Vol 9 No.3 Autumn, 1980 the PRESIDENT's MESSAGE
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\~ .. ~'. '~. V , . .< :... > ,.... · . .' · . ' - , • (1,0 . - ..," , In This Issue FIFTY YEARS WITH THE PLANET PLUTO Cl yde Tombaugh 6 THE PLANETARIUM AND YOUNG CH ILDREN'S ASSUMPT IVE PHILOSOPH IES John R. Ne vius, Jr. 10 A COMMERCIAL MESSAGE Frank R. Engler, Jr. 12 PRECESS ION, CHANGING STAR POSITIONS Hubert Harber 16 A RESPONSE TO AN AS T ROLOGY STU DY APPEARING IN Th e Nationul Enquirer Gary Mechler, Cyndi McDaniel, Sleven MulbV 19 "A STATEMENT BY JA MES MICHENER" NASA's Report 10 Educators 26 FEATURES: The President's Message James Hooks 2 Leiters and Announcements 3 Wh at's New James Brown II Focus on Education Jeanne E. Bishop 13 Sky Notes Jack Dunn 21 Creatlve Comer ("Planet Building for Fun and Profit"by Jim Manning) Herb Schwan/. 22 Astronomy Resources Hi story of Astronomy Resource Cenler Provides Valuable Services [0 Pl anclarians George Reed 25 Jane's Corner Jane P. Geohegan 27 VoL 9 No.3 Autumn, 1980 THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Dear Member: The Biennial International Planetarium Society Convention was a success! This was due to the great efforts and tireless work of the Adler Planetarium staff, Dr. Joe Chamberlain, President, and a host of speakers including fellow planetarians that presented papers on every subject matter relating to the planetarium profession. It was at this 1980 convention that I read a letter addressed to you from the President of the United States of America, President Jimmy Carter, and it is also included in this journal. As I have stated before, Planetarians are unique. There is probably more diversified knowledge among planetarians than any other society and it is our goal to promote and increase the students' and the public's understanding of Astronomy, the Sciences and the Related Arts of Literature and Music and to give insight into the future of this, our fragile earth on which we live. It was during this convention that your President met great old friends and met an astonishing number of great new ones. If you felt that your President was tired and exhausted at times-then you saw it as it really was. Yet, at no time did he try to skip his obligated duties. He actually looked forward to them and he continues to do so. It was during this 1980 convention that your executive council received Dr. Henry King into Honorary membership into our society. There was also a constitutional change approved by the council concerning article II of our Constitution. You, the membership, will vote on this in the near future. There will be in the mail as this goes to press, an The nation of Mexico has a lot for it and a International Planetarium Society Special Survey lot to be proud of. The Mexican people are unique conducted by Mr. Charles Hagar and Mr. Lee Simon. I their greeting "Buenos Dias! " (Good Morning!) and urge you to fill out the form as completely as possible. always reply "Bueno pais! 11 (Good Country!). Mr. Lee Simon has indicated this survey will further our How can an individual be honored so much? And professional status and give us vital information on a large again, Mr. Juan Escayeda of the Mexico scale. Planetarium with his beautiful family (his wife, two sons If you are not getting the International Planetarium ages ten and eleven, and a daughter nine years Society Newsletter, please let me know. It has much escorted us out of Mexico City the Pyramids material that you may need or use. This is a very useful Teotihuacan. We visited the Street of the Dead, The newsletter and it gets bigger and better as time and events Citadal, Temple of Quetzalcatl, and climbed to the of continue on the increase. This is produced by the the Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon, and a fruitful efforts of Mr. Dave Batch. We thank you, Dave! of other temples. It was a most unforgettable eX]perlence, Your President had a golden opportunity to visit not only to visit at first hand astronomical places of the Monterey, Mexico, and it was an opportunity to see the past, but also to visit with a family that you will never high degree of professionalism among the Planetaria in forget for their friendliness and kind manner. I only Monterey, not only in Monterey at the Alfa Cultural that some day I may do the same for them. How Center, but also in Mexico City. Your President met again could you repay?! with Mr. Guillermo Aguilar of Monterey. He was shown If you did not read thoroughly the last Plane tarian hotels, civic centers, restaurants, and a planetarium issue, you may have missed a great article by Dr. cultural center that is unprecedented for its type and Grey Hooks Shurr, guess who this is?! Thanks, purpose. Mr. Gerado Primo Villereal gave a tour of it again. audio-visual production that would make Kodak proud. It was from the planetarium and cultural center that James A. Hooks he was flown to Mexico City to meet with fellow President planetarians, and they too, are great friends. There was In tern a ti onal Planetarium ~f"l1"1 "'_Tn Fernando Oviedo, Director of the Mexico City Planetarium a very fine facility with a painted mural never to be forgotten. 2 The 7980 Survey of the World's Planetariums the Planetarium Institute. All planetarium directors are this comprehensive undertaking. of the Uuestlonnai of the previous survey a large envelope to: C. F. Director ::In,>t::1lrilll'YI Institute Department of Astronomy and Physics San Francisco State University Volume 9, Number 3 San Francisco, CA 94132 Publication Date: 7980 We hope to receive all evaluation and analysis this participants near the ned of 1980. The PLANETARIAN ISSN 0093-3213 the Inter- Chairman. International Planetarium all reserved. was happy to see the appearance of my two resource PLANETARIAN STAFF 1980 Planetarian, which reached us You did a text. hope planetarium educators will the lists useful. Executive Editor I was rather to find that you had deleted Pub'lic Schools references in both lists and to include the customary 75 36th Street the original journal of pUblication this case Mercury). was also sorry MI 49508 address is not given in articles so tnat people with SUl!l!estiOllS additions have no I would "r",r",ri,,'rt> Director, to these Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Approaches list is Mt. San Antonio College the pseudoscience bibliography is Walnut, CA 97789 Both are from Mercury, the Associate Editors: Astronomical Society the Pacific. and Terence Murtagh (British Isles) be sent to Andrew Fraknoi, 24th Avenue, 94122. Jacques Dumas, Sig Wieser (Canada) I hope you understand that I'm not just justifiably Dennis Simopoulos (Europe) worried about the copyright question and just Maximo Lacro, (Far East) communicate with me on the articles themselves your readers a lot more difficult. I'm still happy you E. Bishop, James Brown Jane P. Andrew Fraknoi N. Hartman, Executive Officer The Astronomical of the Herbert Schwartz 1290 24th Avenue (United States) San Francisco, OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY A handy guide to national amateur is free of charge from the Astronomical According to a survey just r'lllt~li<:hprl Mercury, approximately 15,000 are groups Whose main aim is to promote and enjoy ::l<:tlrnnn.rt1I\1 Several of these groups have local Donald S. workshops about telescope William lectures and share information D. David Executive their members by mail and hold annual ("""'Plni'i,">nc Secretary, Abrams Planetarium, few organizations sponsor active nr(ll!Jr~lm<: stars and other objects which Michigan State University, monitor on a regular basis. East Lansing, M I 48824 As part of its work to inform the Walt Tenschert, Treasurer and Society of the Pacific {an non-profit educational Membership Chairman. making copies of its survey and directory available to Addresses, main activities, and publications are listed for each To obtain a free copy, please send a legal-size, self-addressed For missed numbers, circulation envelope to: information, membership, and Amateur Guide library subscriptions, write to: A.s.P. 1290 24th Avenue Walt Tenschert, Member- San Francisco, CA 94122 ship Chairman, Thomas Jefferson High School, 6560 Braddock Andrew Fraknoi VA 22372 Astronomical Society of Pacific CHANGE OF ADDRESS information should be to the Member- Chairman. .Hrr,oCT.,.,n in the summer issue and a shower of electrical be modified, audience was bemused the is still overlooked. ominously-approaching moon-or should be of interest to all the inexplicably falling out of the Christians are interested in inevitable sotto voce nrr,1-.,n.t'.DC of ews, in particu jar, live show, of feel barred from the month of regain sufficient composure to December. coherent, if strained, There of fascinating subjects that are of astronomical event just witnessed. interest to life in the universe, our days! sun, etc. should stick to those astronomical not Christmas show devoted to a sectarian In the Creative Corner of Vol. 9, No.1, Gary Finley states that "conventional zoom projectors" do not have zooming a and variable drives." In the First it is not true and technical accuracy, I wish to projectors do not correct the AZP zoom projectors-to the orginal gets larger. For several made a few minor contributions many patented zoom both of these features. lens is automatically the AZP is achieved by means zoom up. the zoom function instead of This in whereas if the temperature remains constant wherever zoom. Second most conventional zoom am aware of do not they use just the uses, the of operator, can at to suit the effect His automatic to the "rc.cc>,nrClT' in the gate.