'fW ..apc).mnSl.Leciu Phone: +1818 354 6256 Karen Gross Areas: Galileo mission and sdence results, related Assistant to the Director public and educational activities Carnegie Observatories/Las Campanas Observatories Don Moffatt Dr.Junichi Watanabe Pasadena, California USA Public Education Coordinator Division Chief of Public Information Office E-mail: [email protected] Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics!National National Astronomical Observatory ofjapan Web site: http://www.ociw.edu Research Council Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan Mission: world center for advanced training and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Phone: +82 422 34 3644 research in astronomy, including stellar spec Phone: +1 250 363 0026 Fax: +82 422 34 3810 troscopy, star clusters, galaxies and stellar popula Fax: +1 250 363 0045 E-mail: [email protected] tions, quasars and active galaxies, observational E-mail: [email protected] Mission: astronomical researches and their popu cosmology, development of astronomical instru Web site: http://scienceweb.dao.nrc.ca larization, including comet research, the solar sys mentation Mission: galactic and extragalactic astronomy, cos tem; light pollution surveys mology, astronomical engineering, Gemini Project Eileen Hawley Thomas Weyer Astronaut Office Liaison Andrew Perala Public Information Officer NASA Johnson Space Center Media/Public Information Director DLR (German Aerospace Research Establishment) Houston, Texas USA W. M. Keck Observatory Wessleng, Germany E-mail: [email protected] Kamuela, Hawaii USA Mission: provide and support flight crews for the Phone: +1 808 885 7887 space shuttle and expertise for human spaceflight E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu:3636/ Garth Hull Mission: deep-space research including galactic sur Specialist Assistant - Education Programs veys, gravitational lensing, planet searches, dark NASA Ames Research Center matter studies, and other current cosmological Moffett Field, California USA research, using twin lo-meter optical/infrared tele-
Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 Plane tarian I I .,. I I , I I M • I
sentations and workshops by noted astrono mers as wen as special IPS tours to Mauna .,. Kea and selected observatories. This hub of summit. I I astronomical research has an obvious If mountain1tops to IPS and our mission to educate and inter pret the work of astronomers. It is this rela tionship between professional astronomers and educators that we hope to str'enl~ttlen Since its inception, the International Plan choosing a conference theme which builds etarium Society has been very successful in new links between planetadans, pro holding conferences at locations that are fessional astronomers, and others in the both interesting and relevant for planetari classroom and informal education fields. A ans. Bishop Museum Planetarium in Hono suggested working theme for the conference lulu would like to continue this tradition by might be: "Sharing our Universe: Education extending an offer to host the 2002 IPS con and Exploration." ference. We feel that three factors; While most planetarians know the 1. The Islands of Hawai'i, tance of Mauna Kea to the astronomical 2. Honolulu, and community, the summit will be even more 3. Bishop Museum would each contribute significant as we enter the new millennium. to make this one of the most memorable IPS By IPS 2002, the twin Keck lO-meter observa conferences ever. Here's why ._ tories will still be the world's largest telescopes, but they will share the summit with a dozen other scopes the As planetarians already know, Hawai'i is at barn 8.l-meter Observatory and the Gemini the forefront of astronomical research and 8-meter telescope. probably has more local astronomical facili Touring the summit is easy and ties than any other location in the world. inexpensive in groups of 30 or fewer. For this This will obviously provide many resources reason, conference extensions to the summit and options for an IPS conference that are will be well coordinated to accommodate the expected response by IPS members. available nowhere else on our planet. Most tion Center, this importantly, these resource$ allow for pre- scheduling summit tours with some larger IPS functions if museum facilities and hotel ballrooms are not sufficient. Most hotels in Honolulu are located in Waikiki and it is esti mated that by 2002 there will be approximately 32,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of Waikiki Beach. In 1997 dol lars, quality rooms start at about $100/night with $150/night assuring an ocean/mountain view! Honolulu is serviced by an in ternational airport with dozens of US mainland and Asian flights daily by most major car riers. Airfare to Honolulu from the mainland US is very afford able with typical 1997 summer airfares rang In addition to the planetarium/Imax ing from $400 (west coast) to $800 (east Dome theater, the Science Learning Center Invitation coast). Furthermore, Bishop Museum has will provide a function room for up to 500 good working relationships with several car individuals and innovative inquiry-based Morelia, riers so even more affordable group rates will exhibitry that highlights Hawaii's natural be possible for IPS members. history. We believe that these facilities will Ground transportation is generally accom significantly enhance IPS 2002, helping to Gabriel R. Munoz plished by rental cars or bus. Automobiles set the course for IPS in the next millennium. can be rented for well under $40/day (1997) and Honolulu can be navigated quite easily - And Finally ... On behalf of Morelia's Planetarium and Convention Center it is our pleasure to even for novices to Hawaii's vowel-ridden Hawai'i and the Pacific have a strong her extend an invitation to IPS members to hold street names! The city bus system and its itage of exploration that extends from the the 2002 meeting, in the province's capital tourist pass system is inexpensive and easy early Polynesian voyagers to the modern city Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. to use. astronomical explorers atop Mauna Kea. We The Planetarium and the Convention Finally, Honolulu is a thoroughly modern look forward to sharing this spirit of explo Center are located in the south of Morelia's city made up of many diverse cultures. This ration and discovery with the IPS communi downtown, among a group of ,,1-1,_"- ...... diversity is also ideal for international dele ty. designed buildings, surrounded by green gates (especially Asian) due to the multi-lin We hope that upon reflection, the combi areas, and you can see them in the drawing gual environment. With a population of nation of Hawai'i, Honolulu, and Bishop and pictures. nearly one-million, visitors will find that Museum will present an obvious choice for EXPOCENTER will be for us the best facili Honolulu is unlike any other city in the IPS 2002. In addition to being a destination ty among many sites of our country. world. The unique blend of a nearly perfect in and of itself, Hawai'i provides many Our experts for Mexican and international climate, a fascinating host culture, stunning resources and facilities that are central to cuisine will give you just the right finishing scenery and of course beaches, make Hono what planetarians do and teach. touch for the Conference. our Chef is the lulu an ideal back-drop for any conference. Hawai'i is the best choice for IPS 2002! best I ever seen my life. • Observatories atop Mauna Kea Why Bishop Museum? We have two five stars hotels: the Gran • Leading astronomical researchers Hotel and the Holiday Inn, and the prices are In 1889, Charles Reed Bishop established • Bishop Museum and it's new from $65.00 to 70.00 U.S. plus tax, single or Bishop Museum in his wife's name to share planetarium facility double. and preserve the natural and cultural won • Conference extensions to neighbor There are two four stars hotels: one is the ders of Hawai'i and the Pacific. Since then islands -Volcanoes, Mauna Kea etc. Confort it's very near from the Holyday Inn, Bishop Museum has grown into a truly • Vacation extensions and in the heart of the city is located world-class institution. • Affordability: Alameda Hotel; the price for both is $ 50.00 Scheduled to open in 1999, Bishop -Registration fee: $200/person (1997 $s) U.s. plus tax, single or double. Museum's newest addition, our Science - Hotel, air/ground transportation Registration fee will be about $220.00 U.s. Learning Center will continue to expand the under $2000/person (1997 $s) including transportation between hotels. museum's breadth and scope by replacing -Extensions under $350/person (1997 We will have papers session, workshops, our existing 76 seat planetarium with a new, $s) guest speakers from the Astronomy National state-of-the-art 23-meter facility. This theater • Existing visitor infrastructure (hotels, Institute of Mexico and the University of will feature the first Goto Helios star transportation, restaurants) Michoacan, folkloric music and square machine in the US, complete with an Imax • Unlimited family activities dances, and optional excursions for the fami Dome technology, Sky-Skan automation and • Beaches, culture, snorkeling, food, surfing lymembers. interactive system, and 225 seats in a tilted and perfect weather_ A Planetarium The Conference will be inJuly 13-18, 2002; dome. Paradise! the weather is very good with temperature
Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 Planetarian 19 between 11 and 27 Celsius degrees. We'll make a Post-Conference Tour to the Mayan's zone, and now the people from the Astronomy Institute are working with us, through Luis Felipe Rodriguez Jorge PhD., who is going to be an invited speaker and another col leagues, and make some arrangements in Yucatan area for us. We think that Morelia's Planetarium and Convention Center is the best place for the 2002 IPS biannual meeting, and liTHE WAY IS MICHOACAN, MEXICO".
Invitation to York ity
Neil de Grasse Tyson
Overview The American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium proposes to host the International Planetarium Society's biennial conference in the summer of 2002. By the year 2000, the Museum will open the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space, induding a newly constructed Hayden Planetarium, the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Han of the Universe, and a Hall of Planet Earth. The American Museum of Natural History's Rose Center for Earth and Space will re-define the manner in which the museum-going public learns about the universe and our place in it. The Center does not separate the teaching of astronomy from the teaching about Earth and its inhabitants. Through both exhibition and program, the Center links life, the Earth, and the cosmos in educational and innovative ways.
Background The Hayden Planetarium, founded in 1935 as the fourth planetarium in the United States, has been a leader in astronomy education and out reach. For example, over the past Sixty-two years, its scientific and artistic staff has written and illustrated hundreds of books on the uni verse, and its sky shows have been distributed and viewed around the world. These efforts not withstanding, the continued rapid advance in science is forcing a shift in our educational para digms. As we all know, cosmic discoveries are now reported weekly. And there has been a transformation in education at least partially brought about by the advent of new technolo gies. The dramatic changes in astronomy can be seen in a comparison between textbooks pub lished before and after the 1930s, when the orig inal Hayden Planetarium was built. The earlier
20 Planetarian Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 examples identified sky phenomena as the system; and concentric seating for 440. At the end of the ramp, a thickness of substance of astronomy. For example, one The sphere itself will appear to float inside spans all of recorded human history. textbook, written at the tum of the century a cubic, glass-walled building (see the accom the place of Earth and humans in the cosmos by Professor Charles Young, contains the fol panying architectural renderings) and will is highlighted. lowing ten chapters: Introduction to the be used as a scaling reference that will enable Below the sphere and the walkway is a Celestial Sphere; Constellations; Latitude & visitors to compare the relative sizes of 1,000 square-meter Hall of the Universe. Four Longitude & Time; the Earth; the Moon; the objects in the universe and where we fit major zones delineate the formation and Sun; Eclipses and Tides; the Motions of the among them: When presented with a 20-cm evolution of the universe, galaxies, stars, and Planets; Comets & Meteors; and Stars. model of Earth, the 30-m sphere becomes the planets. Highlighted within each zone are Compare those with some of the thirty Sun. And when presented with a 30-cm Sun, special topics that have particular scientific chapters of a contemporary introductory the sphere represents the red giant star Betel and public appeal. For example, there are textbook by Chaisson & McMillan: The geuse. This exercise continues around the major interactive displays on black holes as Interstellar Medium; Star Formation; Stellar sphere until the Milky Way and its Local the engines for active galaxies, supernovae as Evolution; Stellar Explosions; Neutron Stars Group of galaxies fit neatly within a thim the source of chemical enrichment in the & Black Holes; the Milky Way; Active ble, while the sphere represents the observ galaxy, and the search for exo-solar Galaxies & Quasars; Cosmology; the Early able universe. Descending to smaller and as the locations for life in the universe. The Universe; Life on Earth and Beyond. Indeed, smaller sizes, the sphere becomes an equally subjects are bound to each other by scientific entire branches of astronomy exist today effective scaling tool all the way down to the themes that permeate the Hall, such as spec that were not even conceived when the atomic nucleus. tra, gravity, and rotation - themes that col planetarium sky theater was invented In the bottom half of the sphere, visitors lectively compose the basis for how we have The mission of the new Rose Center for are transported to the beginning of time and come to learn what we know about the uni Earth and Space is to educate the public of space. There they will witness the major verse the third millennium about the universe events and phenomena of the first three A new Hall of Planet Earth will link the and our place in it, and to convey up-to-date, minutes of the universe's history - the Big Hayden Planetarium and Hall of the Uni continually evolving information. Bang. Upon leaving the venue, visitors exit verse to the Natural History exhibition halls the sphere and continue on a journey that both architecturally and intellectually, thus The Rose Center chronicles the history of the universe by providing a seamless experience that takes descending a gently sloping, 100-meter, cir visitors from the cosmos to Earth and its In the Center, the Hayden Planetarium will be housed in a sphere, some 30-meters in cular walkway that passes through IS-billion inhabitants. Dedicated to exploring the pro years of cosmic evolution, highlighting sig diameter. The newly designed, state-of-the cesses that shape the Earth - such as plate nificant moments and epochs in the history tectonics and climate change - as wen as to art sky theater, in the upper half of the sphere, will feature the latest model Zeiss of the cosmos. These include the develop the phenomena and circumstances that ment of structure in the early universe, the projector, which will be platform mounted; impact our fragile ecosystem, the Hall of age of quasars, the formation of the solar sys an all-dome, real-time, digital video projec Planet Earth will integrate the universal tion system; a state-of-the-art matrix sound tem, and the development of life on Earth. view of the Planetarium with the biological and cultural exhibits throughout the Museum. The Museum hopes that its colleagues from the IPS will help us inaugurate this approach to science education for the twenty first century.
Conference Activities The New York City metropoli tan area (population: 25,000,000) boasts two science centers (Uberty Science Center and the New York Hall of Science), five public plane tari urns (Hayden Planetarium, NYC, the Andrus Planetarium in Yonkers, the Vanderbilt Planetari um on Long Island, the Dreyfuss Planetarium in Newark, and the Northeast Bronx Planetarium in the Bronx), and three oversized projection screens (American Museum of Natural History/IMAX; Liberty Science Center/IMAX Dome; Sony Theaters/3D). We will be asking representatives from the This image shows a rendering of the design for the American Museum of Natural History's new Frederick staff of each facility to serve on the Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space, which is scheduled for completion by the year 2000. Tom Schaller. (Please see 2002 on page 65)
Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 Plane tarian 21 I Web Site and
.... indicates action items welcomed Council to the un.,"- ~JlJ..l}'; addressed the of In attendance: wi th the TiLE (Trends in Leisure and Council. President Thomas W. President Elect Dale Smith
Past Presiden1tjiln J.VUUllHJ.J,J;;;. Treasurer Shawn Laatsch the Osaka Council Meeting 1>:01'''''''+'''''1"'<1 Lee Ann 1996, had been nl",p'Uir\11<:lu pubJlistled March 1997 Plal~man
l'n~n(:n-:>DeajKlrHr Planetari- ums Association of Mexican Planetariums (AMPAC)- Thomas for .. "'Aj' .... ""''"' Castro British Association of Planetariums (BAP)- Undine Concannon Council of German Planetariums (RDP)- Thomas for Dr. Dieter B. Herrmann Planetari urn Association (EMPA) -Johan for transfer of the books from former Treasurer Keith Johnson to Shawn. Based on discus Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA) sion, Council made su~~~e:sti(ms c011cE~rnjing Susan Kf"vn,OiCIS the items: Italian Planetaria's Friends Association- Susan * 1. the Treasurer's Reynolds for Loris H"'UA~'V"LA tax expense on the Planetarium 'A
The meeting was caned to order at 9:15 awareness of the aVclilalbility of our Ttllni1,r",_ a.m. President Thomas Thomas tions for pmTh,ase, v ...... ,-'" tJlro~ugh the IPS
22 Planetarian (Prices include postage, and members receive Publications Committee to ensure that all these publications free during their valid put»H.aatioln5 have ment field, for eXGLmlple: n1",,,,ulrilruT dues' cycle.) IPS contact IPS tarian profile or
Undine reported on the Committee's listings, etc.. The Publications Committee tive employers; sU$u?;e~ste~d u ... .L ...... JLUJ, ... ~.,v.u. efforts to revise and republish GLP A's will check on aspects of the include in advertisements sut)miltted the New Pltmeta.rlan. (for corporate and trade- prospective f'm,nlclvp'r~ Lars Broman mentioned the Planetarium mark issues relating to publications and '* Thomas will confer Education Book published by the United Web-site. Information Service Committee Nations, and asked about the possibility of There was no report from the Ethics Com additional committee members having it reprinted or reproduced. 'it Dale mittee. how the Committee an be more Smith will check on the status of the publi The Finance Committee Report was pre cation and investigate how to obtain more sented in conjunction with the Treasurer's copies and/or consider publishing a new edi Report. tion. President Thomas Kraupe suggested revitalized Committee is in the this would be an excellent opportunity for Ad Hoc Committee Reports producing the new u ...u ...... u..j:, .... ,,,. U.''''J.JlAU'''A IPS to work in a cooperative effort with the The Consumer Affairs/Astrology Commit ship brochures. The Committee will United Nations. tee Report was presented on behalf of Chair addressing issues of: home page int:orlmatio,n Thomas Kraupe reported on the initia Jeanne Bishop . ." A budget request was tives of the Web Subcommittee. He approved for the Committee's work on eval announced that Tom Callen and Ian Griffin uating astronomical toys and products with are the two newest members of the Web an astronomy theme. Barbara Baber of the journals in other lar:lgulagE~s Subcommittee. Tom is working on an Morgan Jones Planetarium in Abilene, Texas, des to be in improved design and structure of the IPS will be chairing this work group of the and other efforts to encourage webpages. Thomas encourages the affiliates Committee. Jeanne reports that her efforts English members to remain to provide items for the IPS Web Pages and to inform consumers and the business com in the org~aniza:tio]l. to keep the Webmaster informed of events munity about the International Star Registry The Outreach Committee was of interest beyond the Affiliates' immediate continue. She also reports that some maga delivered on behalf of Martin Ratcliffe, regions. The IPS Web Site should be a forum zines publish articles supporting astrology has resigned because of time constraints. for affiliates to link their societies' home because, as the editor of The New Yorker Bill Gutsch has the pages to that of IPS- it should serve as a com wrote to Jeanne, ".... many readers like such new Committee Chair. Jim Manning munications center for the planetarium articles, and we are trying to sell our issues." ed on his efforts with the As1:roltlOlny community. The History Committee Report was pre il''I'.n.i
Vol. December 1997 Planetarian Chair to forward the Handbook to the Publi from different Agnes Acker will be cations Committee for review and format- working with lohan in this venture- amend .:naHUIIlg then send to Affiliate Portable contact the Chair if you would like to in Plaltlet:m.um Rlepn:5erLtatlves and IPS Council this important effort. for review and comments. Chair was requested to work with the Publications Committee and Treasurer regarding adver .. Council reviewed and ::!Inll'Wl"I't1M the fol- tisements in the publication. Thomas :sta.nalng Rules amend- Kraupe requested the Committee to connect ments: with the European Association for Astron omy Education-this cooperative effort Ammd Article IX.1.B.1.a. to Undine asked might result in EC funds being made avail the wo:rdirlg able for certain activities and publications sentence: (producing and printing publications). Susan reported that the second European The host bears financial responsibility Meeting of Portable and Small Planetaria will for the conference and for setting up an be held in Nice, in October 1997. account, either internal or external to Chair reminds Affiliates to be ClWlge11t the host institution, to collect revenues and pay expenses.
was Amend Article IX.1.B. to clarify the member delivered on behalf of Chair Alan Davenport. policy concerning conference atten- The revised guidelines and release form for dance, add new items: the Eugenides Foundation Contest IXJ..B.8. All conference participants who were printed in the June 1997 Planetarian. are not current IPS members, or whose Minor corrections were made and the·entire home institutions are not current mem document is included as Appendix D of the bers, are to be charged the basic confer Standing Rules. ence fee plus annual IPS The Committee Chair Rick dues (in lieu of a non-member reQrlstra Greenawald is still in the process of assem tion supplement) which enrolls them in bling his committee. President Thomas the organization; this policy must be in
Kraupe gave an update on the Committee cluded as part of the conference rQCnCTT"_ based on his communications with the tionform. Chair. "" The Committee will conduct a sur vey to determine which are in a. Dues may be waived for spouses of use in the Based on the survey attending members, unless the spouse results, the Committee will: is also an attending member. 1. propose standards for use of tech- b. At the time the official conference nologies in the planetarium announcement is sent out, the Treasur 2. explore which new technologies would be er will the host with a list of all of interest/benefit in the planetarium current individual and institutional The Technology Committee was also re members; any who is not quested to set criteria for an award related to: the list (or whose institution is not on technology, product, creativity, planetarium the list as a current institutional mem- innovation, etc.. ber) must pay IPS dues Please send any suggestions to Chair Rick a of registration. Greenawald and his Committee. c. The host will coordinate with the The Planetarium Promotion "'~,"'II#'~U"'
24 Planetarian Vol. IPS 98 Conference Chair Undine Concan There were no filed for new non on the plans and status of the affiliates at this Council Meeting. London Conference. Discussion centered on Thomas reviewed the status of the slide details of the 14th IPS Conference: budget, distribution efforts on behalf of STScI time line, program, facilities, tours, and plans through the Affiliate Media Ret)re~;entatjves for on-line conference access via the Inter JPL will provide IPS with net. images from the Gaiileo and Pathfinder IPS 2000 Montreal Conference Chair, Missions and will follow the same proce Pierre Lacombe asked Dale Smith to advise dures we have with STScI. "" President the Council that plans are going smoothly in Thomas :reiterated the of preparation for the 15th conference. A pre vlane1:ari,ans docum.enting how and where liminary budget, proposed and these materials are used and OWllvirllina venues will be submitted to Council shortly. this information to STSd so Lars Broman initiated discussion of the their continued of 1&!'111"... ""1·rrl ...... proposed dates of the Montreal Conference and meeting dates in Jim Manning The President reported on new efforts to reminded Council that the issue of when IPS obtain resources for IPS membership. ESA Conferences are held had been up in will provide videos and the Max Planck previous years, and as a result a survey was Institute will provide slides. IPS will explore distributed in the Planetariim last year to poll ways to set up distribution of these materi the membership on their preferences. Only als. There is also the possibility of producing five responses were returned to Jim, and the a laser disc version of the materials. majority of those favored a summer time Thomas a more centralized. frame. Council realizes that there will never approach to the video tape distribution llDA be a conference date that everyone will rather than the affiliates re51polllSlble agree on, however, in an effort to be as for duplication. 11 A survey will be 'Pl'C~vi(1ed ,,<=>cflrlncl'U<=> as possible to the needs of the to affill.ates in order to determine what membership'" the QU4i5t1lonof,wbenIPS of equipment is in use ferences should occur will be included again onasurvey. ", }ohan win set up the Thomas announced that IPS is fortunate Ew~o'PIean Repository for The to have four bids to host the 16th Finance Committee and Publications and media? Conference in 2002, the 30th Anniversary of Committee will work in formu IPS: lating arrangements for the finandal trans 1. American Museum of Natural History actions. Hayden Planetarium, New York City, NY, USA New Business 2. Bishop Planetarium & Science Center Under New Business, several issues were Honolulu, Hawaii, USA discussed and 3. Centro de Convenciones de Morelia on Morelia, Mexico to have 4. Chabot Observatory & Science Center ware/software devoted to IPS business. Oakland, CA, USA organization has grown to such an "" Motion by Jim Council that there is an increased need for: Council. the four Bids for IPS 2002. Seconded 1. Having access to records at Conferen by Shawn Laatsch and approved by Council. ces/Council Meetings The Secretary will mail complete packets of 2. Documenting archival materials the proposed bids to all Council Members. 3. Simplifying the transition of officers Thomas announced that the Adler Plane and transfer of documents tarium, Chicago, illinois, has already present ." All hardware/software remains ed a bid for the 17th Conference: IPS 2004. of IPS and would be used. Council extends thanks to those potential business. This will nl'(1lv1lilp hosts and encourages any facilities interested j.I.IIcuu.u.u that contains the IPS databases. in hosting a conference after 2002 to send in Secretary will back up their proposals. Motion by Lars Broman: IPS approve the 'PUl'Icha:se of a for the orga Old Business nization. Seconded by Jon Elvert and Under Old Business, some items were dealt approved by Council. with in Committee reports. The remaining Jim Manning reported that in 1996, issues were either resolved or considered for NASA's Office of Science an further discussion and possible action as to create an environ reported below. ment for increased science education. Dennis Schatz has been communicating with Jim
Vol. December 1997 Plane tar ian a
Shonandai Culture Center
GSS-Helios
The GSS-Helios (GSX) features 25,000 stars reproducing a sky seen only from shutters mean n"' .... n1"<>"rYI<:> without stray stars twinkling through the image. Computer-assisted functions manual mode the ease without replacing the lecturer. The list of special GOTO features goes on and on. 'LIV.lH"Ol'UIJ your nearest relprE~sent,ati find out what your planetarium could be like.
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console. ,,-,.u.ut-'~'-', Planetarium.
4-16 Yasaki-cho Fuchu-shi, JAPAN TEL: IntI No. +81-423-62-5312 FAX: IntI No. +81-423-61-9571 Email: inflo@j~otO.OD.ip G1014si
to use the 70mm movie system as a spe On February 1st cial effect in our own shows. tastic's Amazing and Asi~ound:inv The new theater incorporates an Evans which was written and pf()m.1Ce~a and Sutherland Digistar star projector and a folks at the new slide projection system invented in Fin land called ProDome, which can fill the dome with razor-sharp and super-bright still tastic, a carnival huckster who, People go "wow" when these images course of the program, tried to sen appear. A giant-screen video system, the ence from comet to brj.ghte~;t and best could find, rounds dust. But between these sales IJ"·'-U'-"', out the array. The only pieces reused from our old theater were the seats and the auto ence. As part of the show, the Doctor mation control system from Commercial a comet nucleus and, later, aniRJl~ea Electronics, and both of those were upgrad ence member onto the stage to ed They also drew upon their facility's years solar wind/comet tail demonstration. of experience in staging plays in the Pleiades a lot of hID, and local actress Theater and designed Discovery Dome to son was wonderful as Dr. Fantastic. also function as a live performance Two weeks later, came China venue. Universe Above the Great Wall. The show,
The Regional Roundup column depends To date, the programs that have proven dealing with Chinese astronomy, 'V..... O ... UUA) entirely on contributions that I receive from the most popular are the in-house shows. In played here in 1991 but has been ex1:ensivlelv IPS Affiliate Associations all over the world. early 1997 they staged Dr. Fantastic's Amazing revised. was a re-installation of Please continue to contribute as you have Astounding Comet Show, a co-production Backyard with Fred Penner, first as done before. In order to be sure that your with the Pacific Space Centre in Vancouver show and then it available as a fami- text will make it into the column, please and the Edmonton Space & Sciences Centre. ly show for the summer. send it so I have it at the first day of the They helped stage their own show in both have work on Planetarian deadline month, preferably by e those facilities. In summer 1997 they a their show for "-''-~VL''_A. mail-send only regular text, please!. The children'S play called Indy@Cyber. Wave, a Night Martians is written deadlines for contributions to No. 1/98 is high-tech Internet adventure that continues Gutsch and will also feature an actor. thus lJanuary, and for No. 2/98 1 the ongoing saga of Indiana Bones, a time, the actor will go several cos- Thanks to Tom Clarke, Kevin Conod, tologist hero who has become a popular fic tume changes as the show progresses and Donna Pierce for contributing to the tional fixture of the Science Centre every the time of Percival Lowell tnJ,OUliln Regional Roundup Column this time. You summer. Mars-based future. One of the are welcome back with new reports, and I This winter they open Where in the the show will be live look forward to reports from other Associ Universe is Carmen Sandiego?, a theatrical ver exploration of Mars, which means ations as well. Please remember that a short sion of the popular computer game and PBS show will be timeless. note is also appreciated! TV series. Carmen is being funded and pro Lawson Planetarium of the .... vuuvu duced by a consortium of seven plametari (Ontario) Children'S Museum urns in Canada and the US and spcms,ore~d presents three shows by Pan Canadian Petroleum. the school year, it does additional Alan Dyer reports on the first year of Bert Valentin of the Manitoba Plane education programs and demonstrations on operation of Calgary Science Centre: In 1996 tarium reports that their Return To Mars the solar system and space eX1DlClra·non. the Calgary Science Centre underwent a dra show ran through the summer. Another part ptallle~taI'iulm accommodates ap1prc)ximalteJy matic transformation. After a year of the of their attendance success this summer has Star shows feature five most extensive renovations ever subjected to been a family show, Dancing with the found constellations of the season with a planetarium, they opened their new Dinosaurs. This show is for sale (available ty of and tips on star Discovery Dome theater on June 1, 1996. The since September 1997) and is for also hosts sessions two or new theater incorporates technologies and them in that it's loaded with laser disc video. three times a year with the Astro program philosophies that bring the science Give them a call for the information kit. nomical SOCiety of Canada-London Centre. The Canadian planet:arium cmnrrmn.ity theater into the 1990s, and give it the flexi Paul Deans of the Pacific Centre, bility to provide exciting programs well into Home of the H. R. MacMillan Planetarium, features a number of smaller facilities and a the next century. To make the switch, the advises that the renovations to their growing number of Starlabs. Newfoundland old Centennial Planetarium, opened 30 years will be complete for a target opening date of Science Centre reports that its Starlab ago, was literally tom out and replaced by an mid-October, 1997. Meanwhile they contin its voyage in Newfoundland in March of Omnimax-style theater with a 20 degree ue to present planetarium shows. In the star 1996 and has been received by the rake. Discovery Dome incl udes an 8- theater over the space of 9 weeks (from mid with an response. Starlab travels throughout Newfoundland and Lab perf/70mm motion picture system that pro January to early March), they installed four jects impressive dome-filling movies acquir school shows, two public programs and one rador visiting various schools and communi ed from many of the same companies that laser show, plus worked on an Amanda ty groups and in its year has host produce and distribute IMAX films. To date Marshall video shoot and rock concert. The ed in excess of 40,000 visitors. The they have shown The Serengeti, school show installations were necessitated eX1JerlerLce entails a minute presenta- by the installation of a new automation sys tion during which Stadab InterlJre·ter, and hosted the North American nT,Prrtlie>lr<=> run of Wild Australia. are also begin- tem plus the theater reconfiguration that Ennis, guides the audience tlu'oul~h was completed during an upgrade last fall. the night sky including our galdLllL
Vol. December 1997 Planetarian bourhood, basic celestial motions, stars as a offered combining Starlab, classroom and compass, stars as a calendar and the museum gallery experiences and int:eglratilng Greek constellations. Prior to each visit the ideas as diverse as stars, mythology, dino school/group receives an activity package saurs, meteorites and multicultural astron that can be used to prepare children for the omy. This summer he developed a new pro pnese'ntatlon or be used as a reference to gram using Starlab which will be non-astro have learned Judging by the let nomical and discuss whales. This was to be ters received from students and teachers, used in conjunction with the giant Whales Starlab is, and continues to be, an enormous exhibition coming to the Museum in success. October. Along with his hectic schedule, Ennis has gained much exposure for Starlab by parents and general public nights, along with Sidewalk Astronomy on nights Steve Mitch, Benedum Science Theater, and weekends. The next of Starlab will Oglebay Park, Wheeling, WV will once include t- .. ",i ... inrr lrli-,p-r'n-r",.t,p-ro;: around the be the MAPS Conference host in 1998. The nrcwil1ce who can then take Starlab to their dates are 22 - 2S April 1998. The people at -nonCTH-''''.. - areas. The reason for this t-..",ini'roa NPA WebmasterTomCallen. Wheeling Jesuit University, specifically the is that Starlab is booked steadily from Sep NASA Classroom of the Future, will be a part tember and due to the sparsity of the upcoming conference. Classroom of of Newfoundland and the distance between the Future is responsible for communities, it is hard for the NSC to state-of-the-art computer software for educa up with demand tion. There is also a Challenger Center locat Ian McGregor of the Ontario ed on site and they will have staff on hand to Museum a fuller report of the fly a mission or two. In addition, someone John French (Navarro COrnITIUnity "-..,VU,\;;i"".'Cj Museums on-going astronomy program from the NASA Technology Transfer Center informed the group of their which is carried on with two Starlabs. will hopefully be on hand to discuss some of tions. With Dallas area offering One is used for visiting school groups and the ways that some of NASA's CU1[nIIQ"-C~Q{lre the Conference in 2000 these fac:iHt:ies programs at the Museum itself and technological developments are passed on to welcomed addition! Graduate stlld~~nt the second is used for in-school and commu- the private sector and then onto the Randell and Cultures), astronomy The Starlab The MAPS Board and Officers will be (This and That), and eXlpeI':i.erlce has been wen-received by all par making some changes in the overall melke'up (Essential and Skills ticipants and the appearance of the giant of the Conference this year and details will How to Convince Your State grey igloo in the Museum building has also be announced as they become available. cation in the had a effect on all museum staff Some of the changes may include: poster ses Guide) SWAP as ".... "_'.u" .... A.> who see Starlab as a positive asset to the insti sions, more speakers, basic and paper sessions. tution during a time of great change and hands on sessions for newer MAPS members, IVH~etllng for lunch on the of 1996 Starlab etc. of the business m(~etlmg was in use for both mc)rniing and afternoon MAPS member Jerry Vinski, director SWAP were pre~sellte,d. school demonstrations five days a week in the Raritan Valley Community Plan Calvird Award for OUltstandifLg ProfessiOIl- most weeks. A total of twelve different etarium, has been chosen by the IPS Mobile were offered for students from 2 to Planetarium Committee to travel to senior school levels and six teachers Northern Italy this Fall. will present were trained in Starlab Most top Starlab lessons to Italian students who have ics also included a classroom component and studied English. These lessons are to to Steve several topics visits. help the students learn astronomy concepts The ROM outreach Starlab unit arrived and practice listening to and late in the autumn of 1996 and was used for English. Jerry will also make prt:~serltat:iorls many community programs no for,· the general public of Brescia and demonstra ference in 1999 in Phoenix was dis:cusselct. mal to schools and school boards. tions for Italian planetarians. mentioned above, the Dallas Mt~tf(:ml,ex It was fitted into a television studio in late Best wishes are in order for two MAPS owerulg for the year 2000. for a live on-air show which gell1eI'att:~d members: Bill Kinsella is moving to many not only from schools and to teach at the college level and Martin scout and guide groups but also from various Ratcliffe is relocating to Wichita, Kansas to civic festivals and public programs. oversee the new facility there. AH:n01ugn the summer seemed like it mation from institutions otJtering might be a low for Starlab it has been IPS Conference in 2002 was the opposite. Starlab has been used in The SWAP cOIltirlgel1.t five different summer camps and spent two NP A's 1997 Conference took in Museum in Honolulu as entire in the central square of a Goteborg, Sweden, with Per Broman, Broman choice. will take SW APls mall in Mi:ssissaulga. Planetarium as host. Planetarians from. aU 1998 IPS Council Mf;~enng. preSl<1lent For the 1997-1998 school year H" .... "->.L"-Fo.'JJI. Nordic countries (with planetariums), from revised the school to reflect the Belgium, and from Kuwait participated Lars past year's eX1JerieIllce. Ten topics will be Broman was re-elected as President and IPS
30 Plane tarian Vol. UESTION: What question ANSWER: That's easy. Everybody asks about our theme song which is the classic 'Arabesque # l' by Claude Debussy performed by Tomita on the still available "Snowflakes Are Dancin~" album (RCA)
QUESTION: At what times and days of the week can I see 'STAR GAZER'? ANSWER: Most TV stations air 'STAR GAZER' just before nightly sign-off. However, due to 'STAR GAZER'S' enormous popularity a number of stations find the show's 5-minute format can fit any where during the broadcast day and air the show more fre quently. Local TV listings seldom include 5-minute shows, so it's best to call the station for the broadcast schedule.
QUESTION: If. can't find 'STAR GAZER' on my hometown PBS station, how can I see it where Rlive? ANSWER: 'STAR GAZER' is provided free. of ~ by WPBT, Miami to all PBS stations. If you can't find it, write or call your local PBS station and ask if they will air it and remind them that it is. avai lable free. of ~.
QUESTION: Is it necessary to get special permission to use ISTAR IAlO£:liVIH TV GAZER' for astronomy dub meetings, teaching in the The world's first and classroom, science museum or planetarium usel on naked-eye 'lIC't ...... n'"''·... ''' ANSWER: No. In fact, many astronomy clubs, teachers, science museums and planetariums have been taping 'STAR GAZER' off IV• •• one of the few writers who can the air and using it regularly as a way to reach their public. translate sophisticated into QUESTION: Is there any way. can get 'STAR GAZER' other than popular language without losing the Cr'I,Qnr',.., my local PBS station 1 Dr. Sidney Nobel Laureate ANSWER: Yes. A month's worth of 'STAR GAZER' episodes are fed monthly to a satellite from which all PBS stations take it for their "... knows how to come down from local programming. Anyone with a satellite dish is welcome to the ivory tower and make !lCJ'rnrlnn11/ the satellite feed. Again, no permission is required. For satellite accessible. " feed dates and times call Monday through Friday (Eastern time) 305-854-4244. Ask for Ms. Harper or Mr. Dishong.
QUESTION: I am a teacher planning my curriculum and would like several ISTAR GAZER' episodes in ad IV••• I never miss it. As someone vance, but. do not have access to a satellite dish. involved in science fiction, I'm enthralled Is there any way. can obtain ISTAR GAZER'l with Jack Horkheimer's science fact. " John Nathan ANSWER: Any teacher anywhere around the world can obtain Executive 'STAR GAZER' episodes in advance through their NASA e.O.R.E. 'Dr. Who' Teachers' Resource Center. For details write: NASA e.0. R. E.; Lorain County Joint Vocational School; 15181 Route 58 South; Oberlin, OH. 44074. Or visit our website: www.jackstargazer.com
QUESTION: Why does iSTAR GAlER' always say ilKeep Looking Up!" at the end of each showl
ANSWER: Have you ever tried star gazing looking down? Planetarium Twentv-nline pages make this a great book for eleme~ntclrY dents. After it, students will know more about gravity than most ates. If you stood on a bathroom scale in space, how much would you If you cannot answer this, you had better run out and Zero
ETs and UFOs: Are Morrow Remember all those New Year's resolu Junior Books, 1350 Avenue of tions we made twelve months ago? We were the Americas, New York, New going to get our minds and bodies in shape, York, 10019, USA, 1996, ISBN 0- we were going to write the best planetarium 688-12868-8, $16.00. program ever, we were going to have record breaking attendance and support for our Reviewed by Worthy, Stanwzer Plane- facilities. And we were going to read some tarium, Hartlepool, England really good books. It's still not too late for that last one. As Over the last few years , there has been the solstice rolls around, here are a few ideas increasing excitement about this for some of those really good books (or some most of it hyped up by the un:sCrllDttlmls advice on which ones to avoid). media to sen more or Best wishes for your holidays and a spe ings. cial thanks to our reviewers for this issue. I write as a planetarian who has the These are the people who take their time to task of disabusing young children of a great read that good book, or several books, and deal of the rubbish up from the share their thoughts through this column. media. One has to away this misunder- Thanks to: Ed Albin, Thomas E. Frantz, Cindy Hever, Scott A. Niskach, Richard M. Wil liamon, Ray Worthy. I write as a planetarian who children a deal of
Zero Gravity, Gloria Skurzynski, standing like the layers of onion skin before Simon & Schuster Books For the work of up the scientific Young Readers, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York, 10020, USA, 1994, ISBN 0- 02-782925-1, $15.00. tion of the Its aim, so it says, is to sent the pros and cons of the and, Reviewed by Scott A. Niskach, Orlando the end, the young reader is invited to draw Science Center, Orlando, Florida, USA. his or her own conclusions. The author has background of scientific for There is no gravity in space. Or is there? so I welcomed the invitation Zero Gravity answers this question and many into this book with ple~as,mt an1ticioa1tiOll. others about gravity. While this book would book of this nature is not be on my reference shelf, it would be on Sad to say that this ple,asallt aJlti(:ip(ltioln my student loaner or library list. Clear and did not survive even the first skim -t-h,",.,.,·.~h simple illustrations help to make a difficult On first riffling the pages, I noticed topic and understandable. Real fun page of the "Face on Mars". life examples help to make this difficult heart sank. What was this in topiC more approachable. "balanced and thoughtful discussion" of the In addition to the discussion of gravity, However, all was not lost. the the book gives a good overview of life in balance came in the four pages space for those budding astronauts. the subject. No such luck! Author Gloria Skurzynski is no newcom Here were all the old cliches about mys- er to science books. She has a list of successful teries and ci vilized alien pulbli~catiorls iIICi"u<1img Robots: Your Nowhere could I see IIA balanced discussion", Tech World, and Almost the Real Sim The and most obvious 1J'-''''''"''l.P'U~ ulation in Your High-Tech World. Gloria Skur of the mound's tOIJlo2::raohv Reviewed zynski was honored as the 1992 American dentally a face is not discussed. The fact that better likenesses can sometimes
32 Planetarian What book would you recommend to A reader not inclined to engineering someone starting out in astronomy? This details could get bogged down in the techni sources for just might be your best bet. The Beginner's calities. However, a very interesting chapter Guide to Amateur Astronomy is a good basic entitled "Coordination; Men and Machines" ment". introduction to the night sky from the pub describes the extraordinary teamwork I didn't have to read this lishers of Astronomy magazine. involved in this project. Not surprisingly, the need to be convinced. I've been David Eicher, who is associate editor of author refers to the Saturn undertaking as a space exploration ever since, as a Astronomy magazine and the former founder "masterpiece of management" as detailed in 1- watched Neil step onto the Moon. and editor of Deep Sky, writes with an easy-to this chapter. The development and ensuing theless, I'm I did since I read conversational style but with enough solid scientific information to satisfy the budding astronomer. Want to know what This is a good book to have in your arsenal when someone telescope to buy or where to locate an "Why do we waste money on space exploration we astronomy club? This introductory book to many problems here on Earth'?" the night sky offers guidance and lists many sources. More importantly, the book intro duces the reader to objects visible in back teamwork has been utilized as a model of things I didn't know about te(:nnlOH)~lCal yard telescopes or through binoculars with management in private industry. spin-offs. tips on how to find them and view them. The book includes seven appendices For instance, in One Also included in information on what which are an excellent resource of informa Technology at Home", I learned that astronomers know about the universe based tion. Included in the appendices is a bulky and hot fire suits were reduc€~d on astronomical research and spacecraft mis schematic of the Saturn V, Saturn Flight in weight from to ","'Al'''''fi,i-u sions. History, Saturn contractors and location of pounds. How? NASA teamed up with the The Beginner's Guide is a sweeping over remaining Saturn hardware. National Bureau of Standards to n ... ,,,rI,,.r., view of astronomy for the hobbyist, cover The book is loaded with B/W photos and more ing the Sun, Moon, planets, asteroids, comets, diagrams. The one negative comment which fighting suits were reduced in meteors, stars, star clusters, nebulae, and can be made is that there is not one color result of the tec:nnolc>gy galaxies. Yet the author recommends start plate. ing out with a star chart and a pair of binoc William R. Lucas, Director, George C. Now here was sOlmething ulars, graduating later to astrophotography Marshall Space Flight Center writes in the identify with as my dad was a NYC firE~fig.ht- and telescopes. forward: "Saturn was an engineering master er for 32 years. Next time I to Text is complemented with both black piece. The ultimate Saturn taller than the asked him about the new suit as it was intro and white and colors photographs. The book Statue of Liberty, had a takeoff weight that duced in the mid-seventies. He remembered is well organized and deserves a place on the exceeded that of 25 fully loaded jet airliners quite wen the introduction of the amateur astronomer's bookshelf. and produced as much power as 85 Hoover as he had assisted in field tests. I then Dams./I him if he knew who had de,,,elc)ne'l1 This book gives the reader a fun anrlreC:l "Yes, yes," he said "NASA." Stages to Saturn, Roger E. Bil ation of the undertaking and serves the He told me the new suit was stein, NASA History Series, Saturn project well. for the not because of NASA History Office, Washing reduction but unlike the old suits ton, DC 20546, Available from made of rubber which would absorb Superintendent of documents, The Case for Space: Who heat and come close the gear P. O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, from Explorations of the Last them much cooler. Pennsylvania, 15250-7954, 1990, Frontier?, Paul S. Hardersen, ATL This is just a small eX;:lmple SIN 033-000-01176-8, $37.00 Press, Inc., Science Publishers, P. tive and beneficial information (US), $4625 (Foreign). O. Box 4563 T Station, Shrews this book. It's a good read, "" .... iil'y"'",hll",, bury, MA, 01545, 1997, ISBN 1- eye-opener. And next time someone steps up Reviewed by Cindy Hever, Star Site Plane 882360-47-8. to you and asks "Why do we so much tarium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina on space?" you will be more than for Reviewed by Cindy Hever, Star Site Planetar them. This book chronicles the technological ium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina NASA should hire Paul Hardersen history of the Apollo/Saturn launch vehicles to do their PR work. Better yet, the informa from its earliest conception to its tri This is a good book to have in your arse tion in this book would make for umphant completion. nal when someone asks: "Why do we waste planetarium show. takers? The early chapters explore the building money on space exploration when we have blocks of the Saturn such as the Redstone so many problems here on Earth?" and Jupiter rockets. A very early rocket of The author concisely explains the lucra 1958, the Juno V, was in fact as Werner Von tive benefits of space exploration and the Braun states "an infant Saturn". technological extensions of such endeavors. Additional chapters detail the techno The book consists of six chapters with logical development of various stages, the each chapter focusing on a specific topic of Avenue of the Americas, New logistics and the engineers involved in this benefits: IISpace Technology at Home", York, New York, 10019, massive project. "Viewing Earth and the Universe", "Costs ISBN 0-688-10228-X, $14.00.
Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 Planetarian 33 Reviewed Thomas
Wisconsin Fox Mena5ona, WI USA
As the title states, is targelted towards younger readers with a strong inter est in space desire to attend Author Anne Baird's treatment of the is well suited to young readers
which will '-u ...... u./i'; Baird follows a group of activities from check-in, various educational fun activities, the shuttle mission
simulation, and until the campers The signU:ie years. Teachers and educators ",,"nniinn camps education, and earliest significGmt ;.... i-I",..~~~~ of their own will the book too. readers th]~olJlgh the book, be a very natural PflDinressioln understand the structure and pe(jajl~ogv the educational that re!)reSerlts. There are lessons here for devel oriented mj~arlingtlJJ educational Since its has become somewhat dated with references space station, "Freedom." While this situa- tion is to avoid, can sion even the most informed kid space enthusiast not what "Freedom" was or its mutation into the International Station. is a book, certain traffic item for libraries Seamans, Jr., Robert C. Seamans, Jr. NASA the US Readers for new im;igllts nificant details about how Mail DC 20402-9328, ISBN 048907-5, aD1Df()ach to use to get to the moon Reviewed (Direct vs. Lunar 34 not our national treasury. versity of Geneva. This announcement was which "..... 'u·"'_n" ...... '" iIlteJrfe]:oI1aeters Also discussed at in other papers quickly followed by a of extrasolar are the precursor robotic missions that must planetary discoveries by Geoff Marcy and worlds. occur to fill the gaps in knowledge before can safely make the trip. Details such ... Worlds Unnumbered is the first as the tools needed to do geology by astro nauts are also considered and wen presented extrasolar planetary picture that I For those folks interested in the engi neering aspects of getting to Mars, including Paul Butler from San Francisco State Univer spacecraft and propulsion, there's sity. Indeed, I suspect that almost everyone new planets is plenty of good (and some not too good) reading this review will be familiar with sys with an informative and factual dis,cus;sioill ideas suggesting how this might be best tems like 51 Pegasi or 70 Virginis which have of how the done. For instance, I found the paper on received much pUblicity. nuclear rocket propulsion very informative Yet, for all of the publicity, Worlds Un as it may be the solution to cut down on the numbered is the first comprehensive look at time required to get to Mars. the entire extrasolar planetary picture that I Overall, I found the book very enlight have encountered An obvious and inherent ening and generally a delight to read (espe limitation for Worlds Unnumbered is the cially since I'm one of those "send people to inclusion of very recent results in the rapidly Mars enthusiasts"). Readers should be aware developing extrasolar planets field. For that much of the text is very technical and example, in March, 1997, David Gray of the many sections will not be of general interest University of Western Ontario found smith's books, and "clever and because of the highly specialized nature. My changes in spectral line shapes that seemed always been his Worlds Unnumbered main grievance with the book is that in phase with his Doppler data on 51 Pegasi. no exception. although it was just published (1997) much Gray concluded that the observations could of the material is out-dated (a lot has hap be reconciled by stellar pulsations instead of pened since the Colorado conference in an extrasolar planet. Such new interpreta Earth From Above: 19900 tions are not only expected but are also wel Coded Satellite Unfortunately, the book's focus is based come. on the now defunct Bush Administration's In any event, the reader of Worlds Un Exploration Initiative. President numbered will gain enough background to In;uo,r,,H·,, Science George Bush, on the occasion of the twenti assess the current controversy and others Five Gate Road, eth anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon that are certain to follow. California, 94965 Landing, directed NASA to work on sending Worlds Unnumbered certainly includes ISBN 0-935702-41-5, human crews back to the Moon and then on ample history and details of the Doppler to Mars. Congress and President Clinton can observational techniques that led to the Reviewed celed the effort after cost estimates were in much publicized discoveries to date. But the 500 billion donar range. Goldsmith uses these discoveries as a However, even with this shortcoming, point for what is yet to come. This tasCiI1lating and wen The Case for Mars IV is a collection of well For example, the reader is introduced to would be a resource for any UUUHj,,-.1. referenced documents - making it an excel interferometers, with an understandable pr()le1cts: an Earth Science class stu.QvinQ" lent of into the wealth of explanation of how two telescopes can be canoes, a program dis;cu.ssing the "Mars Underground" literature that has coupled to achieve very high resolution. The satellites, or a National Science and been published over the years. In short, I can power of this technique is cleverly injecl:ed ogy week lecture about sea recommend this text to anyone following by comparing what our vision would be like Antarctic. our species' efforts to get people from Earth if we had evolved interferometric vision. The author to Mars. (We could easily see and recognize faces at a tion of radiation in its visible and invisible distance of a mile; chapter 3). forms, and uses each of the next six ch;apters Other discovery techniques are included to upon the satellite that Worlds Unnumbered: The Search such as the "coronal finger" device that will utilizes visible ultraviolet, infrared or For Extrasolar Planets, by be implemented after the 1999 Hubble Donald Goldsmith, University Telescope upgrade is installed. In fact, the Science Books, 55D Gate Five coverage of extrasolar planetary 11;"".n'"",,,',,, Road, Sausalito, California 94965, USA, 1997, ISBN 0- This attractive and on 935702-97-0. reference shelf. Reviewed by Richard M. Williamon, Fern bank Science Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. techniques is comprehensive and very wen volcanoes on atrno:sptlerilc t~~mpeJraturE~s presented without overstating the power of Earth In late 1995 the first extrasolar planet each technique. This is not to say that there understand around the star 51 was announced by is no anticipation and predictions, for and maps reinforce the text. :stItktng Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz of the Uni- ter 9 deals with the "dreams of the future," in ph,otc.gnaphls, many the Vol. December 1997 Planetarian to the book's appeal, and each chapter ends eclipse? How many wish were? And final with review questions. With the answer key how many are already receiving phone calls at the end, this book could even serve as a from travel agencies, tour companies, and good text for a high school or college level the general public about it? tions for Ch()OSing U.'HAT ...... science course. I especially appreciated the last chapter, Chapter two details an eclipse watcher's shopping outlining the limitations of satellite technol ogy, and the list of abbreviations and gestions for making simple-and-safe acronyms. This attractive and informative and cardboard tubes all the way to photography volume deserves a place on your reference rabid umbra-chaser. shelf. This practical guide be right next to the there are dozens of black and Eclipse! The What, Where, When, phone to answer those questions. tographs and Why, and How Guide to Watch The book opens with the obligatory his The last two (the last ing Solar and Lunar Eclipses by tory lesson, definitions and diagrams of both Phillip S. Harrington, John solar and lunar eclipses. Chapter two details Wiley and Sons, 605 Third Ave an eclipse watcher's shopping list - with sug nue, New York, New York, USA, gestions for making simple-and-safe devices 1997, ISBN 0-471-12795-7, (paper) from sheets of paper and cardboard tubes aU $14.95 US. the way to photography equipment for the rabid umbra-chaser. time, even a NASA Review by April Whitt, Fernbank Science Solar and lunar eclipses each receive Eclipse Bulletins. Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. their own chapters. There are plenty of This one-stop reference should be details for photographers who want to cap in a month or two, when the A show of hands, please. How many of ture the event on slides or videotape, or who off the hook. * you are traveling to the February 1998 solar want to use a computer to enhance their MO ULATE USED BY ~li.UN;;:'; <2.5mm STANDARD PHON WORLD 36 Planetarian Vol. No.4, December A company dedicated to the Promotion of Concerts in Planetarians to their Activities Now on tour in "THE ULTIMATE PlANO EXPJERIlENCE" Direct P.C.M. Tel/Fax 00453314 10 05 See click on" Program "D then "Srerlige Activities" Vol. December 1997 Planetarian Our list of recommendations was forward the slate blue UDholst~~rv ed to the school administration. blue or black carpet. The Assistant Superintendent, B. P. Gibson, championed our cause and "carried the ball." Tentative plans for the new com plex included a 35 by 40 foot room with double high ceiling and was labeled "Science Room." The idea was presented to the as a future planetarium if and when the funds became available. The new school building on Little York Road north of Dayton, Ohio, was in September 1969. In November, another bond issue for a package of improvements was pre sented to the voters. The package included It was a bronze plaque outside the door moneys for parking lot repairs, remodeling way, mounted at eye-level and proclaimed at the board of education office, kitchen fur in half inch letters: niture and fixtures for the new building and VANDALIA-BUTLER CITY SCHOOLS MULTI-MEDIA LABORATORY $50,000 for a planetarium installation. I had been asked if I would accept the position as 1970 Planetarium Director if the plametaI'iUlm The plaque was paid for by Ed Beslove who came into being. I agreed that I would accept wrote the contract for the planetarium the appointment provided I could maintain installation and was unveiled by his father the dome, my status as classroom teacher. in-law, Philip D. Stem, who partially fathered behavior needed attention The voters accepted the proposed bond the instrument with some of his patents. the teacher or leader I, especially, liked the word "Laboratory." issue. Immediately we were in the market for My liking stemmed from an old Dodge auto a planetarium installation and I was includ mobile body that a one dollar Gilbert ed in the Planetarium Search Committee Chemistry Set and I turned into a laboratory with Russell Spaulding as the chairman. in early 1938. My personal laboratories moved from the Dodge to the chicken house to an attic hallway to a carriage shed and At the time there were two planetarium finally to a heated basement. My academic suppliers that fit our price range: and laboratories extended from my ninth grade Viewlex. Spitz marketed their own line of science room to chemistry and physics projectors and the Viewlex subsidiary, Plane suites, organic and quantitative analysis in tariums Unlimited, offered star ...... ,,;"' ..., ... ~.p~ the chemistry laboratory building and the made by Goto Optical of Japan. formaldehyd-ed -ology laboratories in the The representatives from took us on a biology buildings. cold, cold January day to visit two new in My coveted laboratory, however, was my stallations in Indiana. One was at Van Buren own junior high school science classroom and the other in Marion. Viewlex flew our with an adjoining preparation room that my committee to eastern and took colleague, Jerry Tschudi, and I stocked with us to the high school in equipment that we had liberty to order from In the Spitz installations, I was Carolina Biological, Central Scientific impressed by the pristine sparkly appearance Supply, Fisher and Welch. as we walked into the star chamber. The Multi-Media Planetarium of the brightness of the colors me even Vandalia-Butler City School came into exis though I didn't care for the hardened class tence half way by a suggestion made by us room type seating. I was also dis.m.clved science teachers as we participated in an 360 degree as the house after-school in-service workshop. The leader dimmed and the cove lights faded up had noticed that our school system was over-ride the zap-on stars. anticipating a bond issue to raise funds for a As I entered the Tamaqua star '-U.<-U .... ,"'<;;CJ., new junior high school building. He men felt suppressed by the lack of color and tioned that perhaps we ought to formulate a It was almost as if though we were set of recommendations that we would like drift coal mine. However, after a to have incorporated in the new building. comfortable seat, I saw the dome illuminated At our next meeting the set of recommen with a blue daylight tint that faded into a dations was read Included in the list was: rosy western twilight by the A large group science lecture hall with mov bri$Ihter stars and then the other stars that programs able seating, no windows, dimmable lighting aDt)ealred "magnitude by as Ed nomical software and possibly a curved ceiling for plame~taI'i Beslove would say. I became ('",.,.,thy",-!-"..'! you don't like urn projection. the Goto starfield and but was still disturbed double what you 38 Planetarian Vol. SHOW KITS AVAILABLE FROM THE A fun, friendly and exploration of the sky! Designed especially through 1st graders, this is an ideal first primary school audiences. Your presenter program blending live interaction with c_'A"/I "--''-,LA seg ments. -20 / 108 slides / $450 the possibility of life elsewhere in our galaxy and throughout the universe. - Production Book with annotated script, - 31 minutes / 368 slides / $ 350 visual list, special effects notes, and educational materials Soundtrack on cossette, Journey into the future from a space station out to the stars. Dolby B, ( or dbx -38 minutes / 321 slides / $350 ~ - Slides Distribution, Davis Planetarium Investigate some of the exciting discoveries made about Maryland Science the worlds in our Solar System. 601 Light Street -25 minutes / 314 slides / $350 Baltimore, Maryland * Explore our planet from its violent birth to today and see how its wealth of resources make life possible. Find out how we can better preserve and enjoy the future of the world. - 25 minutes / 250 slides / $350 Prnllfnmc funded by the Westinghouse Electric II Biennial of and and Mobile Planetarium Users in France: Kevin Conad, Chair of the MAPS The mE~eung, scheduled for 31 October cation Committee, writes: and 1-2 November in Nice, Recelntly I was U.A,,,,U.'VA.UI'o th1:0Ul2:h had to be canceled due to the fact that too few that you and of interest to: time contact person, Mr. Alain Di Powerful Interactive Planetarium :\vI;tf'ms Racca, assures me that an will be made to hold the sometime in March. You can try to contact him at the and is listed under Association du Planetarium du ~""AA', ... _ Curricula Out of Print." 128, avenue Saint Lambert, 06100 I know the Pass Books are 'elephc)ne,ftax (0) 4.92.09.0924 for fur- ther information. Three wrote for material from the Public Domain File. Two requests came for contains dozens of astronomy <:>r'i'nT11t,,,,,, information about where to buy less expen eXl0er'iments suitable for use in the '-AU,""U.'V'V'A.AA Please notice the new e-mail address sive projection bulbs for Starlab. I couldn't or lplalnetarilJm with Grades 5-12 above! them out. I still don't copy of this book Along with my new I am now con- know of any other sources. Two con- to MAPS, to: nected directly to the web and therefore tacted me about Francine Jackson have a shortened e-mail address and so much a conference p.o. Box 353 more to learn! where there would be of interest Providence, RI 02901 mobile domes. I told them about the (as I write this) .... !-' .... vuu.uFi Great Lakes Plane- tarium Association conference in October '97 where five Starlabs, one the new Giant users met on Saturday, 27 1997, at The dream is alive and well! the tenth Powerful Interactive Planetarium dome, will be set up for extensive work- Systems (PIPS) held in the Northeastern United States. We shared par Sharon Mendonsa (Planetarium Educator, ticipatory techniques and methods, con- Cumberland Science Museum, 800 Fort cerns and experiences to our work Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37203 Tele- small and mobile domes. 615-862-5160 fax: 615-862-5178) Mike Stephens graciously to portable planetariUlm users replre~entati"e arrange for us to use facilities in the Museum the Southeastern Planetarium 1\ "","',..., "-I-i",,..., of ScIence &: (MOSn located in (SEPA). She wrote to ten me twelve Syracuse, New York. The MOST is a vibrant dome users attended the first Starlab and fast growing museum that houses the at SEPA. She writes, "As you can see recently completed Bristol OMNITHEA TER, list, we had a very small group the only domed IMAX theater in New York attempt at this. But everyone was State. This state-of-the-art !MAX theater, the tive to next year .... In Silverman 24' fixed dome planetarium with hour we introduced each other 52 seats and a Viewlex Apollo and shared our Df()blernlS, a multitude of hands-on exhibits, are and even some ideas." swarming with activities of the community This is a and very similar to and visitors from far and wide. The MOST way extensive at GLPA staff maintains an active outreach program MAPS started. The attendance of mobile users will grow at conferences as which includes the Starlab ni~, ..... ot"'1I"l11''Y\ of my ten years of expeI:ieIlce word gets out that more is available that is of Nine Starlab programs are available to illus Starlab and the valuable co:ntribl.lti<)flS interest to this It is trate and teach a variety of and large number of other p12metaI'laIlS space science concepts at a very reasonable have shared their "tricks of the price to urban school children and Univer- the years. It is sity students. 32,000 each year enjoy shows ary dome or the mobile learned and from d:S:S,UL.ldl.llU}.!. these creative individuals too! ceive this pUlblilcatio,n 40 Planetarian No.4, December dues. If you are not a GLPA member, for a 3. "Attention Getters" small cost, you can a copy of this uOl~a:nizi~anAstronlorrlV resource. Write to GLPA "EJi:pl()rirtg the A Instructional Materials Chair, Wauwatosa, WI 53222; telephone 414-778-6550, ext. lOS; e- 1. "When You Wish 2. and Now, what I mean by "The dream is alive and well": original dream was to produce 3. this handbook for the International commu 4. nity of mobile and small dome users Hes~inneI~'s Guide" through the support and of the 5. International Planetarium mem- D. oJ\.-' .\c ..' ... lJLUJ:, bers. The task proved to be so enormous that 1. a two phase plan was initiated Phase I 2. the goal was to a TIPS handbook V. Practical of Mobile Planetaria marily for North America the sup- A. Introduction port of GLP A. This was the first step 1. "Outreach: The Arm of because I am more familiar with educational Starlab" B. Outreach with a Sm~ciallist curricula, business vendors and 1. "Reach Out resources available in this part of the world. 2. "Student ,... ..-.0,...... ""'.., ...... "" ... 1.1 ..", ...... ',,""" The Phase II goal is to edit a version suitable e. for the world community, using Phase I and Teacher results as a base document. 1. "Unmanned Satellite" This is where I need your Listed 2. "When You've Got the Whole World in Your Hands You Can below is the Table of Contents of TIPS #18. Share it with Please examine it carefully, keeping in mind 3. "Starlab T_,,;~;~~," the international community, and 4. send me suggestions and/or of items S. that should be induded to make the IPS ver Astronomy to sion truly useful for aU regiOns of the world. 6. "An Outreach Program Without Going Out" If you feel that you can donate some time D. Planetariums in Business and effort on this project the next 1. "Owning Your Own Planetarium" several months, I would be more than happy Meader) 2. 'LJ' .... ,llU< Your Own Planetarium" to send you a copy of TIPS #18 and we can (Whitt) work to revise it together. I would 3. "Warning Testimonial" appreciate having more than one editor for VI. Lesson/Presentation Tec:hrliq'ues A. General SUJ&esticJns this phase. I will be calling upon my usual 1. "Using to Imple~m€mt international and national contacts and also National Science EdlL1G1ltic~n manufacturers of mobile units to capture Standards from the National Resource Council" their opinions and I will also send B. Sp(~cializ~~d Lesson Str,l tej~ies a copy to the regional affiliate portable users' e. representatives to solicit their Of 1. 2. Under the Dome" course the more actual users I hear from the D. Students with Disabilities Publications better it will be for gathering fresh and E. Gifted Students 1. MaJ~azj,nes nent suggestions. So ... contact me 1. "Some Uses of a Starlab Ca1talc)gulesWorth ""-.... -,~ Planetarium With Gifted 1Io:h • .rln,...... "" For" with your at the address at the F. Evaluation Tec:hIliques VirectlofV of Starlab Educators G. Pronunciation 3. Educational Games/Products 1. "Pronunciation Guide for EdllCatio:nal Software TIPS #18 Table of Contents Astronomical Objects" "Moons in Our Solar (',,,, .. ,,, ..... " InteITlational Planetarium I. Introduction VII. for Dome 1Io:r"~'a~-'<7'" (IPS') Public LI'U'lH,;UU II. Contributors III. Table Of Contents A. CanJeti11i/: IV. General Information B. A. Liability Protection e. 1. Insurance D. 2. Self-Protection ~trilte~Hes E. Duct B. Advertising F. Fans 1. Overview G. Planet 1.)"1"';01"-\-"',,,,,,, 2. "Customizing a Starlab Dome" H. PoillteI's/FlashHgblts I. Post-It Notes Vol. December 1997 Planetarian and are. Another part of the reason Dan Goldin's results-oriented, what-does-it ,-i""_fr, ... _ Part of the reason, at least, is VVA. LA ... "' •• and it's up to us to take !'lrlu~lnhl'o"'" while may not have the scientific for the benefit of our literacy to understand the value of space Jim Mannimr exploration or basic research, have the IPS Past President savvy to know that education is and it Museum of the Rockies can reach voters, and often have kinder Bozeman, Montana budget attitudes toward education than research. It is therefore, for *** research agencies to promote education - Vol. December 1997 Planetarian "Education Forums": Space Telescope Science NASA's missions of exploration. While I'm Institute (STScI), Astronomical Search for sure I don't have to review the differences hits on Origins and Planetary Systems; Smithsonian between the two spacecraft for readers of Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), Structure this journal, I wonder how many pl,metari and Evolution of the Universe; Jet ans understand the of the SSE Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Solar System on education. In particular, informal science Exploration; Goddard Space Flight Center education in the planetarium environment. has initiated among lnrh""~,,,u eOllCaltlo~n (GSFC) and UC Berkeley, The Sun-Earth Much has been published on this topic and is mal & informal) and go'vernnlerlt Connection, and five "Broker/Facilitator" available directly from NASA or over the the nation will reap maximum scientUlc groups, chosen through a competitive pro WWW. Probably the best overview of the economic benefit from its posal review composed of: David Black/ SSE is located on the Office of Space Sciences Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, WWW page at: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/ Mitchell Colgan/South Carolina Space Grant office/oss/strategy /1997/contnts.htm Consortium, Charleston, SC, Larry Cooper/ If you take a few minutes to peruse the SSE Ohio Aerospace Institute, Cleveland, OH, documents relating to education and out Cherilynn Morrow/Space Science Institute, reach, there are several ideas that should Boulder, CO and Carolyn Narasimhan/ make planetarlans feel good about our place Depaul University, Chicago, lllinois. in NASA's universe! One key element is Unlike past programs, funding for these is NASA's desire to expand its reach beyond the coming out of the NASA research budget, traditional classroom and college environs space and scientists are becoming aware that this is into pre-college and public education. This the Qutconle a serious concern. Will this make a differ includes using the concept of leveraging to ence? I think that if the planetarium com incorporate existing facilities and infrastruc munity voices its needs and concerns to ture to accomplish NASA's educational these groups, we can have an impact. There objectives. However, if we are to succeed needs to be a two-way dialogue, with the While there are multitudes of ways that your The EX1)lorerS space science community becoming aware planetarians can help NASA meet these edu recruited of the very important role that planetariums cational goals, the following OSS excerpt that our n1"."til1lr-/-" play in public education, and the planetari provides one aspect of the agency's vision: um community finding avenues to tap into "Enhance the breadth and effectiveness of you can get involved in the astronomical expertise. And it is not only partnerships among scientists, educators, the address below. NASA that is aware of the need to cultivate contractors, and professional organizations public support. The American Astronomical as the basis for Space Science education and Society has just sent out a survey to all 6,000 outreach activities by: 1) focusing on plus members, to probe their involvement in leverage opportunities; 2) building on exist public outreach and their interest in this ing programs, institutions, and infra activity. The results of this survey, organized structure; 3) emphasizing collaborations by Doug Duncan, the AAS Education Coordi with planetariums and science museums; 4) nator, could form the basis for wonderful coordinating with other ongoing education collaboration between research astronomers and outreach efforts inside NASA and within and planetarians. other government agenCies; and,S) involv The NASA program is described at: ing the contractors in the Space Science http://www.hq.nasa.gov / office/oss/ educa Enterprise's education/outreach programs." tion/index.htm By drawing on the considerable talent and resources of the planetarium cOlmrnunit:y Katy Garmany NASA will be able to reach a broader, more Director, Fiske Planetarium diverse audience through our network of Boulder, Colorado highly trained educators. Our national net ** work of science museums and pl,m€~talria, *** ranging from small portable domes to metropolitan multi-media theaters, is well NASA's assistance in With the recent launch of the Cassini positioned to take on NASA's and probe to Saturn, much media attention has support its national education and audience's interest in space eX1PlC)raltlOn, been focused on the fact that Cassini repre goals. There's also the synergy that plametarta that at Fiske Planetarium in Boulder, sents the end of an era at NASA. In contrast, and NASA can generate. By fostering this the Pathfinder Mission to Mars has become expanded relationship with NASA we all an icon for NASA's new faster, better, cheap stand to benefit er philosophy. This new approach has been NASA's new directives to do missions the World Wide Web, there is no named the Space Science Enterprise, or SSE. faster, better and cheaper are indicative of the nl'~n,,,d-"'1"111rn rn.rn.nl-'T"-;-U In this age of manic paradigm shifts I tight fiscal realities. They have risen to the believe that this is the real thing. ....u,... u,_ul', ... on two important fronts. The Mars The contrast between Cassini and Path Pathfinder mission was a brilliant success finder provides a powerful example of how founded on this new directive, and it argu the Space Science Enterprise has influenced ably was one of the most watched and 44 Planetarian Vol. T"""uo"ci-l-", of Colorado is one element and Boulder, Colorado which use Internet, TV, classroom tariums have the greatest poteIlWil *** tealmiin$1; up with space agt~nCles. Planetarians in the ll'"",,,n.,.,..,..f- some of that is our own fault - are nAurB,,,,rl<1rt::l> nr.Ai",,..'~" ("Live from Mars we as modern facilities? may "Live from Hubble") have demonstrated that take time to make even NASA aware - let us make NASA and ESA aware that that planetariums are able to show more etari urns are both u..L •• ~u ...... YUH and emo- than just 9,000 dots in the sky: We can take tin,n<>I h1 stiInulating "flying classrooms" (and our visitors "onboard" of NASA missions and smaller have benefits here). A they can become astronauts - video, slides flr><,i-I-hTt::l> sign is also that NASA is tunlaifl.$1; and effects can simulate and least two major planetarium space missions in a way the dissemination material/shows exhibitions we in1:e$1;rat:e to the whole (at urns). least in the US ... ). So I think we're on the way IPS is already working on cooperating already and the space agencies are be<:onl1inl$1; with NASA to support (and not aware of how important and useful syner with NASA; we have several other space gy between planetariums and a space admin- on our planet). First results are istration be. apparent - STScI and JPL us great sup- ThomasW. by mailing new slide releases worldwide AU.AU":A\...t>.. - Visions for Edutainrnent (!) to planetarium reps of all IPS-affiliated and orl~arlizations. As a next step, we are now Rumfordstr. 41 U.L.I, '-"-=....o.--~~"-="-='---"--'-"--'---'-=..:.:..-'-=-=:....:.='-'-'--'-= newest creation This 30 minute show takes you from ae~e~)e~31 canyons as it the Peer into the future and learn what the first booklet, and teacher's !-f~AI'--iC;;J CARN IE CENTER One Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 ...... --- ...... - ...... ----- ...... Carnegie Science Center is one of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. - ...... ------~ Vol. December 1997 Planetarian in Ita p ns ne orld of c in teE a ulti edia e' e • Minolta leads all other manufacturers in the for multimedia equipment. Using the SM control it is possible to combine the INFINIUMls Space Traveling all-sky computer graphics projector displays, as well as slide and special effects projectors to create the *SPICE Autometion is registered trademark of Sky Skan, Inc. North America: Minolta Corporation / Planetarium Division 101 Williams Drive Ramsey, N.J. 07446, U.S.A. Tel: (1 )-201-934-5347 Fax: (1 )-201-818-0498 Southeast Asia: Minolta Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. / Planetarium Division No. 12, Jalan SS 8/2, Sungai Way, 47300, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, Tel: (60)-3-7761133, 7756541 Fax: (60)-3-7761767 Minolta Planetarium ltd. 2-30, Toyotsu cho, Suita, Osaka 564, Japan Tel: (81 )6-386-2050 Fax: (81 )6-386-2027 astronomers. She has assumed that (706) addition to her work as Books and Products editor) for the next issue, to be in mid-199B. on Prue Sclmm. has left STScI, and has taken up at West Chester in Her new address is: Prue (formerly '-"LUHI-'LI';:;U;' n01Y"".,.·h..... an-l- of West Chester, D"' ...... ,,"'ln'"' 19383; (610) 436-3009; email: IJ""'UJ.ULU",,", Museum of where she was an Astronomer/Producer Educa tion, for an Associate AstmYl!O~IV nlag;azine. She can now reach to Schran Inc.) and Prue ed at Kalmbach Co. 21027 Cross Sdmm. (formerly who were mar- roads Circle Waukesha, Wisconsin ried this Fall. Linda H.are (ILDA President) has 1612; (414) 796-8776, ext. 605; (414) some great of the For [fax] email: agianlop()ulos~Yas'trono]m'V'.co'm more on what Prue is Martin Ratcliffe (former Director, below. Planetarium, PA) has left to Bell and his wife (Hallstrom Planetarium to take up a new position Planetarium, Indian River air of the US at the soon Ex-pi oration Place in Wichita, Kansas. The 62- '-'v.uc:~.c:. Florida) who are expecting another baby. million facility broke this sum to Whitt (Fernbank Science Center, mer, and will house a 60-foot pialnetarimTI Atlanta, - the new chairperson for II and a Simulation the IPS Publications Committee. A few Theater in the Land tlUHOllllg and an exhibit months ago, Undine Concannon (London Hall in the Island Martin's new buildiIl~ Planetarium, London, .. ..,.,.....~,~,; respol1.silJilities relate to tion of the Land U .... rlti'~~ Publications Chair, asked the IPS Officers to look for a to anow her to con EX1Ploration Place, Inc. centrate all her energy on the West Suite 101, Wichita, upcoming IPS Conference in London and on 67213; (316) 263-3373, fax: (316) 263-4545. her within Mdm. Erich Landstrom the Tussauds. nah Science Museum Planetarium to Dunn (Mueller Planetarium, ~V~AF,H") is the new Director at the Lincoln, Nebraska), who will be a Planetarium in the South Florida :Scienc:e new Ad-hoc committee of the International Museum, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Planetarium Lasers in Planetariums. A number of vendors The purpose of the committee will be to survey the use laser in plane1:ariumls, reports that Castle Lane of>vf>lon rel,ati()ns:hit)s with ILDA, make rec ductions has moved are now at issues and stan- Madison Terrace, Fair Lawn, New Jersey dards, encourage the and coopera- 07410; (201) 703-5515, fax: (201) 703-5516. tion between in the field of New Phone Numbers for laser and to prepare discus Productions-their Massachusetts area code sions on Lasers in Planetariums as an ongo has Their address and numbers are ing forum for the IPS conferences and for now: Loch Ness Productions, P. O. 1159, \In'VL~~auJonesPlane1:ariurrl). ILDA. Groton, MA 01450-3159 USA; (978) 448 3666, say her new house to Collins (Loch Ness fax: (978) 448 1-888-4-NESSIE toll-free didn't know she such deColratilng Productions), who has been named editor for within USA magazine for beginnling ProdUlcti<)lls. Internet and video animations, has moved to: P.O. Box 1524, Columbus, Vol. December 1997 Planetarian results of her work with the Texas State arrived and held a mt:~etilllg Board of Education on new curriculum planeitariiunl1. Estimates of the she (Russell Planetarium, I\H"'~'nlli'~<> TX), Schaik lto]:mE~rly of Garland ISD Planetarium, TX), Burton (new director of Garland ISD Plan- etarium), Worth, TX), and Barbara met science curriculum were "Comets are ""'V'A .... JlU,I', Jan Schott from Austin and includes the SL-9 and K-T On Octo created for the state-wide ber 9, their program had a third unscheduled curriculum. The were with aUcJHjIUI'lS. Without those the (and all of the textbooks they states) would not have into a cabin in the wilds included much astronomy for any of the ele of Groton, Massachusetts. levels! hard at work on a custom show for the Ed Lantz and Mike Bruno (both with Science Museum in Inc.) were TAU'.,.!?' ...... with Bowen Productions chusetts. It's called "Oceans In last on the new Northern will complement the exhibition Center in Canadian Yukon. Bowen liTo See the Sea". There are future to (Bowen Productions) said they have some ua'L.l'\.'."'L the show for distribution; stay UHJ'UL1U,I', medium-format photos of tuned! Mark that even before he had Halc-tSOrm surrounded by some of a chance to send out a about Loch the best aurora seen in recent times in the Ness' new show, Years from Androm Yukon. took these photos with David eda", more than two dozen pl,mt~tariams Leverton and Jeff in the middle of a frozen ordered it. Some of you may have noticed lake at a temperature of about five Carolyn (or at least the back of her head) Celsius! the JPL press conferences the Mars On November 8th, Morrison Planetarium Pathfinder mission. She and at the California Academy of Sciences in San covered the mission for the m;;tga:Z:ine. Francisco observed its 45th year of operation. reports that he now has the newest edition F. (Morrison Planetarium) says of "The LNP Planetarium , the invited all past and staff Summer 1997 version. At 262 pages, it's their members to the celebration. thickest book ever. Some of you may be familiar with To assist with their in Web- Bess Am.aral's (Goddard Planetarium, Roswell IPS now has two more excellent NM) nickname: "Queen Zarton, the Voice of members on the IPS Web-Subcommittee Reason." We have a number of in1:en~stjing of IPS Publications): Tom (Cos- nicknames among us; you can ask monova Planetarium, ...H'- ...... UVJlAH, •• n,::u.,ccu I Muulli:i~ (Taylor Planetarium, Bozeman MT) and Ian P. Grlffln (Astronaut Memorial about his nickname ("Weenie"??? But etarium BCC Cocoa, Florida). Under the haven't been told why.) Peterson (El ance of the Publications Chair and Paso ISD Planetarium, £1 Paso TX) claims to oVE~rsill!ht of the will be GMST ... "Grand Master of and webmaster Tom (Dome-L '''0£'",0.,.",_ Time." Does anyone else have any nick tor) and Alan Gould (Lawrence names we could hear about?? Science Planetarium, CA) At present the Melbourne Planetarium has ;vn·..... -rr,u", structure and closed its doors in for construc- pages on the www. tion of a new at the Scienceworks On Martin Ratcliffe's last Museum in Melbourne, Australia, 1998/99, had the Press OP,el1l1l1g according to Zelko Karlovic Mel "Flashback to the Future", and made bourne Planetarium, Australia). one millionth visitor since R. Peterson and Stone (£1 Paso 1991 (it took 10 years to reach the same target ISD Planetarium, Texas) had some excite in the old Buhl). It was a nice target ment last October. On Oct. 9, 1997, a ex Martin's as 5th Director of Buhl plosion was heard over the East side of £1 Planetarium since 1939! He wishes the 6th Paso. a flash Director much success. Rob Landis (now at followed by a white-blue fonowed by Goddard) worked with the Buhl prc)duCtilon, a very loud and several smaller and is wc)rkiln2 prC)dUlction with eX1PlOisloin sounds. The set up a caU in line to reports in an to locate any remains of this airburst what is so meteor. Over the weekend, several meteorite 48 Planetarian it is to a your '-'-".Jl0 .. 1.1.1.'" programs. Because of its versatility, portability, l-"'~:"'_(H_' cost-effectiveness, the exciting multicultural tool conjunction with a fixed school outreach It training programs @ multicultural ....,uI-I.....,a.LLv.u • workshops • special events ILg:o.lrIIlr'D'IIiill'lldf:ll T,ecll1n41)lCllgies, Inc", 40 Cameron Phone: 800... 537... 8703 or 617.. 628 ... 1459 .. Fax: Vol. No.4, December 1997 Plane tar ian text spoken and written on the screen. It the sun, year takes tykes the basic events of blast tenlpt~rat:un~-J)lus a few pictur(~s. off, spaceflight, and and describes a mation is for older kids, and oo:asioflaHy variety of activities that space shuttle astro icon to take you back to the menu intrucied nauts do-from eating and sleeping to run on some of the But the pr<)gr;am ning and working outside the serviceable, shuttle. IIIf I Were An Astronaut" is both I liked it-the images are rendered in Windows 95 and wn!Ole~salles ..... l'lTn",.'" colors and the interactive about $10 U.s. with discounts for quamtities part involves clicking on or items in a of 100 or more. If you or your given the kid astronauts to tomers have little budding·as1:rolnallts. put on or take off helmets or float in the might want to take a look. shuttle or in space, causing plants to grow, Knight at the above. frogs to escape from an food to float about the astronaut crews What's new as I write is that the Cassini to set to work, the earth to turn, and the spacecraft (and its plutonium) is su(:ce~;sfulny The TiLE rrt".",tina lights to tum out when its time for bed (aU spaceborne at last and beginning its with related sounds)-all the sorts of seven-year round-about trip to Saturn where you might do or experience "if you were an it will scrutinize the ringed planet and its astronaut." After you've done all you can (or family and will send the ESA Huygens probe want to) with one screen page, you can click to learn what sort of chilly goo may inhabit on an arrow to take you to the next page, or the surface of Titan. can go back to the previous one. Add that to Mars Global Surveyor's arrival The pages changed a little may at the Red Planet, already making discoveries have been the Macintosh Performa 575 on (even as a flapping solar panel "wing" has was an eclectic mix which I ran the program-but otherwise the temporarily halted its aerobraking antics) ... and other leisure-time venues and story is and cute and I liked what you and Mars Pathfinder's successful first months eXlpeI'iel1Ce~s, concerns, tec:nI1l01C)glcal could do with the images. The CD-ROM also there (although at the moment of writing its ap))w:atllonls, ITlarJKeting and trends-and contained a menu for bringing up informa masters are trying to attract its wandering lone look at "Planetariums and tion on the planets-diameter, distance from attention now that the battery seems to have run down) ... and this summer's NEAR miss of Mathilde, our first look at a C-type asteroid as that spacecraft heads for Eros ... and Hipparcos telling us that we've underes timated the distance to the Andromeda Galaxy all these years ... and the November scheduled launch of the tiny Lunar Prospec tor, to report if there's really ice at the poles of the moon ... and the continuing sagas of Galileo, Mir, and the space shuttle ... and suddenly there's a lot going on in space. Public opinion of space agencies is pretty high, too, according to studies-making it fashionable once again (as if it ever wasn't) to dream about ... If I Were An Astronaut This installment's first item is for the youngest space-dreamers: an "interactive storybook" for young children on CD-ROM that I picked up last summer at the Trends in Leisure En tertainmen t (TiLE) meeting in Strasbourg, France. It's available from Knight Mediacom, 97 Sparkill Avenue, Tappan, New York 10983 USA, telephone +1 914365 1270, fax +1 914 365 1271, E-mail 50 Planetarian Vol. No.4, December ment" conducted with brochure reveals that it's fun-service from Undine Concannon, Sue pany that can do show and ~~~'-~'_J~'" Elvert, and me. systems and includes "Dome type thE~ab:~rs" One of the most talks (from a among its intended clientele. plallletar'imn pers-pec:tlv'e at least) was pre The other company was Laser Creations sented Professor Hillel Ruskin, chair of International Ltd., 55 Terrace, the Education Commission of the World Barnes, London, SW13 9DL, United A... U""""'VA.U, Leisure and Recreation Association (WLRA), telE~phc:me +44 (0)181 741 5747, fax and was entitled "Leisure Education - A Must 748 9879, e-mail for the Leisure I.-.rh.,,·h-u The company offers a wide range of laser sys the i1'Ylln.n,.. i-~inr·iC> tems and show for time opment and of life, and discussed the WLRA International Charter for Leisure Education which advocates "action to achieve leisure for an leisure educa- tion the year 2000 and 1/ Several care to, and its laser video which, of us had an to discuss these in combination with its fountain-like "water ideas further with Dr. Ruskin at a later semi- ~.,.,,,,ri1",",'~" some remarkable laser nar-which also ...... "..'uir1ari confirmation that uua,l;;Ju,I;; I-IV;);)U.llU.U'C;', if the video demo of this was indeed a leisure entertainment con the process was any indication. ference when our planetariurn ClDnltInJg-erlt It's for us to enter the occasional outnumbered aU of the other attendees. alternative dimension for the oeJrsoec1tivies "Leisure education" is as and TiLE such an tion of a on a ...... ,'u.!. .... « IJHI.HClCHla.l..l;:) in atten noon as I've heard in some time. And as we dance last June. The conference is an im:re.asilnglly find ourselves with event, to be held in for the next leisure several years at lca;:;l--aAI.HU'UJ;::U year, it appears to conflict in time with oe]:s04Ecttve on where we '98. fit-or to fit-in the scheme of leisure time. The WLRA can offer some internation- Nature al on the issue, and it's well In recent issues, I've mentioned and re worth a connection. To learn more viewed several from DK Multi about the WLRA and its Education Commis media, 95 Madison Avenue, New York, New sion, and to request a copy of the education York 10016 USA, +1 212213 4800, charter, contact the WLRA Secretariat, 3 fax +1 212 213 5240, web site '" ~U.H V'-JU Court West, AB TlK 6Vl, www.dkcom>. And here comes another Canada, +1 4033816144 (same "Elt1C~vCloolerua of Nature 2.0" is another number for fax), e-mail learned, and sections on bird calls, animal received vision, and of animal parts for you There were also a of laser compa- to An A-Z from "aard- above. nies who were new to me. The first vark" onward a way to zero in on was Laser Promotions, whose address is: items. LASERPROMOTION bv, Storm Bu)rsingstl:aat This continues DK's UU.CUl~t;Ul 18b, 2332 VW Leiden, The Netherlands, tele- of entries, which include clear lan- +31 (0)71 5315561, fax +31 (0)71 guage written and clean F.-"<"""'-'" 5316061, e-mail The lots of video, and December 1997 Planetarian cludes supernovae, black holes, quasars, Planetary Society Poster. For those with (again a naked-eye view with foreground gamma ray bursters, and all-skies of the lesser budgets, you might consider getting an details) wholesaling for $5 U.S. (suggested Milky Way in various wavelengths. The extra copy or two of The Planetary Society's retail $9.95) with a $1.15 mailing tube cost. If show kit costs $895 U.S., including a 40- "Explore the Planets" full-color poster, which you're not yet Hale-Bopped enough at this minute digitally mastered soundtrack on features the Society's web site address backed pOint, contact as given above. CD, over 200 slides, script, production notes, by colorful images of the planets; down Dazzling Calendars. 1998 is coming, and if and educational materials. Contact Roy below, basic information on each planet is you want to be calendrically well-armed for Kaelin at +1 312 322 0516 for more informa listed next to another image. It's attractive the new year, Slow Dazzle Worldwide, 28 B tion and/or a demo tape, or write to the and informative; contact The Planetary Percy Road, London W12 9QA, England, UK, Adler Planetarium, 1300 South Lake Shore Society at 65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasa telephone +44 181 932 5400, fax +44 181 932 Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA. dena, California 91106 USA, telephone +1 626 5402, e-mail 52 Planetarian Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 lng the union of the outer and inner cosmos. rocks to~~etjher In modem times the separation of ...... "".'v •• and science is pretty well established. But there is a place for religious groups in the planetarium ~ in fact, I think that the tarium draws religious types to it. Not just angst-ridden creationists looking for a good argument, but people who appreciate the wonder and beauty and awe-someness of a sky fun of stars. Conversely, perhaps there's more astrono my in religious traditions than meets the eye. The ceremony of Jewish Havdalah and the Islamic month of Ramadan are two such box, traditions. I would like to describe my expe wicks and a cup and riences of how these rituals entered the (half) woman had also created sphere of the planetarium. Please be aware that I am neither Jewish nor Muslim, so my experiences are told from an outsider's point of view. As much as I appreciate both reli calendar gions and traditions, I apologize in advance constellation names of the I-I""h...... yu for any misinformation about either religion Each had to match the as represented below. "Opening the Dome" addresses strategies and Havdalah, in Jewish tradition, is the ritual logistics for conducting active, aggressive ending to Shabbat, the holy day. Havdalah real sky observation programs as adjuncts to literally means "separation," and refers to the planetarium shows. separation between the regular days of the zodiac After these activities were L'UHHJHC week and the holy day of Shabbat (Satur gave a short on the COlrlsteU,l- Carrie Meyers, Director of the Longway day.) The Havdalah ceremony brings to a Planetarium in Flint, Michigan, actually sent close the sweetness and holiness of the tions and stars, a few pointing out some famous \"V~U.;:)i-,c:u.au.vu me an earlier version of this article while she Shabbat, and Havdalah begins when three the zodiac. In Hebrew, the twelve ..... VJlA"'~"'U." was still running the Andrus Planetarium in stars are visible in the evening sky. It Yonkers, New York. Some time has passed pens every week, but it becomes more spe tions of the zodiac are the mazalot, since we started batting her monograph cial when you hold the ceremony in the month has maza!. I <::AI_lAa.AU.'C:U the zodiac is, and made the ".." ...... ,"'" .. ; back and forth across the electronic high planetarium and can cue the stars to end between the Mazel Tov way, what with packing, moving, unpack Shabbat. ing, and generally getting adjusted to life in a I have done Havdalah observances two new facility; not long after Carrie sent her different institutions, and both handled the become a "cheers." first manuscript to me, an article about the fees in the same way. The group was ...... "' ... 1'0 ...... Havdalah appeared in the September 1996 a flat fee to cover expenses, and aU my activi When I had finished my part, issue of Sky & Telescope, written by comet ties feU under that flat fee. the ceremony proper. He of the hunter David Levy. You may wish to look When we sat down to chlon~o$l[raph the up that feature after reading through Carrie's Havdalah ceremony with members of the experiences. Jewish community, I was the charm and symbolism of the different ele ments. Jewish ceremonies tend to at sunset, making the observation of the Sun important. The significant elements of Havdalah are the wine goblet and a In the past, scientific activities and reli box filled with spices, and a candle with gious ceremonies were often performed in many braided wicks. Each element has its the very same structure, be it thatched hut own symbolism. or ziggurat. We think of Stonehenge as an The wine is used to see out Shabbat, as it ancient Druidic temple, but we also think it was used in Kiddush, which is the ceremony was a great stone calendar. The Pyramids, that begins Shabbat on Friday night. while housing the spirits and souls of depart Kabbalistically, Jews are to receive a second minutes after sunset. ed kings and queens, also had windows that soul during the Sabbath. After the departure When the three stars ap1De(lre~d. pOinted to stars. Even our National of this soul at Havdalah, the remaining soul began the of the wine, Cathedral in Washington D.C has a is comforted with the of and the candles. The dome was transltofJrned rock from the Moon embedded in one of its the spices we smelL It was also written that with the magnificent stained glass windows, reflect- after the first Shabbat, Adam struck two Vol. December 1997 Planetarian Havdalah. at the reflection of the candle on our IIBaruch atah, Adonai Elohenu, melech ha finJ~ennaijls. The reminded us of the sep olam, borei p'ree aration between dark and and we "We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of could even see the half-moons of the finger the Universe, who creates the fruit of the nail, reminding us of the Moon's vine." in telling time and in lighting the night. and will make a circuit thlt'Otllgh "Baruch ata, Adonai Elohenu, melech ha Traditional Havdalah songs were sung, sometimes oo:w'rirlg olam borei minay vesamim" and sips of the wine were taken. As the cere summer. One can imlagilne "We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of mony concluded, the wicks of the candles observing sunrise-sunset the Universe, who creates all kinds of fra were extinguished on the plates where some as opposed to winter! grant spices." of the wine had been poured. We stood in Ramadan is the ninth month of "Baruch ata, Adonai Elohenu, melech ha darkness for a few seconds, and I brought the calendar, and it ottJ.ciaHy olam, borei me-orei ha-esh." cove lights up slowly as the ceremony was young crescent moon is visible "We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of ended. We all exclaimed "mazel tov" and Therefore it is for Ml1Sl1m:s the Universe, Creator of the lights of fire." "shauva tov" (good week,) sang some songs, determine on what the moon "Hamavdil bein kodesh lehol, chatotenu and generously partook of the vast array of ble. It would be easy if the Sighting hu yimchol, zarbeh kchol, vechakovim bal edible treats to be had outside the planetari aHa." um. "May God who separates the sacred from the profane, forgive our sins and make us secure and as numerous as the sands on the In contrast, the Islamic month Ramadan shore of the sea and as the stars of night" features a complete fast, including When the candles were lit (only one per from sunrise to sunset for the entire lunar family) we all cupped our fingers and looked month of Ramadan. The feasting INPUT 5EAM APERTURE: <2.0mm 54 Plane tar ian Vol. l1li fronted us with a considerably bill for I mailing costs. Instead of using your dues to cover these costs, we felt that we should find this enormous support from the European our data can to cover these costs - so thanks to a gener informed about any ch'ln~~es, ous support from Carl Zeiss Jena, a the form included (or manufacturer of optics for Space- and Earth site) Thank based astronomy, we could provide this Included with this 'Christmas for you (and in return also include a your IPS Journal sticker and a promo-page for them). I thank up(latt:~d copy of both partners for these Christmas gifts and mati on brochure. do hope that we can continue to p01tentiaJ IPS members additional mailings like that with future issues of our journal. IPS Like NASA, the support from ESA goes beyond providing material for us. In my last message, published in ,,,,,,nt-<=>,T'n_ ber, I mentioned that we are working on making video graphics from ESA and NASA sion) - Have you ever of waking up ._ in member artists? the future? available for IPS members. We have Well, indeed every time we go to sleep we collected a number of Betacams and are in can envision that and we do not regard that the process of preparing a for as spectacular. distribution at cost in the for- Please be reminded that time mat(s). In order to get this going, Martin short for in the re~::i.stJratj.on Ratcliffe (now in Wichita, Kansas) and I act as IPS'98 in London! Betacam-collectors for that (Martin for NTSC and I for PAL and conversions to/from PAL). for this Watch out for more announcements. Now envision you wake up ... in the year now we are in the process of setting this up, 2004! That is exactly what the European so please allow us some time. Space Agency's probe will NASA's JPL and STScI continue to provide ence after sleeping onboard NASA's Cassini a variety of excellent slides from the mis mother and at Saturn's moon sions to Saturn and Mars and from Hubble Titan. for our network of IPS Media Reps. In addi What will the scene be like tion, a select number of slides from the by then? Is this as difficult to predict as the ly successful German X-Ray-Satellite ROSAT scenery on Titan? Wen, at least for IPS we will soon be made available for distribution know that there will be an all new team of via these regional IPS Media to all IPS IPS officers - and that we may convene in members who subscribe to that service. Chicago that year. That certainly won't mat ROSA T -Slides will include ...... ,'uE> ter for Huygens, then a billion kilometers images of supernova remnants, clus away, but it will matter for the public aware ters and even comets! Special thanks to Prof. ness and excitement we and our followers Trumper, the 'father' of that satellite, and his issue, and each affiliate rep has will be able to create for journey team at Max-Planck-Institute for Extrater into the primeval of a Lost World. restrial Physics (MPE) in '-' ...... ,...... , .. Several'Good Night Stories' can be Munich for his support of IPS. Remember, told while this adventurous space probe hur even after more than 11 years in orbit, dles through the darkness - and many more ROSA T is still operational, and new missions have to be prepared under the domes world in which MPE is a key player (AXAF, XMM wide. Twenty-five years after Voyager, we and ABRIXAS) will continue to make this will witness the return to the Lord of the field and the images literally a 'hot Rings and we planetarians have all the for an of us in the years to come. opportunities and the obligations to be cre You can be sure that Kevin ative! IPS derful scout for new tec:hn.ol()glles To support this endeavor, IPS made This has been a very fruitful year in terms evaluation in the pl,me'tarlwn arrangements with ESA to include with this of IPS Publications. After the IPS Special contact him via email atkcscc.tt~:Yc(:.galte(:h mailing a poster and a brochure describing Effects Sourcebook and the IPS Resource Direc .edu. the Huygens mission. We are very grateful to tory 1997 (Yellow Pages), you should now His team includes ESA for that bonus which you receive at no also have received the brand new and con nent names: Rick Greenawald and .. ,,,~.,..>.,.,., extra charge with this issue of the Plane siderably upgraded IPS Directory of the McColman, Morehead Planetarium, tarian. The extra of this package con- World's Planetariums. A salute to my fellow Hill (North Carolina) the author 56 Planetarian umn Planetechnica. I am very pleased they ing relevant information about our agreed to share their insight for IPS and look sion and related issues. forward to interesting discussions involving With the IPS Job Information Service, our planetarians at facilities of all sizes. society is already providing for those Note: For a more up-to-date listing of com looking for a job in the planetarium field. mittee members, please check the IPS Web However, with the advent of new communi plcmetaIiaIlS a chance to receive site. cation tools like email and web sites we now tra.inilng on the use of new multimedia-tech- should take this idea to another level and become more active in this regime - for the Let us see how we can ~~r~~l~hv benefit of our membership. on an intemationallevel. We should I am convinced that we have to make accessible our society's rich treasury of expe To give just one example: Most job open to ings are already announced on the web, and rience to the younger planetarians and to those of us who have subscribed to dome-l (a those who consider entering our field of edu listserver maintained by IPS Webmaster tainment For accessing fresh creativity and Tom Hocking) will receive them automati view ~~,,~~,_IYY enthusiasm this will be of utmost impor cally, but still, a lot of IPS members may not The re-scaled committee will tance and may ultimately even be essential receive these announcement By Q.j-+-or~';H,~hY for the survival of our profession. renamed to IPS Professional Services, and Several planetariums have done pioneer collecting these postings on an IPS web page enlar~~edmi:ssicm should be to: and by quickly informing members who reg -research ing work in this field by offering internships and seminaries. IPS wants to increase the istered for that service via several channels - follow and document the awareness about these opportunities in our (fax/snail- /e-maiD, we can upgrade that ser vice currently based on snail-mail only. membership and encourage more planetari recommendations ums around the globe to set up such venues But there are more areas which have to be candidates and institutions re2~andinlQ: addressed: The profession of a planetarian is files and aPl)i1catilJnS for training and informing young people continuously evolving with technology and how to become involved in planetarium work. IPS can provide leads here by collect- new concepts about education and enter tainment. Do all employers know what the Call Craig Backot Bowen produ LJ. .. J.U,.Hf', programs, background to and coordinate aU viduals and to their instiolti<)fls wOlrk~;hc.psJ/selmilnaI·iesfor these ideas with the officers. with time and resources Steve Fentress, Director at Plan- etarimn in Rochester, New York, in this com mittee we now have two of Now, institutions who can look back at a rich ex- (and women) ferences, even in pelrleIlce with programs your and ours separate plane1:arians from around the the time you will This endeavor needs a fun team; it cannot Within that context, Steve will continue up caU" we be handled one person. to the IPS Job Service. I feel very that David Menke, Watch out for announcements on the Director of Buehler Planetarium at BCC in web and in our More committee domes or Davie, the ch,air:manslhip members will be recruited by Steve and Dave Christmas for this committee. His and his (check the IPS Web site and dome-l for late- our Star. continued is a very simple reason would get burned very, very to prove it (filmed for the Bill Nye Science looked into firewalking very tn'OH)mml PBS television Although I can When you see and hear about these guarantee you that no one, not even the fire who pay hundreds of dollars to take a self- gurus who claim they have arrtazilng seminar (e.g., Tony Robbins), powers to protect their feet, would walk a firewalk at the end of the weekend, what across a hundred feet of burning coals. There you don't hear about is all the with (Dome, continued from page 54) the Sun has reached its apex and is U'-J;'ULUU.LjI<, to decline. The decline is determined in length of a gnomon's shadow. The who are to determine the local dhur prayers must be completed within a ing of the new moon. reasonable time, for the afternoon prayers Luckily, I am able to reach for the emi must take between the times after the nently handy Astronomical Calendar of a gnOIrlOTIl'S shadow is the Guy Ottewell and the issue is soon put to the gnomon's shadow at noon rest. I have never been asked to the of the gnomon, and before the shad- phenlomlen.on of the new moon in ow is the of the shadow the or to do a program about noon twice the of the gnomon. . the moon's but I have in mind to Sounds a little cornplex? introduce the to the Islamic communi- The of the calculations is to ty for next Ramadan, which takes place at focus off the Sun at the apex the end of December. (Last Ramadan other spot, which ended in January of this year, so there will be attention to it rather than to Allah. two Ramadans this year, according to the this calculation, is it any wonder that solar calendar.) There are many aspects of Arabs were astronomers? Islam that are astronomical in narure. Ramadan begins by the Moon. To sum up, the connection between Muslims are very reticent to begin or and astronomy is not of historical end any ceremony by sighting the interest, but can be of pf()gr,am,m,ltic Sun. When Islam there were compet cal interest to inside and outside ing Sun-worshipping religions, and a strong the dome. We know the Christmas ~~·4-;H;4-" distinction was made between Islam, the star show is the one thing we can count on "true religion," and an others. Worship of the to bring in crowds, we've an tried to Sun was to be avoid~d at all costs. That is ,-",,-uuuu the range of that n", ... t-.£,l1 I ",r why their five obligatory daily prayers are to into a more multi-cultural event. We've be done within specific time frames rather done bat and bar mitzvahs, and than when the Sun is on the meridi even some unconventional activities. We aU an or horizon. have our anecdotes. I once did a Christmas For the adhaan (caU to program for an "alternative" caned for dhur (the noon is peI'for'mE~d "The Way." were Christians who fol- 58 Planetarian 411 ago-eager to jump into computer graphics, distinct object, which can be indlepemientlv but too "green" to even know what ques stretched, distorted and filled with nlca tions to ask. Well, let's see if we can sort out without disturbing the some basics. fill-colors of the other A lot of folks are confused about just Computer Imaging which type of graphics software application gram as something a bit like a stack of is best for a particular use. I know that I was. layers with spaces in-between, and Basi After toiling with conventional hand-draw drawn objects akin to pieces of ings for the first couple of years or so in pro elastic band that can be nl::lCP(l-()np ducing illustrations for this column, I decid layer-then positioned and shaped indleplen ed I'd better try doing some graphiCS work dently of the other objects. In this :::'''''011''''<1'''' Richard McColman on the computer. Not knowing what else to the eye of the viewer would be Morehead Planetarium do, I started out producing my technical line-of-sight perpendicular to, and in illustrations with the cheap little painting of, the stacked planes of glass CB #3480 Morehead Bldg. application that came with the Microsoft In this way, it's easy to how University of North Carolina Windows. Boy, was that a mistake!! Not only object can be separately created and matnilDu Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3480 was the program cumbersome to use, but I lated without affecting the others. This prop found myself struggling with editing and erty has distinct advantages when cr€~atin£ correcting line-art images that ended up simple, raw images-particularly line-art illus Computers have permeated our work, our looking merely clunky despite hours of trations. The computer "sees" these vectof homes, and our very existence (at least it monkeying around with them. objects as separate mathematical eQllatiofls seems that way sometimes). And they make What I didn't appreci our lives easier in a lot of ways-as long as ate fully at the time is they're working. Among the capabilities of that computer graphics these digital devices are whole new methods come in basically two of slide production in the planetarium. glass plates categories-vector and Given the right hardware and software, plan bitmap. (The digital (seen edge-on) etarians can benefit from new imaging imaging experts out methods and productivity found in the digi there will consider this tal domain. And we can produce slides statement an over-sim- which are far superior to what most of us plification, but it's an could hope to create in a computer-less envi appropriate one to begin ronment. Whether you have a modest with, I think.) Construc- machine capable of producing only simple tion of technical art or line-art diagrams and typography, or a line drawings is much screaming monster that can readily handle better achieved using even the biggest high-resolution photo-real vectors, rather than pix- istic images, computers can help immensely els. in the production of still images. First, a disclaimer. I'm not a professional Vectors:::: Draw graphic artist, nor do I pretend to be. Like Figure 1 most of us in planetaria, I find myself wear Vector-based software ing a number of hats-even if they don't fit is usually referred to as a all that well. The great thing about computer drawing program. Exam graphiCS programs is that they can help nar ples include Smart row the gap-if only just a bit-between legiti Sketch and CorelDRA W. mate artists, and those of us that merely Rather than starting out aspire to be. That's not to say that great tal creating a few lines, rect ent and style will be magically bestowed on angles, and ellipses for you by merely sitting down in front of a an illustration only to machine with a graphics software applica find that none of them tion. But a well-designed piece of drawing or look right together and, painting software-complete with an array as a result, eraSing all or of impressive and easy-to-use "tools"-does parts of the image and reduce the level of artistic "technique" need starting over (as must be ed to get started producing and manipulat done in an purely ing quality images. pixel-based paint pro The biggest problem I've had working my gram), a drawing appli way into digital imaging is understanding cation allows you to some of the basic concepts peculiar to the take an entirely different computer-graphics universe. Though I still approach. In it, each have a lot to learn about digital imaging, rectangle, ellipse, or there may be some of you out there who curve you create is-and find yourselves where I was a couple of years remains-a separate and Figure 2 Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 Plane tarian 59 technical illus :: trations, and even simple color art like cartoons-draw ing programs usuall y require only modest computing power. Likewise, graphics created with such appli cations can re- side in relatively small files, often Figure 3 only a few dozen kilobytes in size. Black and-white drawings can be vector output to a to rasterize good black-and annoying "stairsteps" or "ia:ggi.es"'-J:>ar1ticl,llar white inkjet or ly when displayed on large scale or at lower laser printer and resolution-and as we mentioned then shot onto drawings are often more cumbersome to edit Kodalith film at when using a paint application. In fact, the the copystand. preceding illustrations in the article were cre And graphics ated in a draw program, but converted to with color lines bitmap for compatibility with the editor's and fills can be software and computer Fortunate satisfactorily ly, at this size and resolution, the printed with don't suffer horribly.) In general, a great deal color inkjet and Figure 4 of computing power is needed to handle photographed, bitmaps-particularly large, or output to a ones having pixels into the hundreds film recorder at lions of different colors in a a service bureau. And bitmaps have traditionally (The service large amounts of disk bureau MB or more per high-resolution color assumes that However, some in recent their software years using data compression routines, have can read your allowed for smaller file sizes, draw program's diskette-storage/transport and Internet file format. If transmission of photo-quality We'll not, most examine these a bit later. ics packages Whether you want to reproduce or mani- have a variety of images from Hubble, file-format spaceprobes, or Earth-based observatories export filters so figureS regardless of whether scanned, from you may be able disk, or downloaded off the Internet-then to convert the you'll need to use a paint or nnot()-elcm:ln2 which define the objects' shapes and sizes. drawing to another format compatible with application. There are lots of neat you The act of resizing, reshaping, or even delet the service bureau's requirements.) Keep in can do with such a program, even if you ing one object is easy, and has no effect on mind, however, that commercial service don't have an artistic bone in your For the other objects in the drawing (Figure 2 bureau fees for slides from disk typically run example, you can easily cut, paste, and and 3.) The order of objects can even be $5 to $10 per image, U. S., which can be an changed to place certain objects in front of, re-scale astronomical images of the Earth expensive proposition if doing more than (Figure 6) and other planets (Figure 7) to cre or behind others (Figure 4). Once you get the just a handful of images. hang of it, it's simple to create effective and ate photographic-quality size The downside of vector-based packages is either on a single slide 8), or with professional-looking line drawings-as in the that they aren't suited for images having lots solar system graphic in Figure 5, which took multiple images which will be of detailed tonal and color variations, like simultaneously from different plrojlEctors. me less than five minutes to create. photorealistic images. For those types of Besides being great for line art and accom Bitmap graphics can be output to slide images another graphic type is the solution. using a film recorder at a service bureau, panying typography-~uch as diagrams, 60 Planetarian Vol. December include the Com mated motion. puter Graphics Since they contain bitmaps-in aO(lltllon Metafile (CGM) and to vector components-metafiles the Windows Meta 3D counterparts are often file Format (WMF). other downside is their This development Someone used to working with only helps the graphic or only bitmaps, at a given moment artist deal with art learn to think about both "'U~".. U~"'AA'-'V·""'''A work in a single, when working with metafiles. 3D unified graphical particular, are more difficult to work work environ than simple 2D line or bitmap ment. On the even 2D metafiles, so for the most downside, are only recommended for use metafiles-because graphics professionals. they contain a greater number of Managing Different Formats data combinations Anybody who works with wi thin a single will quickly notice that graphiCS files come Figure 6 image-can serve in a wide variety of disparate and in<:or:np'lti to further compli- ble formats. In fact, someone has observed which as stated earlier, can be expensive in cate the cross-compatibility between differ that this "digital cacophony" is due to "too large quantities. Alternatively-and more ent computer programs and hardware plat many graphiCS people with too much time cheaply-images can be successfully repro forms. on their hands." Actually, their are good rea duced with surprising photographic quality The metafile concept has carried over into sons for some differences in file types, in that using some of today's higher- resolution three-dimensional photorealistic modeling each is intended for a different task and use color inkjet printers and special high-quality and imaging. In such graphics, 3D vector just as average folks drive passenger cars, paper. I understand that a number of plane models of objects are created, onto which are while construction workers drive bulldozers. tarians have begun printing photo-quality painted colors and textures. In addition, vir But there is a lot of needless duplication in bitmaps and transferring them to slide at the tuallights are introduced, along with a virtu image-file types, to be sure, usually due to copystand with results that are quite good. al camera Altogether, this type of graphiC is companies who insist on creating their own (Remember, though, that the ink cartridges referred-to as ray tracing. Examples of 3D ray proprietary formats. This chaos has generat for these printers can be a bit pricy, too, and tracing applications include Ray Dream ed a whole mini-industry for graphics-for printing full-color images depletes their ink Studio and Bryce 2. By controlling the scaling mat translation applications. pretty quickly.) and position of the virtual 3D objects; as well Logically, vector formats aren't directly Having paint and draw programs that you as the number, placement, and diffusion- or compatible with bitmap files. And, of course, can export/import between-by translating point-source-characteristics of the lights, and metafiles and their 3D ray tracing cousins fall file types-can be useful. Sometimes it works the position and lens-selection of the virtual into a couple more mutually-exclusive cate best to start work on more complex original camera, a dramatically photorealistic scene gories of file types. But it gets much more artwork using a draw program, then export can be created. The advantage of working complicated than that. Within each of these the file to a bitmap format which can be this way is that the inclusion of 3D vector groups can exist several, or even dozens of, read by your paint program and finish up by components allows repositioning of any or incompatible formats, making life that adding the more subtle and intricate details all elements, so multiple variations, angles, much more difficult for graphics aficiona in that graphical environment. On the other and scene perspectives can be created easily dos. side of the coin, some of today's graphics without generat application suites have tracing applets that ing an entirely can read a bitmap with simple elements new piece of art for (such as a black-and-white illustration) and each new image. In turn it into a vector file with which you can fact, this concept then work in a drawing program. This is use forms the basis for ful to remember since each type of graphiC much of the has its own strengths and limitations when imagery now seen it comes to image manipulation. in TV shows and the movies-such Variations as in Babylon 5 and For the purposes of simplicity, we implied Jurassic Park earlier that vector-based images and bitmaps though in these are two distinct and separate categories and cases a great many that they comprise the entirety of the digital sequen tial still graphiCS realm. While this may have been frame manipula true a few years ago, the situation has be tions of the virtual come a bit more "fuzzy" of late. For instance, 3D scene are re a third category of graphic, the metafile, has quired to get just a emerged, which combines both vectors and few seconds of ani- Figure 7 bitmaps into a single image. Examples Vol. 26, No.4, December 1997 Planetarian 61 be quite characteristic that can present lems in transmis sion over the Inter net or storing on a floppy. To deal with this "' ... '''hlo...... a number of data- rou tines have been developed for a few of the file for mats, some of which are more efficient in certain situations than in Figure 8 others. Some of the Between draw and paint categories, draw most TAT1.rilalln .. ·" .. ',r'I files perhaps have the least cross-compatibili bitmap formats and their major characteris ties-not only between applications, but also tics are as foHows: between computer platforms. This is less - BMP, which is the most common problematic when the same company's format used in Microsoft Windows software. applications reside on two different types of BMP files may be monochrome, or have 16, computers (as long as you have a Mac-PC or 256, or 16 million colors. However, BMP is lit PC-Mac diskette "translator"), but cross-com tle-used beyond the Windows environment. patibility between two different pieces of - GIF (Graphics Format), vector-art software between a Mac and a PC which was developed by the commercial is a major problem. In users who need to bulletin board service The trade digital images between computer plat major advantage with GIF files is that forms very often must translate vector files use an effective LZW file-compression into one of the more popular bitmap for- rithm, making them for transmis mats. This can create if the second sion of images with a modem. a party needs to re-scale or one or bitmap into a GIF, you can typically reduce more objects which resided in the vu...... u.uu the file size to about 25% of the graphic. Even if the second party runs the uncompressed through a GIF is de~;igrled turn the image back into vector art-there can be complications. In these scenarios, a single curve with a measurable thickness in the original art is usually traced into two curves with a color-fill between. Un"''''''''~'~ and in this case can be more diffi mat. GIFs are for black cult as the resulting two curves must be and white images-especially line art. Color altered independently, but somehow kept space and astronomy GIF the same relative to each other. Where two widespread on the Internet, althoul!h lines crossed in the original, the Dlrm,:m format may overtake GIF's nn.nll1~ ... an ped-and-retraced version can be a major as time goes on. Many grclpnllcs aptJlicatic:ms chore to manipulate. This would be roughly for both Mac and PC can handle GIFs. akin to redrawing a simple roadmap-not (Joint Ph()to.graphilc with a single line or curve corresponding to format, which like GIF, is each road-but instead having to redefine Internet transmission and each of the intersecting roads by redrawing on limited disk space. However, unlike GIF, pel:fojrmed, since it's its two parallel curbs, but without crossing ]PEG excels at real-world Here are the results (in KB): any curb-lines of the other roads. fun-color images, as it is a full 24-bit (16 mil JPEG IIO'I'JP<:;t-ml~111tv C()ffilpresision) Bitmaps probably have better cross-appli lion color) format. And it can cation and cross-platform compatibility, but accomplish this with an average 20:1 watch out for those file types. data-compression ratio. However, because of When sharing files, try sticking with one its (which is which is widely used by both Macs and PCs, de~iigrled to take advantage of certain percep like TIFF, GIF, or JPEG. Once remember tual characteristics of the human eye), fine TIFF (uncontlprlesse:d) that higher-resolution color files can line art and typography don't reproduce wen TIFF (cornpr1essed) (For in a of artwork 62 Plane tar ian Vol. when ,PEGs. The "standardized" JPEG scale of" 0-to-l00" has an almost lO$I~antn- mic !l;.JT.::I-.-rn.-nl·'''' ty curve, in fact. At around 1/90" the is almost exactly the same as that seen in the II lOO-ver-. sion", the file-size is about twice that of the LOu/eST-anali ty version. But the 9 from 90 to 100 certain conditions. As you can see, there's a bit of differ- inflates the file ence in the file sizes. The unco]npressed files size another four- to five-fold. (But let me won't fit onto a standard disk at all, caution that the 0-to-l00 scale is based upon nor would over the a convention which isn't fol- Internet when lowed software cOlmr:~anies. line). Only the files are ics applications their milmlge'able for transmission or transport, so that a middle-value is the "'n',ln'·"'I",.,....-1- our aforementioned "90- value", and may and even some of those would take a lot of these gratphlics not be the same as the middle-value in time to transmit a modem. (Even soft focus. I-iA1d-lln'>-i-£>lvy another package. Also, some appH.caticms the files take up less ics software available nO'walr1rn,,<:. reall y confuse things room for data storage, it's to these ty-scales end-ta-end, "0" the remember that these will balloon to first their sizes when loaded in a quality and 1/ 100" the lowest. In Corel RAM and on your Photo-Paint 5, for example, the scale monitor. In other words, even if you can is even further confused. In that program, shrink the down to the scale goes from 1/2", for less than 100 KB on your or hard disk to 1/255", for lowest. So always exoelrinlerlt with the in your ",,~,,"';;r••• ' .,- you must have RAM in your com program and compare the results before puter to handle its 4.4 MB llnrn1"Y'l,.,.,.""" .. £,rl size, as wen as the memory needed to handle ...... ,#t-'~,u ...J;;. a strategy for your system and soft How do JPEGs achieve such fantastic ware.) file-size As mentioned "magic" is in the tools. al$l[orithm. which takes !:IrI'tT'Jlr...... ,'T~ In the softness that the human eye is much more "''''' ....'''+I-.Ud> tered in these to variations in than differences in color-hue. This allows the ]PEG press hue-data much more Dn4~n1:ness data without any discernible But, ~'-'-.UH.1\_a,U coxnpres:sed gr;;lptlic5-file counterparts. Even is only about two-thirds the size of the PCX (the closest in my test). But the format looks even better once it's understood that the the high- size) is almost .... .1>.,...... 1.,'1-11'<;;;. in my ment, the 1"111",1;1-",+-:,,,,,£> difference between the 615 KB Voyager version and the 91 KB one is or otherwise JPEG try to convert it imlis1:inl~uilshab].e. For that reason, The JPEG group suggests that you almost anlDttler. "loss-less" 24-bit format-like TIFF never set the value to maximum or T ARGA-for or other Once you have finished your No.4, December 1997 Planetarian tion, and the color of individual to be hundreds of different colors. As be executed. The els in qUlestJionl-miaking the is with-and pear. MaltcJhinlg the and it's seen at a small .... u'VU,F.u a cinch, as many scale, the simulation can often be UU.''-4'AUL..... "e'Ted_rolDP~~r tool" which It all on the ,...<>,r"l"1I'"'111,::O ... match a how it will be displayed. an part of an In addition, resolution is a critical factor that identical color Obviously, the that make up a of a you come across ear size, the better the differ~ent and may present dif puter monitor a .... l1'''H'~HJ';c:.:>. Good software pa<:kages more lines of resolution than, say, NTSC video, so too will a still digital image will bet to clean up ter viewed at a given size if it con tains a greater number of pixels. But will affect how an appears to the eye. It's not un- common for plametaI'ia!lS to 35mm slides with 100mm to(~al-"If>lrH!ltn "real universe" can contain finite amount of information means that be an appr<)Xilm,(l- In such cases, a T1:.1''''''''11_ tion of the real (That's one reason lar slide converted from a JPEGs can get away with such a radical com ess4entiaHy trick the fewer than 1000 pixels across-or what it's accustomed to see colors with be accept- nrr-,,,,,,,; is there.) So how much able, while others may not hold as well. However, when such an is then pro- information is necessary to off the illu sion? Well, there are three factors that must thJ~OUlgh a 35mm lens, it is malgnitied be resolution, and about another two-and-a-half times, and the resulting projection will be much less to "hold-togethee' in the eyes of the audi ence. that are "sliced and own. diced" for aU-skies using software ThenewcoJmplutler1~raphics colors. For "natural" will several times greater resolution us. It can add great imaging pV,>'HL'U"~'L" stilL Since area increases via the the mOideITI p_LanetanU1n-·evE~n tIe details we encounter in our """U,p1"(;,rl<>,, """1<>1"''''_''1"111'::01'''' law as linear size increases, lives-human faces, animals, a country meadow, for come up short apparent that the comput- of the color information needed for dis- power really balloons as size (and with it, effective resolution) im:reases. bh'-a<:CUlra1te n~pres~~ntation. However, for some space this 256-color limita tion may be somewhat less pf()blerrlaticaJ. To be sure, there can be a loss of some subtle ty with a smaller color However, there are many that evidence only minor losses of image For exc:am])le, there are only so many variations of red, brown, and orange in enhanced-color and false-color Voyager of Jupiter. The difference between 256 and 16 million colors sounds like a lot, and it often is, but remem ber that color details seen close-up in a you can bitmap actually are combinations and juxta- with very small bitmaps and all but the most positions of a of pixel-colors c01nplex vector on machines with SlOe-r)V-~SlQe. GIF images can also enhance around 16 MB RAM, the this effect through a process called "dither- bltm2LDs-alofU! with memory ... ",rI111-,.",rl . This increases the selective pl;;LCemt~nt gr21phlics software and computer operat of different colors in adjacent pixels to fool mandate 32 to 64 MB of the eye into "seeing" colors that actually to get stared ~A7f"\"""'1n 64 Plane tar ian continued from page 21) local organizing committee to ensure that the breadth and depth of the Delegates' attempts to teach the universe to their local demography are represented in the confer ence program. With collections numbering in excess of 30 million specimens and artifacts, forty exhibition halls, one of the world's largest natural-history libraries, and over a century of experience interpreting science for the public through exhibition and educational pr()gI'anlmml~, the American Museum of Natural History itself has vast resources that can serve the conference and its participants. The nearest hotel, the New York Hilton, is just two kilometers away from the Museum. (A pleasant 20 min ute walk along Central Park or an inexpen sive taxi ride). Hotel room costs are approx imately US $165 per Registration fees are still being estimated, but we expect them This image shows a cut-away view to be approximately US $250 to $400. new Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Center The Museum would also like to conduct completion by the year 2000. Polshek and Partners Architects. several panel discussions on contemporary issues that affect with to unmatched opportunities for add-on travel. stoned streets, and Bohemian air; be determined on the interest of Manhattan, the core of the "Big " is town and the Theater District, most conference delegates, the Museum will orga a place of villages and neighborhoods, gra for their hotels, office ...,UJLAUlLALJ;.", nize post conference tours of the Museum cious and lively, each with its own distinct and world-class restaurants and of New York, drawn from among the charm and character-from the thlrllcti''''ff is cleaned up and many items discussed below. monoliths of international commerce that much-needed to Harlem, Why should you choose New York City as dominate Wall Street and the Financial the world-famous the site of the International Planetarium District; to Chinatown-the air heavy with ton and soul food. Society Conference in July of 20027 New dialects and enticing aromas; to Little The flash of New York's gH1ttering York City is an intriguing and diverse city. warren of narrow streets; to the Lower East whether seen from the Promenade More than a million a year to and Side, where of every race and or from the deck of a from our three major our outstand- na1tlOltlallty have made their first stopover; remain etched in your T"n':'rn,",,1"U local options (getting to Soho and Tribeca, which have been trans Thomas Wolfe said in 1935 (the toulnam$.!: is a breeze); 24-hour formed into thriving artistic communitiesi year of the A ...... ' ...... H service (want a meal or need a com to Greenwich with its 1960s blazes like a magniltioent puter at 1:00 A.M.?); 17,000 restaurants; and elegant brownstones, cobble- of sea and earth and stars./I shortcut. John McClintock of Mt. Gilead, Ohio, suggests he is the few (if not the amateur astronomy gour(mE~aals. At this year's Ohio state of the GLP A, Jeanne Bishop pre- his Gourd Central, for more information on dried sented a paper that suggested ways to enhance a "Drinking Gourd" that are available for pUlrcllas le. program. One of her techniques was incorporating real gourds that Gourd Central is at 7264 S.R. 314, Mt. Gilead, OH 43338. The she had grown from seed, dried, and cut into water It is one 419-362-9201 and the fax is 419-362-6446. Their web site, cornplete thing to try to ten students what a drinking gourd is; it is quite anoth with and is at er experience for them to hold and manipulate an authentic dipper dcentral.com. throughout the program. Two months ago, Gourd Central's stock of grown I was so impressed by Jeanne's prop that I tried growing some Dipper gourds was because the harvest had yet gourds myself this summer. Let it be clear, I have no green thumb; come in. In addition to American (available nonetheless, the gourd plants were wildly successful. The biggest grown and as seeds), they have decorated African Two problem was containing them, as they grew over 20 feet long, over African dippers will be at the GLP A conference this the fence, up the neighbor's trees, etc. I'm now drying three huge Cleveland gourds. And this is just from a few seeds. You may want to consider You can Handled seeds (item NA56) from in the The grown can be harvested Pinetree Garden Seeds at Box 300, New Gloucester, ME 04260. upon their return to school in the fall. Genuine ..... AJU".. '''u./S Telephone orders are taken at 207-926-3400. Fax orders at 207-926- make 3886. Or check out their web site at http://www.superseeds.com. If you away from having to grow your own gourds, here is a - Chuck Bueter ([email protected]) via the In1:enlet Vol. Delcenn[H~r 1997 Planetarian that seems like a country estate, except that ladder at the posltlon we're in the heart of the city of Washington, new telleScoDle. D.C.! Apartment buildings, busy streets, and businesses surround this site. Most people don't know that the Vice President of the United States lives on the grounds of the Naval Observatory in a very nice mansion-like place. No wonder the secu rity seemed stringent as we entered! Goeff sometimes sees Vice President Al Gore ging around the grounds. During the Hale-Bopp comet mania of 1996 and 1997, Alan Hale, co-discoverer of the I recently took two photographs of Goeff comet, came to D.c. to talk about his discov Chester, a planetarian at the Air ery. Among other engagements during his and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. In visit, on one particular evening, he was a spe my first photo, Goeff is standing underneath cial guest at a reception held at the Naval a long row of 8"xtO" framed photographs. Observatory. Goeff, newly hired, was told to Each photo is of a different person, one per come, too. Vice-President Gore and his wife, son per photo. The photo directly above Tipper, came to the reception [maybe Goeff's head is of one of his relatives from just wanted to see what was going on at the astronomy. "What several generations ago. top of the hill in the neighborhoodJ] . stars that makes an im;agi:naJ~y Goeffs not related to any of the other peo In the casual atmosphere of a recep1tiolt1, the teacher asked ple in the long row of photos. Each photo is people drifted throughout the secured areas One student "a co:nsterrlatilon.!" of a former administrator of the US. Naval of the building. Goeff found himself stand from National Public Radio br()adCa~;t: Observatory in Washington, D.C., and the ing in a long hallway with Mrs. Gore. photos are mounted along a long hall at the "Well, Goeff", she said, at his observatory. Goeff used to be at the Air and name tag, "ten me about this." 1/ Astronomer available. Who Space Museum; he's now employed at the Goeff looked to see what Tipper Gore was know that can you the Naval Observatory in the office of public examining. It was a recent Hubble of and the stars and then deliver?" relations. Goeff is grinning in the photo, per an exotic deep-space object. Goeff from Jane Ha:stirlgs' maHba.g: haps wondering if there is a planetar explaining it, in simple terms. Suddenly Vice students who have attended nlametat-hllm ian/astronomer gene that gets passed along President Gore was at his side. As Goeff lessons: from generation to generation! paused in his explanation, V.P. Gore took -"Dear Tom Callen, planetarian at Kosmorama over and gave a very credible of nice class we Space Theater in Stockholm, Sweden, George the complex processes unveiled class liked the stars Hastings, Starlab at the Mathe marvelous Hubble Space ium was matics and Science Center in Richmond seemed very familiar with that Virginia, and I were being given a tour of the image. observatory facility by Goeff. It was after When he finished \-AIJ-I1UUUJ.1,"; to his wife hours, at night. We were the only people Tipper, Mr. Gore looked over at Goeff there. It was a warm, still summer evening. said "Well, Goeff, how did I do?" Lots of stuff happens here at the Naval Goeff replied with earnestness, Observatory. There is ongoing astronomical ''Mr. Gore, anytime you want to over and research (Pluto's moon Charon was discov 'CAIJIGU.U things to our visitors, you will be ered here). The Observatory determines the exl:relnelly welcome!" standard position of the moon, planets, As Goeff told us this story, he nhU;f"'lll1~I:.., earth, and other celestial objects. The Master relished the opportunities that this new Clock of the United States is there; time is afforded. "Now," he said,"come with me. I've determined to a billionth of a second. There saved the best for last". We followed him are several domed buildings. One houses a through a maze of corridors and stairs until at least 26-inch refractor which was used to discover he stopped in front of a door. As he unlocked ======the moons of Mars, Deimos and Phobos, in it, he said, "I'm still a planetarian at heart. I 1877. haven't left the dome yet!" The US. Naval n"'II:Pl'U!'ltnl'U is located on We entered a domed room which houses a beautiful wooded acreage. It's amazing to 12" Alvan Clark refracting "It's all mann fora tions of relOc;Hllt1g. enter the security gate from Massachusetts mine!", he joked. My second photo of Goeff Ave. and immediately be thrust into a place from that evening shows him on a mittees were pn~SeJlted. 66 Plane tar ian Vol. A planetarium is a spectacle, an event, but above all a tool which provides amusement in the service of knowledge. To meet all these needs, RS AUTOMATION INDUSTRIE, thanks to its specialization in automation, has developed a complete range of planetariums, all designed to provide a specific and immediately operational solution. COSMODYSSEE II ROVING STAR SN 95 SN 88 II The portable A planetarium Just like a planetarium on the road grown-up ::::: R.S. AUTOMATION ••••••••• Z.1. de la Vaure - B.P. 40 - 42290 SORBIERS - FRANCE Tel. +33 4 77 53 30 48 - Fax. +33 4 77 53 38 61 ANNOUNCING STAR RIDER W komc to the next models. (\Imost 30 rear:. of experience has made us dirnl'llsion in dome ('xpcrls at imag(' generation \('dmolog), ,lIld d:llabase presellt,lIion SYS(CIllS. erc.lt iOIl. [\ 's :I]SO allowed us \0 make St.1r Rider technology St.lrRidcr" from [v.ms & ll\UTe open, so you Gin integrate video. slides .mel Digist.lf I[ Su thcrhllld gives you the ability to show full-domed. ckmcll\s into your show. You can e\'en ere,lte j'OUT own full -color, fully itlleracliv{' 3· D environments in }'Ollf models using popul;u software tools like MultiGen and l'xisting dome facility. This nU'Jm your ,Illdicnce isn't Photoshop. [n short, SlarRider i~ ewrythi ng you could ;mt learning "bout the universe, they're cxploring it- W.Ult in a domc presentation .),Slcl11, and like nothing in TI.'.ll-time vi.1 Evans & Su therland image gClll'ratof:., )'ou'n' ('vcr seen bcforl'. sc.unlcssly via Ev;ms & Suthcrl.md projcclOrs. and For more information, illll11crsivdy via Evans & Su thcrl.md cuStom and <.'xi:. ting call 801 -588-1000. EVANS & SUTHERLAND