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So You Want to Build a Planetarium

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So You Want to Build a Planetarium So You Want to Build a Planetarium © 1994 by the International Planetarium Society CONTENTS Introduction...4 What is a Planetarium? ...5 Why Build a Planetarium?...6 Deciding What Kind of Planetarium to Build...7 Who Will Help in Planning? ...9 Questions to Ask Before Making Decisions ...10 Checklists for Planning...17 Glossary of Planetarium Terms ...24 Bibliography...31 ACKNOWLEDGMENT This book would not have been possible without the dedicated work of the Planetarium Development Group, under the Chairmanship of Kenneth Wilson: Elmer Bataitis, Peter Kohler, Gary Lazich, James Manning, Michael Murray, Sharon K. Parker and Dr. James Sweitzer. Please send any questions or comments about this document to Ken Wilson at: [email protected] INTRODUCTION The words "planetarium" and "space theater" conjure up many different images to many different people. Much of this is due to the wide variety of facilities that call themselves planetariums and space theaters and to the almost equally wide variety in the operating modes of those entities. Individual perceptions of what a planetarium is also vary with the time of first encounter. This is largely due to the considerable evolution that planetariums have undergone since the first modern ones were invented in the 1920's. Often the initial decision to establish a new planetarium and how to go about it rests with a key individual (e.g. an administrator, museum director, school superintendent, etc.). This booklet is designed to help such a person get off to a good start on such an important project. In what follows you will find: a brief overview of what planetariums are; some reasons why they are established; what some of the key decisions are in planning a new planetarium; who can help you in the planning process; and, where to go for more information. This booklet was produced by a small committee of the International Planetarium Society (IPS), the only world-wide group of professionals working with planetariums. We hope that our many years of experience will be of help to those considering the construction or renovating of a planetarium. A more detailed guide is being planned, which will be designed to help individuals with direct supervisory involvement with the design and construction of a new planetarium, but in the mean time, Checklists and Questions to Ask may act as a summary to its contents. WHAT IS A PLANETARIUM? Today the word planetarium can refer to several things. It can mean a special projection device designed to recreate indoors the appearance of the stars and planets. It can also apply to the room housing such a device or the building containing that room. Modern planetarium projectors date back to the 1920's when the first such device was designed by Dr. Walther Bauersfeld and constructed by the Carl Zeiss company for the Deutsches Museum in Munich. In the 1930's planetariums started to appear in the major cities of the world, nearly all of them using projectors made in Germany. Most planetarium programs were little - more than lecture-demonstrations by an astronomer in the planetarium chamber. By the 1950's and 60's new planetariums boomed. Many of the smaller facilities became possible due to lower priced planetarium projectors made, by the American company, Spitz. Spurred on by the space program, the 'Rate of new planetarium creation peaked in the late 60's and early 70's, but has continued vigorously through the 1980's and early 90's. In recent years the design of new planetariums has been marked by sweeping changes and improvements in planetarium technology. Now most programs in larger planetariums are totally automated, require banks of special effect projectors, and feature a variety of state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. The opportunity for new and innovative planetarium design has never been greater. Just as the technology has changed, so has the potential for new and imaginative programs. Though most planetariums devote their energies primarily to astronomical shows, it is now possible to present programs on nearly any topic from the inside of atoms to the pyramids of Egypt. One hundred years ago the frontier of human exploration was at the poles of our earth. Today, the new frontiers of human exploration lie far beyond the earth, extend through our solar system, across interstellar space, and reach out to galaxies billions of light years away. We can still experience adventures in this realm with old technologies like the printed word. Unlike a hundred years ago, however, we can now simulate these distant environments and let people see what it's really like to be there. Modern planetariums can be simulated space ships, staffed with knowledgeable tour guides so that the ordinary citizen can explore the wonders of the universe. WHY BUILD A PLANETARIUM? Planetariums have been established for a variety of reasons; some of them not always stated. A few have been built solely as useful tools for teaching celestial navigation. Some came about primarily as memorials to rich and/or famous people. Others were designed as unique attractions to draw visitors to a museum. Still others were intended from their inceptions to serve as multimedia theaters for a wide variety of educational and entertaining programs. Perhaps the best primary reason to establish a planetarium is to provide a community a place where people can enjoy a guided journey of exploration through the vast cosmos to which we all belong. Never before have humans known as much about the universe as we do today. Never before have we acquired new information about the universe as quickly as we do now. Yet, at the same time, never has the general public been so ignorant about even the basic facts of celestial science. Hence the need for planetariums as front line artillery in the battle for science literacy has never been greater. The educational role of the planetarium is enhanced by the ability of the stimulating planetarium environment to inspire enthusiasm for science; awe at the marvels of the universe; and new perspectives on our world and civilization. In this sense a planetarium is of no less cultural importance than a library or museum. Perhaps the poorest reason to build a planetarium is to make money. Very few, if any, planetariums generate more money than they cost, when all the direct and indirect costs are taken into account. Neither do most libraries nor museums. The point is that these educational and cultural institutions are not, by nature, for-profit businesses - at least not in the monetary sense. The 'profits' that they generate are more enlightened citizens who live more enriched lives. To their credit, however, many planetariums can and do recover large portions of their operating expenses from ticket sales, facility rentals, gift shop sales, and financial grants. WHAT KIND OF PLANETARIUM? Never before has there been such a wide range of options in planning a planetarium. At one end are portable planetariums costing less than US$ 10,000 (1992) and staffed by one person. At the other extreme are multimedia theaters seating several hundred people; staffed by a dozen or more highly trained specialists; and costing several million dollars to build. Between the two ends of the planetarium spectrum lies a wide range of possibilities. How do you decide what you need, what you want, and what you can afford? To begin with, if you're not very familiar with present day planetariums, this would be a good time to visit several planetariums to see first hand how they function. If you have no idea of what kind of planetarium you'd like to build, visit a wide variety. At the very least try to visit one each of the following: • A portable planetarium with an inflatable dome. • A school based planetarium. • A medium size (dome diameter 30-50 feet) public planetarium. • A large public planetarium (dome diameter greater than 50 feet). Talk with the directors and staff of the planetariums you visit. Most are quite friendly and willing to help. Please keep in mind that these people are often very busy. It's best to call in advance and make an appointment. If you need more than a half hour, offer to compensate them as consultants and schedule to meet outside of normal work hours. The more facilities you visit at this stage and the more questions you ask of experienced planetarium professionals, the easier and better informed will be your key decisions. If you already have some idea of the kind of planetarium you would like to build, visit those which are similar in size, location etc. There you will find ideas you hadn't thought of for making your new planetarium better. Equally important, you will learn of important pitfalls and dead ends to avoid. The IPS maintains a directory of planetariums all over the world. We highly recommend that you obtain a copy of this to aid you in seeking out the right planetariums to visit. Once you have a good idea of why and what you're going to build, it's time to find answers to some important questions: • Who is your target audience? Is it college students, senior citizens, girl scouts, tourists, families, or some combination of all of these? • What geographical area will your new planetarium primarily serve? • How will it serve your target audience (e.g., small group live shows or large general audience shows, etc.)? • Will the planetarium space be used solely for astronomy education, or will other multimedia programs also use the space and equipment? • Will the facility be in a fixed location or will it travel to its audience? • How many people will the planetarium serve at any one time and in the course of a year? • How will the planetarium be staffed and maintained? • How will the operating expenses of the planetarium be funded over the years? • What sources of funding are available for initial construction? It is far better to address the above questions early on in the planning stages than to wait until they become problems later.
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