PLAN ETAR IAN Journal of the International Planetarium Society Vol. 25, No. 2, June 1996

Articles 6 IPS Committees: A Status Report ...... Jim Manning 8 Minutes of the IPS Council Meeting ...... Lee Ann Hennig 11 Results of the 1996 Members' Questionnaire ...... Keith Johnson 13 Financial Report ...... Keith Johnson 14 Outer Space Never Sounded Like This! ...... Roy Kaelin

Features 17 Computer Corner: WorldClock Lite ...... Ken Wilson 20 Focus on Education: What's Your Limit? .. Stu Chapman/RusseH Waugh 23 Regional Roundup ...... Lars Broman 27 Book Reviews ...... April S. Whitt 32 President's Message ...... Jim Manning 36 What's New ...... Jim Manning 39 Forum: Entering the Profession ...... Steve Tidey 42 Planetarium Memories: Circus Popcorn Sawdust ..... Kenneth E. Perkins 44 Gibbous Gazette ...... Christine Shupla 47 Planetechnica: Shaft-Couplings ...... Richard McColman 52 Mobile News Network ...... Sue Reynolds 58 Jane's Corner ...... Jane Hastings " l1,c ZKPJ ;'\' jalltastic ... It IJrojec/x Ih e 11/ 0 0 1/ phases wilh (l rea/ism I 'lel 'a kllew Iw .'is ihle ;11 a plalletarium. l Is .wllIller sh e opells lip Ih e .~ k)' 11111£'1, beller for III tl1l)' .\'/lldellis. I dOl/ 't have to 1I'0r,)' about poillliug Ollt Sirius. all(/ 1I(1I1iug IIlI(f l /i e cla .~s flllable (() see ",/t al I 'm PO ;U(;Uf.: to . ..

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170 E Kirkham Ave , St. LOUIS, MO 63119. N ew Orlean s Sales Office:1-BOO-726-BB05 Fax:504- 764- 7665 em ail:[email protected] The Planetarian (ISN 0090-3213) is published quarterly the International Planetari:um Society. ©1996, International Planetarium SOciety. Inc., all reserved. Opinions expires sed e by authors are personal opinions and are not necessarily the opinions of the Int(~rnlitional etarium Society. its officers, or agents. Acceptance of advertisements, announcements, or 1 25, N . 2 material does not imply endorsement by the International Planetarium its officers agents. The Editor welcomes items for consideration for publication. Please consult (or reQue~ltJ Ju e, 1996 "Guidelines for Contributors" printed in the September 1995 issue. The Editor reserves to edit any solicited or unsolicited manuscript to suit this publication's needs.

IN EX F A ERTISER ASCC -Systems Los Ang'ele5, caHfomlla (1) 213-664-1181 work phone Bowen Productions ...... 818-708-7314 home fax Commercial Electronics Ltd...... [email protected] Davis Planetarium ...... East Coast Control Systems ...... Hansen Planetarium Evans &: Sutherland ...... cover 15 South State Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 USA Goto Optical Manufacturing ...... (1) 801-531-4949 Joe Hopkins ...... (1) 801-531-4948 fax [email protected] Laser Images, Inc ...... Miami Space Individual: $40 one year; two years Minolta Corporation ...... cover Institutional: $150 first year; $75 annual renewal NEOS Technologies ...... Library Subscriptions: $24 one year Direct membership requests and changes ofaddress Orlando Science Center ...... to the Treasurer /Membership Chairman R. S. Automation ...... L Seiler Instruments .; ...... cover To receive word of new position openings in the field, send up to six Sky-Skan, Inc ...... self-addressed stamped envelopes to: Spitz, S. Fentress, Director Strasen burgh Planetarium P.O. Box 1480 RQ(=he~;ter, New York 14603 USA sociate ors

Jon U. Ben Kenneth P"",r1r1nco Available from: )DC~nl.ni! the Dome Planetarium Me~m()rt~~s Charlene Oukes IPS Back Publications Repository Jeffrey H. Bowen Sound Advice Strasenburgh Planetarium P.O. Box 1480 Lars Broman Christine v ...... ". .lJla Rochester, New York 14603 USA

A cumulative index of major articles that have Steve appeared in the Planetarian from the first issue Forum ...... '''' ...... the current issue is available on paper Jane G. Hastings Ken Wilson ($12 ppd) or disk ($5 ppd) from the Exec. Editor. Jane's Comer COlm1!)u1ter Reviews Richard McColman June: April 21 Planetechnica September: July 21; December: October 21 Jim Manning What's New http://home.earthlink.net/-jmosley/Planetarian

Vol. 1996 Planetarian President Executive Secretary 1998 Conference Chair Elections Committee Cbair:man Jim Manning Lee Ann Hennig. Planetarium Undine Concannon Steven Mitch Taylor Planetarium Thomas Jefferson High School Planetarium Administrator Benedum Natural ~'lpnl4"p Museum of the Rockies 6560 Braddock Road London Planetarium Center Bozeman Montana 59717 USA Alexandria. Virginia 22312 USA Mruylebone Road r,_._'"-_. __ Park (1) 406-994-6874 (1) 703-750-8380 London NW 1 5LR England .U""'U"'"",, WV 26003 (1) 406-994-2682 fax (1) 703-750-5010 fax (44) 071-486-1121 (1) ":>U"l~-~'hl-'\i-U':~q. [email protected] [email protected] (44) 071-465-0862 fax (1) 304-243-4110 fax

President Elect Treasurer and Membership Historian/Photo-Archivist Thomas W. Kraupe Chairman John Hare Awards Committee Forum Der Technik ·Planetarlum Keith Johnson Ash Enterprises Phyllis Museumsinsel 1 Fleischmann Planetarium 3602 23rd Avenue West The Adler Pla:netarilUIn D-80538 Muenchen University of Nevada Bradenton, Florida 34205 USA 1300 S. Lake Shore Gennany Reno, Nevada 89557 USA (1) 941-746-3522 '_d ......

1.. S .. Affiliate

Association of French-Speaking Great Lakes Planetarium Assoc. Nordic Planetarium Association Russian Planetariums AsI~ocll.ati.en Planetariums Susan Reynolds Lars Broman Zinaida P. Sitkova Agnes Acker Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Broman Planetarium Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium Planetarium Strasbourg B.O.C.E.S. Planetarium Ostra Hamngatan 1 Pokhyalinsky S'Yezd 5-A Universite Louis Pasteur P.O. Box 4774 8-791 71 Falun Nizhny Novgorod. 603 001 Rue de L'ObselVatoire Syracuse. New York 13221 Sweden Russia 6700 Strasbourg. France (1) 315-433-2671 (46) 2310 177 8312-34-21-51 (88) 36-12-51 (1) 315-433-1530 fax (46) 2310 137 (fax) 8312-36-20-61 [email protected] lars.broman@plru. .. etarium.se Assoc. of Mexican Planetariums http://www.nnn.se/om/tc-npa.html Ignacio Castro Pinal Great Plains Planetarium Assoc. Southeastern Phln«l:tal~iwrn Museo Technologico C.F.E. April Whitten. Business Mgr. Pacific Planetarium Association aden Apartado Postal 18-816 Mallory Kountze Planetarium Jon Elvert John Hare CP 11870 Mexico City. D.F. Mexico 60th & Dodge Streets Lane ESD Planetarium Ash Enterprises (52) 55-16-13-57 Omaha. Nebraska 68182 USA 2300 Leo Harris 3602 23rd Avenue West (52) 55-16-55-20 fax (1) 402-554-2510 Eugene. Oregon USA Bradenton. Florida 34205 (1) 402-554-3100 (1J 451-461-8227 (l) 941-746-3522 British Assoc. of Planetarium. [email protected] (1) 451-687-6459 fax (1) 804-266-7966 fax Undine Concannon [email protected] [email protected] London Planetarium Italian Planetaria's Friends Asso- http://www.efn.org/-esd-plt/ Marlybone Road ciation Southwestern Association London NVV1 5LR.E~d Loris Ramponi Planetarium Association of Planetariums (44) 071-487-0227 National Archive of planetaria Canada Dorma Pierce (44) 071-465-0862 fax c/o Centro studi e ricerche Serafmo Ian D. Cameron Highland Park Ind. School Zani Lockhart Planetarium 4220 Emerson Council of German Planetariums via Bosca 24. CP 104 500 Dysart Road Dallas. Texas 75205 USA Dr. Erich Uebelacker 25066 Lumezzane (BreScia). Italy Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 (1) 214-523-1836 Planetarium Hamburg (30) 871861 Canada (1) 214-522-4515 Hindenburgstrasse De 1 (30) 872545 fax (1) 204-474-9785 [email protected] D-22303 Hamburg. Germany (1) 204-261-0021 fax (49) 40-514985-0 Japan Planetarium Society [email protected] Ukranian Planetarium. (49) 40-514985-10 fax Dr. Tadao Nakano. Director atien The Science Museum of Osaka Rocky Mountain Planetarium Dr. Alexander P. Lenin European/Mediternmean Nakanoshima. Kita-Ku Association Republical Planetarium Planetarium Association Osaka 530. Japan John R. Peterson, RMPA President 57/3 Krasnoarmeiskaia Street Dennis Simopoulos El Paso ISD Planetarium Kiev 252005 Eugenides Planetarium Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society 6531 Boeing Dr. Ukraine Syngrou Avenue-Amfithea Fred Stutz EI Paso. Texas 79925 USA (44) 227-51-66 Athens. Greece 302 Beechgrove Court [email protected] (44) 227-51-66 fax (30) 1-941-1181 Millersville. Maryland 21108 USA (30) 1-941-7372 fax: [email protected]

Produced at the Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, California

http://www.home.earthlink.netrjrnosl ey1P1anetarian/h tml

4 Planetarian Vol. am interested in either general topics and/or we had in India only 15 years back. J:gtters specific commercial offerings. had a solar eclipse on the 16th of \..'<>1-"'11''',." I appreciate your experience, and thank 1980. The deserted state of the roads Ideas Wanted you for your help. time-a curfew-like situation-became If you had a brand new planetarium in an T. Scott Bryan nomenon far in mclgnlittlde area that has never had one, what would you Director, Victor Valley College eclipse itself. Credit for ch,mging goes to (now 26 in India), do? Planetarium 18422 Bear Valley Road Victor Valley College, in Victorville, Cali­ Victorville, CA 92392 USA organizations, science and fornia, is building a Zeiss ZKP3 planetarium phone (619) 245-4271 ext. 324 major part to the two government-con­ as part of a large new science building. The fax (619) 245-9745 trolled Doordarshan (Indian equipment should be installed in April with [email protected] Network). Last time the TV advised the training sessions in May and project comple­ pIe not to watch the event and tion in July-August 19%. indoors, whereas this time it not The college is committed to making this a Eclipse and Eclipse Programme screened a number of curtain-raiser grammes covering the various aspects true "space/science theater" for all levels of The solar eclipse of October 24/ 1995, the eclipse (including measures), but our community, which has a population of path of which covered some densely popu­ 250,000+. The college Foundation is working lated regions of northern India, generated a made elaborate to televise to provide additional financial support, and great deal of enthusiasm and interest in the event on the National Network. To match this enthusiasm we at the M. the planetarium will be a priority target of a student community as wen as in the com­ major fund raising campaign that will start mon masses. Huge queues could be seen Birla Planetarium v .. i""...... , ...... in February 1996. Therefore, it appears that before the M. P. Birla Planetarium at Calcutta Seminar on the total solar money for program and support material of the seekers of the Safe Solar Eclipse 1995, and we also screened purchases will be available. Goggles manufactured by a Pune (India) urn programmes. I devised two computer What we need to do, then, is make the based firm "Thirdwave." As the day of the programs, one for solar simulations and the other for generation of a "''''''_'''''-'''''''11" appropriate purchases. Obviously, lots of eclipse drew nearer, their interest turned to to meet the demands of students. programs are available, and I have loads of near hysteria. I had to call the police to con­ ideas. But what would YOU do? trol the crowds when our stock of 35,000 interested in these programmes can directly to me. If you were in my position and if you goggles was exhausted in just five days. More Piyush Pandey, Assistant Director wanted to have a successful, high-publicity than 200,000 people thronged at Diamond "Grand Opening" presentation for the gener­ Harbour, near Calcutta, to watch the grand M. P. Birla Planetarium 96 J awaharlal Nehru Road al public, then what would it be? Given your spectacle. Calcutta 700 071 experience as a planetarian, what one or two The enthusiasm shown by the public this or three programs would you start with? I time was in sharp contrast to the scene that

FIRST ANNUAL ROCKWELL

The Griffith Observatory, In the interest of stimulating the flow of information between ~"'ion·ti~if~ and the public, proudly announces the sponsorship by Rockwell of a new annual articles in astronomy, astrophysics, and space science.

The stipulations are as follows: II Awards will be made on February 1, 1997, for the articles which best communicate to the average material of current historical interest in astronomy, astrophysics, and space science. II Articles must be a minimum of 10 pages and a maximum of 15 pages in length, typewritten. in English, double-spaced, and accompanied by a brief bioQraphical sketch of the author. At least two finished, ink diagrams. or tographs, ready for publication, must be included. The author's name and title of the should appear only on a cover and not on the pages of the article itself. II The cash amounts of the awards are $ 750.00 First Prize $ 350.00 Second Prize $ 250.00 Third Prize $ 200.00 Fourth Prize $ 75.00 Honorable Mention II All articles must be postmarked by December 1, 1996. The contest is open to all interested persons (Griffith Rockwell employees excepted). II All winning articles become property of the Griffith Observatory. The winning articles will be published in the Griffith Observer. II Previously published articles will not be accepted. II Any number of articles may be submitted to the contest by one person, but only one prize will be awarded to a winning author. II Judging will be done at the Griffith Observatory, and the decision of the judges is final. Each entry is judged anonymously so that the author's identity is unknown to all of the judges. II Address all articles to: Awards Committee, c/o Griffith Observatory, 2800 East Observatory Los California 90027; (213) 664-1181 II Awards are made on the basis of clear and interesting style, accuracy, reader interest in the subject, correct originality in presentation and content, and neatness. Failure to meet the requirements on length, appearance, may disqualify an entry from consideration.

Vol. No.2, June 1996 Planetarian • '" IPS m I '" A Statu ep cial pubH<:atilon Planetarium. Current nrl... jp,rt-..: in(:Jude development of an IPS Home Jim Manning tion of a resource book, and rei.!isUan(:e Special Effects Handbook.) Taylor Planetarium Museum of the This committee is r1"""01,,,,,,.,,1i .... ,,,, Montana State University Page on the W arId Wide Web Bozeman, Montana 59717 net, to information on and its activities, with links to Much of the work of our Society is accom­ tions and to conduct elections of IPS officers, sites. (Members include Chair Tom HOCKIng, plished through the very significant efforts and any baUots submitted to the general Alan Gould, Thomas "" ...... i--.....' of volunteers serving on committees, toiling membership for vote, in accordance with on various projects and initiatives for the the procedures provided in the By-laws and benefit of the membership. At the Council Standing Rules. (The committee will be pre­ meeting in San Diego last October, we paring a slate of candidates for the year-end reviewed the status of all committees listed election which wiH be announced at the in either the By-Laws or Standing Rules, to business meeting in Osaka; the ballot will bring ourselves up to date on which were include several By-laws amendments as wen.) currently active, which weren't, and which should be. This review has continued since, Members: Steve Mitch, Wheeling, West Loris Brescia, and has induded the assembling of current Virginia USA, Chair Dale Smith, Green, Ohio committee rosters. Tatsuyuki Arai, Tokyo, Japan Gregg Williams, Merrillville, Indiana The situations and circumstances of our David Batch, East LanSing, Michigan USA Ken Wilson, USA assorted committees remain fluid and chang­ Jon Ben, Fort Pierce, Florida USA ing, of course, but this is their status as of late Anthony Fairall, Capetown, South Africa P'N'~:nn Committee April ... Johan Gysenbergs, Genk, Belgium Function: To plan and execute aU ~"'lI"~nlT"'_ Gabriel Munoz, Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico ments for (that is biennial) meetllngs 1) Standing Committees Martin Ratcliffe, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania subject to ratification USA These are the committees either listed in the ally, this committee is chaired Joyce Towne, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania By-laws, listed in the Standing Rules as al conference and m€~mbelrs U1CJUQ,e Standing Committees, or both. USA IPS officers.) Wayne Wyrick, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma MembenhJp Committee USA Members: Tadao Function: To solicit members, admit candi­ dates to membership, compile a current Awards Committee Ethics Committee membership list, coHect membership fees, Function: To administer the awards pro­ Function: To arbitrate on questiOilS provide a mailing list for any and all notices grams of the Society in accord with the pute between members and between and publications of the Society, and oversee gUidelines in the By-laws and Standing Rules; bers and their bodies. (The to recommend candidates for the IPS Service the IPS Packets for New Planetariums effort. vacant and the committee is nr<""olnH" (These functions have been carried out by Award, to accept nominations and deter­ Hve.) mine eligibility for IPS Fellow awards, to pre­ the IPS Treasurer for some time.) pare award plaques and certificates and to Pirumce Committee Subcommittee: IPS Packets for New Planetar­ make award presentations at the biennial Function: To determine expelnULIu,res iums. This committee prepares packets of conference. (The committee is currently pre­ to propose paring for Service and Fellow awards to be appropriate materials (induding local affili­ structure, to consider committee bUldg(~ts, made in Osaka.) ate contacts, the IPS brochure, resource and to create contracts addresses) and sends them to new planetari­ non-monetary as urn personnel. (Administered by Donna Members: Phyllis Pitluga, Chicago, Illinois (Traditionally, this committee is made of Pierce.) USA,Chair the IPS officers.) Tatsuyuki Arai, Tokyo, Japan Members: Keith Johnson (IPS Treasurer), Ole Knudson, Aarhus, Denmark Members: Jotmson, Reno, Nevada Reno, Nevada USA, Chair Treasurer Publications Committee Donna Pierce, Dallas, Texas, USA, IPS Packets Jim nHUH"Uil't, Bozeman, MC)fll:anla Chair Function: To administer and oversee the President publishing activities of the SOCiety, includ­ Thomas FJections Committee ing the Society's journal, the planetarium President-Elect Function: To solicit and determine nomina- directory, special publications as may be Lee Ann Alexandria, \n,"",;,,,,., issued from time to time, IPS brochures, and Secretary

6 Planetarian Vol. David Menke, Davie, Florida USA These are committees listed as ad hoc com­ Loris Ramponi, Brescia, Italy mittees in the Standing Rules which are cur­ Dennis Simopoulos, Athens, Greece rently or recently active or to be reactivated, Norm Sperling, Oakland, California USA or which are newly-formed committees. Planetarium Development Group (BAP) Function: To draw up recommendations Function: To administer the Eugenides Script from IPS members on the subject of building Outreach Committee Contest as provided in the Standing Rules. a new planetarium or renovating an old one, Function: To develop and foster contact (This committee and the contest have been with the gUidelines intended for architects, communication between IPS and inactive in recent years, but the committee museum directors, college and school system fessional and educational will be reactivated with the resumption of administrators, and others without much (This is a newly-formed committee the contest next year.) planetarium experience. (The committee working on ongoing contact with such produced the booklet So You Want to Build A nizations as the International Astrolnolmilcal Planetarium which offers a brief overview Functions: To examine issues relating to con­ and a list of questions to consider in embark­ sumer involvement with astronomy and/or ing on a new planetarium enterprise. The the planetarium field, including areas that committee expects to rouse itself again soon Institute, and is a may cause the public to be misinformed, to prepare a longer, more detailed guidebook "Astronomy Link" to a COlrlStlJtalticm (Past projects include the development of and to publicize the shorter booklet to its list of professional astronomers and reports on astrology, star-naming and similar intended audience.) for use by IPS members.) programs. The committee currently has no ongoing projects; one possibility is examin­ Members: Ken Wilson, Richmond, Virginia Members: Martin Ratcliffe, PHtstmr:gh, ing astronomy-related consumer products USA,Chair sylvania, Chair such as toys.) Elmer Bataitis, Rochester, New York USA Bill Gutsch, Kinnelon, New Gary Lazich,Jackson, Mississippi USA Representative Members: Jeanne Bishop, Westlake, Ohio Mike Murray, Bozeman, Montana USA Dale Smith, Bowling Green, Ohio USA, USA, Chair Sharon Parker, DaVie, Florida, USA Representative

Job Information Service Committee Function: To maintain a fund and use it to Function: To maintain a list of job openings Function: To monitor and in~lestiSl;ate further the ideas espoused by Armand Spitz. and to distribute this information as request­ ing and emerging tec:hnolclgi(!S (The duties of this committee are currently ed to members. may have an impact on plamc::~talliums, administered by the Finance Committee.) communicate on these matters to Members: Steve Fentress, Rochester, New membership. (This is a new comlTIltt wJgUage Committee York USA, Chair which has yet to be chaired and to Function: To explore the possibilities of work.) translation at conferences and publishing Portable Planetarium Committee relevant articles in languages in addition to Function: To help those interested in the use English, and to consider other language­ of portable planetariums and to provide a The following ad hoc committees are related issues. (In the past, this committee support system to assist portable planetari­ in the Standing Rules, but are preseI1ltly has been instrumental in getting the IPS bro­ um users. (The committee maintains tive and have been for some time due chure translated into a number of languages. resources induding a data base of users and of interest or viable ...... n.l"',..+ .. The committee is currently inactive and the specialists, curriculum and lesson materials, chair vacant, but the committee will be reac­ current mobile planetarium manufacturers, Public Relations. (Function: to "o"Yair''''' tivated shortly,) and low-cost special effects. The committee ods for publicizing and .,rI'u.,'''r...... last year co-sponsored the first European poses of the Society.) Meeting of Itinerant and Small Planetaria in Function: To compile and maintain informa­ Lumezzane, Italy, and is currently cataloging Planetariums and Science Crisis Committee. tion and materials relating to the history of its resource materials, preparing a proposal (Function: to draft a document on this the Society, and to collect and maintain a for a publication of educational materials photo history collection of IPS events and suitable for use in portable planetariums, Committee for the Exc:twl,R'eof Colmn::nmd- activities. (HistOrian John Hare makes peri­ and seeking contact people in each regional fos- odic presentations of the photo archive at affiliate.) ter communication between plametaI"iUlm conferences.) personnel and to Members: Sue Reynolds, Syracuse, New York ed in "twinning" (that is, es1:abUslh.irlg Members: John Hare, Bradenton, Florida USA, USA, Chair, (MAPS) tionship of mutual support).) IPS Historian and Chair Per Broman, G6teborg-Angered, Sweden Brent Abbatantuono, Winter Park, Florida (NPA) USA Dayle Brown, South Bend, Indiana USA and maintain a collection of piametar'imTI Steve Craig, San FranCiSCO, California USA (GLPA) scripts to be made available to IPS members Jim Hooks, Lumberton, North Carolina USA Michel Dumas, Le Motte Chalancon, France in accord with developed guidelines.) Don Knapp, Warminster, Pennsylvania USA (AFSP) (Please see Committees

Vol. 1996 Planetarian Soviet Union are still in a state inutes f the are having difficult times. need of materials, star and ...... A.n"u projectors, lamps, etc. Zina reports of support from officials outside IPS C uncil Meeting very helpful in the existence importance of Zina San Diego, California task of trying to ating under dire circumstances. October 13, 1995 Dennis Simopoulos of the EMPA di~cus.sed the upcoming Association '" indicates action items The report was reviewed and approved Astronomy Education to be held In attendance: The Treasurer's Report was presented, re­ on November 1995. He poj.nt(;~a President Jim Manning viewed and approved. Keith reported on the the need for a European Planetarium President Elect Thomas W. Kraupe effectiveness of a new credit card system pur­ zation. The attendees at the November Past President Bill Gutsch chased for the organization. It reduces the Astronomy Conference will address Treasurer Keith Johnson minimum monthly fee for Mastercard and of a pan-European association. Secretary Lee Ann Hennig Visa, and will allow us to accept additional Dayle Brown reported on GLPA's cards. The system will also enable the provide twenty-five sets of slides to plane1tar­ Aff:D..Iate Representatives: Treasurer to keep better records and make iums in Russia and the Ukraine. Association of Mexican Planetariums transactions electronically. Discussion fol­ Ignacio Castro (AMP AC)-Ignacio Castro lowed on travel support for Council mem­ liminary work Council of German Planetariums (RDP)­ bers to the off-year meeting. President Jim an organization uniting the ""...,,,,uu,,,u. Thomas Kraupe for Dr. Erich Uebelacher Manning spoke of the efforts of Dennis ing planetarians. European/Mediterranean Planetarium Asso­ Simopoulos in trying to find European sup­ Jon Elvert reported on the status of ciation (EMP A) - Dionysios Simopoulos port for Russian and Ukraine representatives their project to sponsor three plametarimns, Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA)­ to travel to the Council Meeting. Unfortu­ one each in the Ukraine, China, and Austra­ Dayle L. Brown nately nothing could be firmed up on short lia, by providing them with $100.00 worth of Japan Planetarium Society- Dr. Tadao notice. However, Thomas Kraupe was able to slides, scripts, and other materials. Nakano work with Zeiss in providing financial sup­ A discussion of the needs of "'+ .. '''''''rrii ....''y Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society (MAPS)­ port enabling Zina Sitko va to attend the San planetariums was initiated by Dennis Simo­ Lee Ann Hennig for Fred Stutz Diego meeting. The Council is grateful to the poulos. The general consensus was that Nordic Planetarium Association (NPA)-Lars Zeiss Company for their generoSity in sup­ although standard visuals and pr()je<:to:rs Broman port of the IPS Representatives. Because of critical to planetarium oP4~ratio:n, Pacific Planetarium Association (PPA)-Jon communication and time constraints, it was not overlook the importance of Elvert not possible to arrange for Alexander Lenin's duction techniques and ideas. Rocky Mountain Planetarium Association trip. *President Jim Manning will a:p):)OUlt The Election Committee (RMPA)-Sheri Trbovich for Bess Amaral Past President Bill Gutsch to chair a commit­ on behalf of Cha1r Tom Stec. Tom regl:etflLillv Russian Planetarium Association (RPA)­ tee to look into sources for funding grants resigns, and a new Chair will be apI)ointe~d Zinaida P. Sitkova for travel to IPS events. The Affiliates and/or by the President. Council discussed proce­ Southeastern Planetarium Association institutions are encouraged to help support dures relating to elections and nominations. (SEP A)-John Hare their representatives as much as possible-as *President Jim Manning that Southwestern Association of Planetariums the Standing Rules so stipulate. Council review the rules 2:0'vern1l1l2: (SW AP)-Donna C. Pierce Written reports from the Affiliates were elections reviewed. At the Oklahoma City Council cussed in Osaka. The nature of the amend­ Also present: Meeting, 1993, Council voted to dispense ments would be the creation of an ov€~rsi:l!ht Singo Kawakami- '96 Conference- Osaka, with the written reports and allow the committee, the inclusion of a certified Japan '/RegionaI Round-Up" in the Planeta:rian to lie accounting validation of eJe:cti.on.s, Jacob Aris- San Diego State student- Russian serve in its place. However, Council felt that the reporting of actual numbers of Translator there was certain information that should be membership to Council-the would Gabriel R Munoz- IPDC included in an Affiliate Report. *The motion go into effect at the next election. The was made and seconded to reestablish these motion was made by Dennis SirnopolulCIS, Aff.illates not in attendance: written. reports. Discussion fonowed on the seconded by Lars Broman and Association of French-Speaking Planetariums format and content of the reports. The mous]y. British Association of Planetariums motion passed unanimously. *The President The MelmbE~ip Great Plains Planetarium Association charged the Secretary to establish a form Johnson clarified yu.~;,;)U'.J.ui:l reg;a.rdlng Italian Planetaria's Friends Association based on input from the Council and dassesofme~mt)enihilp. Planetarium Association of Canada Affiliates. Reports will be sent to the aged to send timely up(1at~~s Ukrainian Planetariums Association Secretary by a set date and then distributed cerning changes of or p!anetarl1Llm to the Council. status. Affiliates and/or institutions The meeting was called to order at 9:00 Zina Sitkova of the Russian Planetarium want to consider Sp()ns;orlng a.m. by President Jim Manning. Assodatlon thanked everyone for making it for IPS membership if those nlane'tarllunlS The Seaet.uy's Report had been previous­ possible for her to attend the Council financially unable to do so on their own, ly published in the June 1995 Pianetarian. Meeting. The planetariums of the former Donna Pierce will continue to 8 Planetarian Packets for New P1a:neblrl:u.ms. Planetarian articles be translated into several 4. Sue Griswold offered the The Awards Committee Report was read languages and made available to the mem­ tarium, Place in aiUlott~ on behalf of Chair Phyllis PitIuga The Coun­ bership. The Publications Committee will Carolina as an enthusiastic host. cil considered nominees for the IPS Service also be consulted on the feasibility of setting S. Since the was Award. *A nominee was voted upon and up a Home Page on the World Wide Web. *A attend, a written invitation from accepted and win be announced at the motion to have the Page on line by January Lacombe of the Planetarium of Mc:m1:relll Osaka Conference. *It was requested that a 1, 1996, was made by Lars Broman, seconded was distributed for review and comment. list: of IPS Fellows be puhU.shed by Donna Pierce and unanimously approv­ The Council was most aPlJrec:ia1:ive The Publications Committee Report was ed. Details and formal proposals on new ini­ time, enthusiasm, and work that went read on behalf of Chair Undine Concannon. tiatives will be considered via the PresIdent's these presentations. *The March Issue Congratulations to Keith on getting the new News1etterand at the '96 Osaka Conference. Planeta:rian will include information IPS Directory out to members. *Please send The Flrumce Committee reported that the bids for the IPS 2000 Conference. corrections/additions/deletions to Keith. finances of the organization are in good Lars Broman will issue a formal invitation

Affiliates are encouraged to check entries for order. to President Elect Thomas .. "&,,,'-41-' .... , their regions and report changes. *Thomas The Program Committee report was pre­ the off-year 1997 IPS Council MeetUllg Kraupe requested that in the future Keith sented by Dr. Tadao Nakano and Mr. Singo junction with the NPA co:nte:rerlce, send Affiliates a copy of the IPS data base so Kawakami concerning the 1996 Osaka Con­ 22-24, 1997. Council voiced its aplpreciation addresses, e-mail and fax/phone information ference. The Conference will run from July for the graciOUS offer and a decision can be checked. '* An addendum to the 13 through July 16 with pre and post-confer­ made at the Osaka Conference.. D#rectorywill be published at the end of the ence tour options.The Council Meeting is The Committee was pre- Summer 1996. John Mosley continues to edit currently scheduled for July 10. Discussion sen ted by Chair John Hare. Council approv­ an excellent Planetarian. Lars asked if per­ centered on travel, facilities and budget con­ ed expenditures for a file cabinet to haps the Planet:a:ritm would be less expensive cerns. Conference attendees are urged to the archives. to mail internationally if we went to a work with the Kinki-Nippon Travel Agent to The Planetarium ue'veJ.op,m4mt lighter weight paper. *President Jim Man­ secure the best rates for airfare. A video on Report was on behalf of Chair ning will consult with the Editor and the the Conference is available to Affiliates to Wilson. So You Want to Build a PlImet.mium Publications Committee for more informa­ share at their conferences-con tact Bill publication is still available through Keith. tion. Chair Undine Concannon recommends Gutsch. *Council recommends that future Ken needs members to serve on his commit­ GLPA's Source Book as an alternative to pro­ Conference Hosts make a short video or slide tee as writers for a more COmlJre:henstve ducing an IPS Resource Guidebook. The GLPA presentation that can be circulated among Guidelines Book. Source Book is available to non-members for Affiliates. The Portable Planetarium Committee $8.00. *A suggestion was made that perhaps President Jim Manning reviewed Undine Report was covered during the Publications IPS could supplement the publication with Concannon's Report for the '98 Conference Committee Report. additional resources and international.refer­ in London. An early summer date is propos­ The Consumer All:am~1 AJ.m:c1!0J!~ C:Omlmlt­ ences and request a reprint from GLPA. ed Plans for the Conference are progressing tee Report was read on Chair Jeanne Discussion of the Specud Effects Handbook nicely. behalf. The Committee is still centered on the value and purpose of Considerable discussion followed con­ vide assistance in the battIe against astlfOlc)gy reprinting/updating this publication. *The cerning the time of year our conferences are and in educating consumers on the true consensus was to make copies of the present held. The question was raised as to why they story of the International Star Handbook available at cost and to produce are always in the summer. Other discussion Jeanne could use committee an addendum of new contributions includ­ focused on standards for paper presentations bers in dealing with this aspect ing tips from GLP A's publication. This infor­ and conference proposals in general. "'The our profession. mation could be a part of the IPS Home Page. President proposed that perhaps we need a The Information Service Committee The Portable Pltm.etarium Publication con­ Conference Review Committee from the Report was presented on Chair Steve sists of materials provided at cost to Council to more closely review and monitor Fentress' behalf. He reported that sixteen requesters. Chair Sue Reynolds will continue the incoming proposals. *Dennis Simopoulos openings have been reported since the last to review and catalogue requests for such a proposed including a survey in the Mem­ report in Cocoa. publication. The Publications Committee bership Dues Renewal addressing member A general review and evaluation of other will consider a formal proposal for such a views on preferred dates for IPS Conferences Ad Hoc Committees resulted in the follow­ publication when more details are provided -Council agreed. ing actions: There is a need for IPS *Membe:rsh1p Bro­ All Committee Reports were accepted. 'liThe Armand Fund is instrumental chures in other languages. We already have Invitations for IPS 2000 were extended in supporting the Universe in the C/Qssroom brochures available in several languages and through five presentations. publication (to be induded as an insert it was agreed that we should provide transla­ 1. Gabriel Munoz invited IPS to conference the December Issue of the This tions on an as needed basis. *President Jim in sunny Morelia, Mexico, hosted by Fund will now fall under the of the Manning will revitalize the Language Com­ Morelia's Planetarium. Finance Committee. mittee (consisting of international member­ 2. Robert Berdan and Brad Struble invited *The Contest Committee will ship) to work in concert with the Publica­ IPS to meet near the Canadian Rockies in reestablished under revised rules to function tions Committee to accomplish this job. The Calgary. hosted by the Alberta Science ""ft... rtiut>I,,, Dennis Sin:lot)Ollll.Os brochures should also include the nearest Center...... "' ...... of the ~Ugeinl(.I.eS local Affiliate address, with an insert con­ 3. Amy Singler presented Chicago's Adler Foundation to continue to sponsor a taining information on up-coming confer­ Planetarium invitation to meet in the contest, the must ences. Dennis suggested that selected Windy City in 2000. dearly stated and fonowed

Vol. No.2, June 1996 Planetarian * The Language Committee win be tures. Under New BU§1n4~ revived c. Submit to the Treasurer a final account­ *The following committees will be discon­ ing report listing all income and expen­ tin ued: Public Relations, Communication, ditures, within six (6) months of the end Improvement of Science Education, of the conference. Omkulum Projects, Script Bank. These com­ d. Organize and maintain all purchase mittees were deemed either inactive, obso­ orders, invoices, and receipts for one lete, or their functions duplicated by other year following the conference, for committees. examination upon request of the sion continued on other possllt>Je nrd.... ip,rh: *The President proposed the addition of Finance Committee. related to multimedia A letter of two new Ad Hoc Committees. *The Out­ e. These procedures will go into effect for was sent on behalf of IPS to NSF COllCe:rn- reach. Committee will be chaired by Martin the 2000 conference, and are optional ing the merits of a on Ratcliffe. The purpose of the committee is to and voluntary before then. tive Evaluation. The President's seek out and maintain contact with other Add Article IXc.t: stressed the of internationaliz- organizations for our mutual benefit. Com­ C. Council Meetings During Biennial ing the results. mittee member Dale Smith will be the IPS Conferences "'Council voted to lend our support Hason to the Astronomical Society of the 1. Since it is expected that Council Mem­ SOl to the efforts of As1trolnolrny Pacific Committee of Sponsoring Organiza­ bers will attend the Biennial Conference requested Tomlinson. tions. The ASP Symposium in Conege Park, regardless, there is no provision for "'Council discussed Jeff Bowen's sUI~g€~stlon Maryland in June 1995, announced a number refund of transportation and lodging developing a video with selected of initiatives in Astronomy Education. The expenses, except in the following and special effects that can be utilized in ASPCSO will be responSible for monitoring instance: since the Council meeting cus­ planetariums. President Jim M(mIling those initiatives. tomarily occurs the day prior to the explore this suggestion further. *The Technology Committee will serve as start of the conference, it is expected a clearing house for information on the cur­ that Council Members must arrive a All business being coml)lete~d, rent trends in technology as they relate to day earlYi therefore, Council members Simopoulos moved for Donna planetariums. may submit for 100% reimbursement of Pierce seconded the motion, and it The Council then proceeded to discuss one night's lodging. [Extent of reim­ unanimously. The Council ME~enn£ "'rI'rlI111TO_ and review Standing Rules amendments and bursement will depend on the funds ed at 6:00 p.m By-Laws amendments. Many of the changes available as determined by the Treasur­ were needed to update the rules and remove er and the Finance Committee]. Respectfully sut>miltted, conflicting statements. A full listing of the Appendix B.1: Replace "Winter Solstice" with changes and amendments will be printed in ''December'' a separate document. The following actions Appendix c.LD.4: change to "For accounting were taken: reqUirements, see Article IX.B.1."

(Q'1mirniitm~1 continued 7) Standing R ules Amendments. By-Laws Amendments: Article ll.1.c.1: add this statement: "This rep­ *The Elections Committee will be charged Curriculum Committee. (Function: resentative or his/her institution must be a with preparing the ballot for membership To develop projects to education current member of the Society." consideration on three proposed By-Law curriculum matters.) Article III.3.AB.CD.: update all financial refer­ Amendments. ences to their current status. Article III.l.B.: eliminate the Honorary Conclusion Article VI: Replace the current Ad Hoc Member category Current and active IPS committees deserve Committee section with a general state­ Article VITI.1.: add to the statement, liThe our thanks and appreciation for the often ment: (lAd Hoc Committees shall be term of office of the Committee shall thankless work that they do for our benefit appOinted as needed" The names and pur­ begin with the meeting of the Council in and on our behalf. The next time you see the poses of the committees will be attached odd-numbered years and continue until committee chairs and members listed as a separate list, not included in the the next Council Meeting in an odd-num­ be sure to let them know that you Standing Rules. bered year, except where spedfied other­ appreciate their efforts. ArticleIX.B.1: to read as fonows: wise," And of course, there's always room for one 1. Concerning conference financial proce­ Article VITI.4.: Reword the first statement to more. If you have an interest in any of the dure, hosts will: read, "The Publications Committee shall committees and the work that a File a financial plan for the conference consist of the Chair and as many commit­ please contact the chairs or any of the com­ with the Treasurer two years prior to tee members as required provided that mittee members for more information, to the conference, including a statement representation is international./I learn how you might also serve, or to suggest of how accounts will be set up to collect Under Old Business, Council restated the useful projects and activities. and disburse revenues. intention to go forward with the member­ Remember that the International b. Include a preliminary conference bud­ ship survey and its specific contents. tarium Society is an all-volunteer group, get as part of the conference planning President Jim Manning reviewed IPS whose success depends on everyone pitchimg status report presented at the Council efforts in outreach with the American in and offering their time, ""V1n"",rt"",,,,, Meeting two years prior to the confer­ Astronomical SOCiety, the Astronomical plain old sweat in support of the ence, and a detailed budget at the Society of the Pacific, and Space Telescope efforts of our organization. Won't you us Council Meeting one year prior based Science Institute to provide informa­ in the effort? We will all be the better for it! on anticipated revenues and expendi- tion/materials to planetariums.

10 Planetarian Vol. 1996 ber in that range, and show that Att." This is onI y an estimate, of course. s It f t 1 Similarly, "Av. Shows" indicates • man y shows per year were u ti I ing planetariums, and "Total Shows" Members' cates how many shows we calculate given by aU in that bin. There are obvious praI01€~mS Keith Johnson Fleischmann Planetarium only one planetarium sent in a from the bin "17.6-19.5." Since it haiJpe:nect University Nevada be a very Reno, Nevada 89557 USA 600,000 visitors re"j:lorted there are 39 known p!<:me'tarilufllS

Your humble officers included a questionnaire with the 1996 member­ Table 1. attendance ship renewal fornlS in order to find out how members felt about some projects .Qigm 1 ~ Av, Att, Totgl lltt. Av. Shows TQtgl ~how§ that the officers and the IPS Council 4.0-4.4 115 8 9430 1084450 309 35535 have discussed in the past, and to 4.5-5.5 122 8 13030 1589660 351 42822 obtain rough estimates of annual atten­ 5.6-6.8 258 14 9090 2345220 425 109650 dance. I sent out over 600 renewal 6.9-7.8 190 19 12260 2329400 449 85310 forms, and 229 were returned by the 7.9-8.5 174 8 22490 3913260 548 95352 end of March, but I'm sure I'll get the 8.6-9.5 294 52 14870 4371780 538 158172 rest Real Soon Now. 9.6-10.5 120 8 27300 3276000 537 64440 10.6-11. 6 23 4 24000 552000 955 21965 Attendance 11. 7-12.4 132 23 35630 4703160 833 109956 One area we wanted to get some 12.5-12.9 26 4 33830 879580 742 19292 information about was attendance at 13.0-14.5 21 2 81500 1711500 1450 30450 planetariums around the world. We 14.6-16.0 77 10 66710 5136670 880 67760 asked for the number of shows present­ 16.1-17.5 9 2 286000 2574000 1450 13050 ed in a year, and the total attendance. 17.6-19.5 39 1 600000 23400000 4500 175500 Some responders did not have this 19.6-20.5 46 10 157100 7226600 1367 62882 information, and some responded with 20.6-22.0 16 2 135000 2160000 1314 21024 only one of the two numbers. And, of 22.1-25.0 46 9 223700 10290200 1611 74106 course, the numbers reported represent >25 7 1 70000 490000 1050 7350 only a small fraction of the world's TOTAIS 1715 185 78,033,480 1,194 616 planetariums. Even if all IPS members had responded, it would have account- ed for perhaps one quarter of the world's planetariums. So the estimates given Table 2. Revised attendance below are to be taken with a few moles of sodium chloride. .Qi.gm 1 ~.~ Iotgl Att. Table 1 shows reported attendance figures ~ 4.0-4.4 115 8 9430 1084450 as a function of dome size. I divided the 4.5-5.5 122 8 13030 1589660 range of sizes into bins, based on (a) the nat­ 5.6-6.8 258 14 9090 2345220 ural clustering of dome diameters around 6.9-7.8 190 19 12260 2329400 certain preferred values (9.1 m, for example, 7.9-8.5 174 8 22490 3913260 is a common diameter), and (b) my desire to 8.6-9.5 294 52 14870 4371780 include adequate numbers in each bin 9.6-10,5 120 8 27300 3276000 where possible. The first column shows 10.6-11.6 23 4 24000 552000 these ranges. 11. 7-12.4 132 23 35630 4703160 The column 11#" shows how many plane­ 12.5-12.9 26 4 33830 879580 tariums are in each bin, based in informa­ 13.0-14.5 21 2 81500 1711500 tion currently in the IPS Directory database. 14.6-16.0 77 10 66710 5136670 The column U# rpt." shows how many plan­ 16.1-17.5 9 2 185000 1665000 etariums sent in responses to the question­ 17.6-19.5 39 1 200000 7800000 naire. 19.6-20.5 46 10 157100 7226600 /lAv. AU." refers to the average annual 20.6-22.0 16 2 135000 2160000 attendance for domes within that bin that 22.1-25.0 46 9 223700 10290200 responded. To account for non-responding >25 7 1 250000 1750000 domes, I multiplied the average by the num- TOTALS 1715 185 62,784,480

Vol. No.2, June 1996 Planetarian it skews the estimate to a value higher than it probably be. Tablel. To correct for this problem, I submit the foHowing revised Questions and answers. table. (see Table 1.) Here I have changed three of 5. Do you have access to the Internet? Yes, 165 the average attendance values [Everyone has access to the Internet if they have a phone and computer. w t,\pi"hplr tt'u>u (indicated by underlining) to avail themselves of it is the question.] what I considered more reason­ 6. If so, can you access NASA color images? Yes, 160 able values. These are my sub­ 6a Have you ever done so? Yes, 139 jective judgments; feel free to 6b. Have you shot slides off the computer screen? Yes, 42 make up your own estimates; [".and then showed them to audiences? Who would be so unprofessional?] your mileage may vary; may be 6c. Or generated slides by some other method? Yes, 45 fatal or harmful if swallowed How? Film recorder, 14; print on color printer, photograph, 9; send to service bureau, 9; One of the motivations 5 behind this part of the question­ 6d Rate the quality of such images, compared to a good duplicate. naire was to obtain a figure for BETTER, 6; SAME, 37; WORSE, 40 how many warm bodies enter­ [Depends on the service bureau. Some are better than others, but more what ed a planetarium and saw some pay for.] sort of presentation during the 7. Would you use high-quality dupes of such images? YES, 146; MAYBE, 65 past year. We can't provide a [Depends on speed of service; if current method is faster, might be inclined to stick with it. precise answer, but it would not And don't waste my IPS dues trying to provide them when they're freely available seem unreasonable to claim GLP A Slide Bank offers the same service for 50~ a duplicate now. that the number is somewhere Depends on whether or not the slides can be obtained in a timely fashion - by for between 60 and 80 million. instance. I would support an increase in dues to support an IPS staff member to and produc:e Other questions. public domain slides for us just for the cost of production. How about it? We also asked members to Yes, absolutely! IPS keeps on getting better and better! Let's just remember, we're related to astrono­ respond to several questions my first, computer hobbies a distant second! about slides and video. Table 3 Such a service would be great! shows the responses. Question OK, if easier than downloading and copying myself. Also, I'd want them within 1 or 2 days of release to gave members the chance to by NASA contribute comments and sug­ Yes! Yes! Yes! gestions about anything con­ Wow! Great idea! Go for it!! nected to IPS. If a comment per­ Be delightedl] tained to a particular previous 8. How do you obtain such images now? ASP, 17 Internet, 14 press kits, 2 question, I have listed it with that question within brackets other comm. vendors, 58 magazines, books, 15 STSd, 19 and in italics, in no particular at conferences, 8 NASA,39 starshow packages, 8 order. General comments are ESA,2 Other planetariUms, 1 various, 13 listed under Question 10. I have [With great difficulty.] deleted any references to partic­ 9. Do you have video projection capability? YES, 157; NO, BUT I WILL SOON, 43 ular people and companies, and 9a What video hardware formats do you use? have removed comments that all, 2 laserdiSC, 120 S-VHS,48 were personal messages to me as b-cam,5 LCD projector, 2 U-matic (3/4), 13 treasurer/membership chair. b-SP, 5 NTSC, 3 VHS,l09 computer graphics, 22 PAL, 8 I thank aU of you who re­ Hi-8 videotape,S satellite dish,S turned your questionnaires. 9b. What are your sources of material? This information will help us all, 1 laserdiscs,S make more informed decisions ASP/to Loch Ness, 1 starshow pkgs., 9 regarding possible services IPS comm. vendors, 63 NASA, 46 STSCI,l could perform for its members. compo software, 3 NASA Select,S tel escope (!), 1 But if you have specific sug­ ESA,3 observatories, 3 from TV, 7 gestions or comments about the in-house, 17 PBS, 7 specialty sources, 2 society, please get in touch with IPS (?), 1 planetariums, 5 various, 11 your regional representative, or Internet, 7 school library, 1 with one of the officers. Addres­ 9c. If you could get high-quality video masters at cost, would you? YES, 129; MAYBE, CAN'T 2 ses and phone numbers can be This is great! Have been wanting such a service! What a relief for small planetariums! 10. Questions, comments, suggestions about anything pertaining to IPS. found on page 4 of the Plan- It's time for a presence on the WWW. etarian. * Suggest info in Directory about what kind of observatory facility/program is offered or 0~~ra1tiQ]lal.

12 Planetarian Council expense 9,261. 89 International Special adjustments ~ Total Expenses $41,186.31

Planetarium Society Net Profit, 1995 $1.836,60

Financial Report 1995 Balance Sheet Assets Keith Johnson Checking Account 8,867.06 Money Market Account 52,004.55 Fleischmann Planetarium Planetarian Petty Cash 280.77 University of Nevada Total Assets $61 152 38

Reno, Nevada 89557 USA Equity Retained Earnings 59,315.78 Profit , Loss Statement Current Year Earnings 1,836.60 Total Equity ~6J J 52 :28

~ Dues Income 25,560.95 Notes Cash/Checks Dues 20,698.00 1. Membership totals, 31 December 1995: Credit Card Dues 4,576.95 Individual 525 Wire Transfer Dues 286.00 Institutional 87 Interest Income 2,345.47 Total memberships 612 Spitz Fund Donations 90.00 Library subscriptions Misc. Donations 2,993.00 31 Other 13 Advertising 9,548.00 Total subscribers 656 Mailing Labels Income 225.00 Publications Sales 5.00 2. Most of the "Office Hardware" expense is for a credit-card station Conference 456.47 (the little box a derk swipes your card through). This makes it much Misc. 1,799.02 Total Income $43.022.91 easier for me to submit credit-card payments. It also eliminates a min­ imum monthly charge (called a "discount fee" for reasons I don't ixpensfts even try to unqerstand) of $20 from the Visa/MasterCard folks in months where activity is low (meaning April through November for Planetarian Expense 19,546.41 IPS). Planet'n Printing 14,618.28 Planet'n Postage 4,414.06 It also expands our credit-card horizons. IPS can now accept Master­ Planet'n Misc. Expense 514.07 Card (EuroCard), Visa, American Express, Diner's (yes, one member Directory Expense 6,566.26 paid that way!), and]CB (a]apanese credit card). Directory Printing 4,949.00 Directory Postage 1,605.26 3. At the start of 1995, I switched to a new accounting program (rather Directory Misc. Exp. 12.00 than my previous practice of setting up my own spreadsheets and Bank Charges Expense 219.12 Credit Card Fees 141.12 linking them). This is why the above report may look a little differ­ ent than my previous ones. This software follows standard account­ Wire transfer fees 48.00 ing principles (better than I did before, at least), and doesn't allow me Misc. Bank Charges 30.00 to make arithmetical mistakes. Not without some effort, anyway. Instl. Plaques Expense 450.41 Other Costs 114.00 4. The entry under "Misc. Donations" was a contribution from Zeiss Refunds 51. 00 Corporation to help bring members from former Soviet countries to Misc. Other Costs 63.00 Admin. Expense 2,813.46 the October IPS Council meeting. Admin. Printing 206.24 5. The expense shown under IlConference Expense" was for printing Admin. Postage 1,321.10 and mailing copies of the 1994 conference to IPS members who had Admin. Phone 184.22 not attended the conference. Office Supplies 135.12 Office Hardware 527.82 Admin. Travel Exp. 425.96 6. The amount shown under "Special Adjustments" needs some expla­ nation, at least if Jim Manning is still scrutinizing these reports as Misc. Admin. Exp. 13.00 closely as he did when he was just a Council member. John Mosley Committee Expense 312.01 maintains a petty cash account, which he uses for a variety of small Portable Planetariums 312.01 Conference expense 1,400.00 (Please see FIntmdal on page 18)

Vol. 25, No.2, June 1996 Planetarian 13 u r I ike Thi 11&

Roy Kaelin Theater's Adler Planetarium we have more throughout the room, and we 1300 S. lake Shore Dr. precisely where sounds are cmntr:lg Chicago, Illinois 60605 whether it's music, ing, or the launch of the space Every planetarium seeks to keep its audi­ these six existing speakers, the Sky Theater is resul ting sound has more ences returning for future sky shows. Im­ now complete with fifteen new speakers and ism. It's not an increase in proving the quality and delivery of recorded an enhanced speaker arrangement. Speakers strengthening of the sense of sound, voice, and music is often the step that are now located: one large speaker at the wonder that a planetarium must take to continue to dome's zenith, one large speaker 30' up at As is also wen attract those audiences. The Adler Plane­ each of the theater's compass points and tarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago, half-points, and twelve smaller speakers posi- two ways, existing sound system or its ponents. While either way sounds A revolutionary concept in sound engineering lets The Adler the former may become Planetarium and Astronomy Museum expand its universe of sound expensive, while the latter may without changing the construction of its domed Sky Theater. poor sound from mismatched components. With the addition of the USM minois, has taken that next step to attract tioned equally around the circumference of its existing mix of audio components, and keep those audiences by achieving the theater (see accompanying diagram). Adler's Theater has achieved superb audio fidelity and delivery for visitors With a new total of 21 speaker locations, the in every seat for all of its sky shows. Sky Theater is now superbly equipped to The Adler Planetarium has accomplished provide audiences with all of the benefits this feat with the recent installation of the from eight channels of audio made available Universal Sound Matrix (USM), itself the with the installation of the USM. addition and distribution of "v,.u-",.,-a.:» next step in the evolution of audio quality It is well known that a planetarium has would aid the domed theater in ~rl,ip\li1rlff and sound reproduction, much as the audio special audio reqUirements, as it can be a dif- technique of Dolby Surround has proved for the audiophile and the sound industry. Invented by engineers of SES GmbH, the USM now helps the Adler's domed Sky Theater provide its audiences with the truest in even sound distribution and the dearest

14 Planetarian Vol. r f r III , fill I I a I

us

we can

a

Or in the center of the room, either. Many think the nianlllOtaril nrl'1lie::or'tnr in the middle of the theater is the only star of sky shows. While this is certainly true of many shows, the oroiec:tor is of your audiences' theater experience, and only letting your audiences see with their eyes.

The universal Sound Matrix is a .''''''UII.I!UUI audio device You might ask, how does one follow a Il"In"Iloantth""1ine visual nAI"'i'nl"l'Y1I~I""'''' of your shows. show any other way? Wen, there is a that can While the in the theater favors your audiences to nrl"'llnIDr!'II" that lets audience experience shows with their eyes, the Universal Sound Matrix in the control booth in a way you might not expect. invites them to see with their ears.

The Universal Sound Matrix is a remarkable advance in sound Your shows become not only a better engineering, alln,\lUII"IIM your theater to surround your audience visual treat, but a feast for the ears. with perfect three-dimensional sound: nrnnArhl mixed, balanced and to every in your theater. No matter where they sit, hears your shows drawn by the action as it moves across the dome of your theater, their ears focused on the nrlF'~r:I~lnn of sound in motion.

Call us for information or for a demonstration of the Universal Sound Matrix, a sound worth

A5i(;(;..s'vs1:emas GorB:~or.t:ltic~n in Ghlcalgo Telephone: 312.935.4162 Fax: 312.525.8676 E-Mail address: Contalcts'@lnslrD.c1om The mostfl7bl~4n4@Pandi:ilble' control·fY~~~mo[!~!:m~'( .. _...... " ~®aM•• 1'tr. .D.. .. If' n I ...~ModularAl$_ted~~~~y

for more information contact Gregg GiUis at

Design and specifications are subject to change -I·,eIIDIDlraialllaOlrlullllld without notice. Omni O® ,. a registered trademark of 1335 BUrrard St. Vancouver.. BCCaQadaVBZ 1..Z1 Commercial Electronics ltd Telephone (604) 669.. 5525 Fax (604)611,,6347 to black night hours. An additional with information about local box shows the local stations current time in digital format. By dicking on the 'WorldClock Lite' text in the menu bar, a pull down menu appears. As BiB Gates and crew keep reinventing This menu offers the startup display, labeled Windows, the PC platform is growing closer 'Clocks', and five others plus setup. the times of civil, nauti.caI. to the Macs. What hasn't improved is the The second menu item is labeled 'Sunrise twilight. at the bottom gap in size of the two systems libraries of Today.' It the analog clock IcKes play, a available software, both standard and share­ ware. This is especiaH y acute in the area of astronomy software. That's why see more reviews of PC based astrono­ my software here than those for the Mac. That's I'm that Barry Hayes h ..'",l1crh+ to my attention WorldClock Lite, which he found in cyberspace. WorldOock Lite is a nice little Mac ics program that emulates the famous Geochron™ display of the Earth's day and night zones. When activated, it sits on your desktop and continuously displays a colorful Mercator-like of the whole Earth showing the day/night terminator. This map also shows the sub-solar and sub-lunar as wen as the station location of the home site and five major world cities (Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, London, New and Melbourne.) Below the world map are dis­ played five analog dock faces showing the local time of the five major cities along with their distances in miles from the station loca­ tion. These dock faces are number to their locations on the world map and change from white dials when the city is in daylight, to gray when twilight is in progress,

Vol. 1996 Planetarian adjusted for a different date. Other UH..'UU.A.> and the or next year selected.

A final option, and one know, to this program is labeled displays a simple sundial gnomon gray shadow to the station tion and current time This displays the dock time oflocal sun's altitude and and the altitude and azimuth. An 'animate' allows you to see the sundial is speeded up. A spot check of WorldClock Lite's cy showed good for times of [ Moon Be low Horizon Moon's Altitude: -30 :39' rise, sunset, and AU Moon's Azimuth: 249 0 :32' were either spot on, or differed ( Animate minute from values calculated with Naval Observatory's MICA program S Local Noon Today 1 3: 12 time was also identical but sunset was utes late. An in all, WorIdClock Lite is a d.eJJgtlttlll little shareware program that any plalfletall­ an with a Mac on their desktop will find use­ on one graphical display. month with the current date highlighted ful and almost as attractive as The 'Sunrise Tomorrow' menu option dis­ and provides the day number, solar declina­ Geochron on the wall-without the plays the same information as 'Sunrise To­ tion, and the highest solar altitude and the price tag! Who knows, if enough day' but adjusted for one day into the future. time of that highest altitude for the station programs like WorldClock Lite, Next on the menu is 'Sun Calendar.' It dis­ location. By dicking on a different day of the encourage astronomy software plays a simple block calendar of the current calendar block the solar information will be create more for the Mac platform.

~ continued from page 13) six months of 1996, even if I never received have arisen that wi.ll be dues. But you will not receive any more my spare time in the near expenses, such as paying copyright fees, pay­ lications, induding Directory updates and he pass on the bank books to someone yet ing a typist to help enter material, etc. John Planetarian, if you haven't paid up. Check elected next fall. I'B be on as treasurer sends me a detailed accounting of his use of your address labeL If the year shown after through 1996, so you'll have to put with this money periodically. your name is 9S or smaller, you are currently one more report from Reno. thanks to in the actuarial class moriturus pulsarus (or officers and Council members who have In past years, I have not shown this as an IPS "dead beat," for you non-accountants), and helped me the last few years, and thanks to asset Oike our checking and money-market need to send me some money. members who sent me kind comments in accounts): whenever I sent John a check to spite of my screw-ups. The Nominations replenish this fund, I just recorded it as an Some of you may have waited to pay dues Committee is, even as I type, the expense. In 1995 I decided this was a little until the Osaka conference. Be sure to check world, for another sloppy, so I created an asset account for this your receipt for the conference, to make sure sucker... I mean, noble volunteer to hold the fund But since there was money in the fund that fee is listed. I should be able to get every­ IPS purse strings. (Le., in John's cash box, or wherever he keeps one's name by mid-August when I send John it), I had to account for this opening balance. the mailing labels for the September And who knows? the next treasurer I made it a "Special Adjustment." Planetarian, but there are sometimes delays, will be able to count with his socks on! especially for a conference held in a country 7. MOST IMPORT ANTll PLEASE READll Even other than the one your humble treasurer submitted if you received this copy of the Planetarian lives in. We'll do the best we can. in the mail, you may still not be a current member! Following IPS rules (as uncovered 8. Finally: contrary to popular rumors, this is Fleischmann Planetarium by a recent expedition into the vaults), I kept not the last treasurer's report I will subject In ;'<70''''; +u of Nevada everyone as an active member for the first you to. It's the next-to-Iast. Personal affairs Reno, Nevada 89557 USA

18 Planetarian Vol. SHOW KITS AVAILABLE FROM THE

DUCK, 11...... , .... A fun, friendly and exploration of the sky! Designed especially through 1st graders, this is an ideal first primary school audiences. Your program blending live interaction segments. / 108 slides / $450

LIFE BEYOND Consider the possibility of life elsewhere in our galaxy and throughout the universe. CD Production Book with annotated script, -31 minutes / 368 slides / $350 visual list, special effects notes, and educational materials

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* Programs funded by the Westinghouse Electric: Corporation

SCIENCE CENTER students in the ~jalHCl(H1UI_H

real sky to determine the HBUlIlll)';, tude at their location. In the planetarium, light pollution can be simulated to discover the effects of this on the visibility of the night sky.

o Given the aCiCOlm[)aI1lVinQ: chart and the planetarium sky, the student will determine the faintest star visible under luHon in the chart. various conditions. This activity will famil­ 4) Plot the results on the ac(:ornp,an 1vinli!: iarize students with the magnitude system graph. and foster awareness of the problems light S) students to repeat pollution poses to astronomy. Hon at home, on a moonless this case, it will be necessary Star chart of the Little Dipper, the conditions with magnitudes; worksheet with chart and as wen. In avoid graph; flashlight; pencil; planetarium (or that the results obtained slide of the Little Dipper). in the class will be

The modern ...... F.u ...... ""'- system from that developed Hipparchus. Bright stars are deSignated low numbers (the brightest have negative magnitudes), faint stars by higher numbers. Star magnitudes can be estimated by eye by comparing unknown stars with those of known magnitude. In the present exercise it is only necessary to find the faintest star visi­ ble and record it in a data table.

Review the following proce­ dure with students 1) Study the chart of the Little Dipper. Magnitudes are marked to the nearest proximity to tenth with decimal points omitted (to references). The Association also avoid confusion with star dots). Thus, the slides various sources of Recommended for grades 6-12. magnitude of alpha UMi (Polaris) is 2.0, luHon and some solutions although it appears on the chart as 20. Note that the higher the magnitude The apparent brightness of a star is one of number, the fainter the star. sources: the fundamental measures we can make in Use red-covered flashlights once the lights in Sky and Dec. 1992 (Little observational astronomy. Furthermore, it the planetarium are down. 5 min- Chart) can be accomplished by eye alone with the utes becoming dark adapted, "Es:tin1ating the Level of aid of a star chart. Astronomical observers 2) Compare the chart to what is seen in the Cities." International Dark typically characterize the viewing condi­ planetarium sky. Record the .u...... "...... "-­ 3545 Stewart Ave., Tucson, AZ tions on a given night by the limiting mag­ of the faintest star visible in the chart (in and a of other information nitude, the faintest star visible at the time. A the space for zero percent light can be obtained mail or from convenient group of stars for northern tion). site: nn-n'IIUI-lAnAT rl"" ..L'<"iru hemisphere observers is formed by Ursa 3) Bring the cove lights in the planetarium Minor

20 Planetarian What's Your Limit - Worksheet Name ------

% Light Limiting Pollution Magnitude

0

25

50

75

4 8 100

/ 20 ea 56. 67 • 62 '42 111 The Little Dipper magnitudes of stars (decimal points omitted)

limiting Magnitude and light Pollution

8.0 7.5 7.0 6.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 m c: 2.0 1.5 - 1.0 0.5 0.0 -0.5 -1.0 -1.5 -2.0 -+--+--+- o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 % Light Pollution

Vol. 25, No.2 I June 1996 Planetarian

strengthen the relationships between teach­ Internet as wen as e-mail all plalne·tarilunls ers and planetarians and to try to exchange who have i nol more information concerning the different experiences in these areas. You can join us by contacting Paris-La Villette Planetarium (e­ mail: [email protected]). A new big planetarium opened last October in Vaulx-en-VeHn near Lyon. With a lars Broman 15 meter dome and 150 unidirectional seats, it hosts the first'Digistar projector in France. Broman Planetarium Its dynamiC team created two new shows for Ostra Hamngatan 1 the opening and proposes school programs, debates, and "apero-sciences", a new style of 5-79171 Falun, Sweden conferences where an aperitif is served to the +462310 public. A really French Planetarium! +46 2310 137 fax A new planetarium opened in Tunis, of comet Hyakl1take. Tunisia last March. The projector is an SN 88 [email protected] II from the French company RS Automation. The first shows have been created by the This column depends entirely on contri­ Planetarium of St Etienne. Two other big Armagh Planetarium's new director butions that I receive from IPS Affiliate planetariums are in the project stage: the first Tom Mason, Professor Associations allover the world. Please con­ one in Villeneuve d' Ascq near LiHe (North­ at the of Natal, South tinue to contribute as you have done before. ern France), the second in Toulouse (South takes up the reins on To be sure that your text will make it into Western France). Dundee Mills the column, please make sure that I have it New original shows have recently been celebrated its 60th ':>",,,i"'''''r~':Iru at the first day of the Planetarian deadline developed in different places: Ombres et 1995 with a civic -'-"'~''''jJL'''-'''' month. The deadline for contributions to Lumieres de la Voie Lactee (Shadows and No.3 is thus 1]uly, and for No.4 is 1 October. Lights of the Milky Way) and 1,2,3 Soleil (1, Thanks to Ignacio Castro, Undine Con­ .4 ~ Sun) in Vaulx-en Velin, A la recherche du cannon, John Hare, Marc Moutin, Loris del perdu (Looking for the Lost Sky) in Ramponi, Fred Stutz, Zinaida Sitkova, and Strasbourg, and Mars 2035 in Paris-La Villette. Erich Uebelacker for contributing to the After the astronomical events followed by Saturn in the Regional Roundup column. You are wel­ the French planetaria (lunar eclipse or comet After this .:>jJl\..U'. .uU come back with new reports, and I look for­ Hyakutake last April), several events are ward to reports from other associations as scheduled in different areas: The Marseille wen. Please remember that a short note is Observatory & Andromede AssociatiOjl will also appreciated! organize a great party, The head in the stars, 22 June. The Planetarium of Vaulx-en-Velin Association of French-Speaking will in June open a new exhibit, Volcanoes in Planetariums the Solar System. The Planetarium of The last APLF annual meeting was held at Strasbourg has opened a new The creation of the world. The Planetarium of St the Reims Planetarium the 3-5 May '96. on exhibits on Etienne is preparing a new show about Because of the printing deadline, a short and .,..,,, .. rp,.,..,ti comets. summary of these three days in the with the aim of r"<~'lti; ....

Planetarium is now available. New columns At the XXV AMPAC Meeting, the planetari­ VUL4.)XU VI' Planetarium are proposed: a general astronomy paper um of the Museo de Ciencia y Tecnologia de to know if will from Hubert Reeves, a catalogue of an the Veracruz was accepted as an AMP AC mem­ funding. shows proposed in French planetaria, and a ber. It has a 6.5 meter dome, a seating capaci­ National Science Week culminated European page presenting planetariums ty of SO, and was financed through a private London Planetarium in the from different places in Europe. You will also donation. It will be used for teaching of find the usual sections as the proceedings of astronomy by its young staff. Arq. Miguel A. Challenge for ,,\..U.VVJI.:>, the 95 APLF meeting and the complete direc­ Berdejo (Director) and Adrian Guzman are Quiz for Secondary " ... 'LAv,.n." tory of all the French planetaria Those who responsible for the planetarium. Address: etarium plans to make a national are interested in improving their French, Ave. Murillo Vidal sIn Xalapa Veracruz, time in cooperation with other please contact Strasbourg Planetarium or phone +52 2812 5088, fax +52 2812 5110. and science centers. The number of bUOOJlng Paris-La Villette Planetarium. The Meeting agreed upon the following: astro-physicists among the contestants was A working-group Links with Planetariums to make an updated resource list of services schools has been created at the first conference of and materials offered by the planetariums; to offered a musical w()rKSn,Op, the EAAE (European Association for Astron­ pay membership dues; to meet once per year Space, as a double bill with their omy Education) in November '95, in order to in a general conference; to expect to use ricul urn program. The staff has

Vol. 25, No.2, June 1996 Planetarian tunes irritatingly catchy! The planetarium's Nineteen larger planetaria with full time Planetaria will take in first Digistar Astro-Navigation program had staff are members of the Coundl of German Bologna, 6 October 1996. The org;ani.sation a larger audience than usual - some said they Planetaria (RDP). These planetariums had a the Meeting at local level will be chaired found its sky rather more familiar than the total of 1.6 million visitors in 1995 (1994: 1.3 prof. Angela Turricchia, teacher of old Zeiss sky .. ~ million). AU the sixty planetaria had about Didattica Planetario (Scuola G. Carducci, John Hare from Florida has just completed 22 million visitors. Dante 5, Bologna), Last November a major service on the London Caird Plane­ There was one ADP meeting in 1995, in Turricchia participated in the second tarium's Spitz projector, making it virtually Kiel 29 April - 1 May. 120 persons participat­ ing of European Association for As1:rolllOJny new. Ultraviolet rays from the Xenon arc ed, including guests from Denmark, Poland Education (AEEA) in Athens. star lamp had deteriorated the projection and the U. S. A A large number of companies This year's Day foils and lenses, and these have been presented software and hardware. The organ­ planetaria from many EUfOiJean ODUltltries: replaced. The projected sky is apparently isation was perfect and everybody enjoyed Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech KelJutmc, uenrrlarK, awesome. Harry Ford thinks it is now as close the time in Kiel, the major city of Schleswig­ France, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, visually to a real sky as possible to get in a Holstein in northernmost Germany. Slovakia, and Ukraina. For the next planetarium, even to the different star colors. There were also two RDP meetings during March 1997) an international contest The machine now functions perfectl y for 1995, in Kiel and in Hamburg. A new Chair, logo of the initiative has been Ul~"a"'HL'\;;U. the public shows and the infant programs Erich Uebelacker of Hamburg Planetarium, Entries must be submitted to the which form the bulk of bookings. was elected in April. The next ADP and RDP Secretary (Centro studi e ricerche ~el'aIllno Northampton Portable Planetarium was meetings will be held in Jena, where the first Zani, via Bosca 24, 25066 Lumezzane, BreSCia, launched on the county's schools in March planetarium of the world was presented, 21- Italy) before 15 October 1996. An internation­ 1995.6000 children have seen the curricu­ 22 April 1996. al committee win choose the best lum programs, and some sessions have been In spite of increasing numbers of visitors, among the draWings Persons open to parents and the general public. many planetaria suffer from the difficult ested in the contest are invited to ask the During National Science Week these were financial situation of German communities. contest rules (or tum to page 54). these were heavily over-subscribed. There Some of them, e.g. those in Recklinghausen are plans to increase public presentations if and Leipzig, are in danger of being dosed. Middle demand is sufficient. The Chair of RDP keeps in contact with the Society Eva Hans of South Tyneside College Plan­ authorities responsible for culture and edu­ Check us out on the Internet! Thanks etarium was amused to find in a school cation in these cities. He hopes to find solu­ Don Knapp, MAPS has a home page on the group, which recently made a visit, a boy tions so the work in the planetaria may con­ world wide web listing information about named Leo, two girls caned Cassiopeia and tinue. officers, committees, etc. Pleiades, and someone who had a cousin For the remaining planetaria, 1996 seems Included are links to planetarium vendors, caHed Pegasus. Is this a record for one class? to be a good year. Three eclipses and at least other planetarium web pages, and asrrml0- Paul England of Fort Victoria Park Plan­ two bright comets will be very helpful. my web sites. To access etarium reports a third season of growth, and URL is: .,T",·n I /l[AHATHT vOlcem~t.corr.l/rr.tcaon,ua. the accolade of a Business Success A ward 900 Italian Planetaria's Friends Associ­ If you would like to communicate with local school children and 5000 visiting the ation about his home page venture, his Isle of Wight on holiday saw planetarium The main Italian Planetarium in Milan has address is: [email protected]. This shows last summer, plus a constant stream of been closed for seven months, and could year's conference is held in Boston, MA, 8-11 other visitors who also had the choice of see­ reopen in March after the solution of some May. Next year's conference will be held ing an Astro film every week. The weekly bureaucratic problems. Providence, RI; dates pending. show Stargazing for Beginners was a sell-out During the National Week of Scientific success, and the Starlogclub now meets twice Culture, promoted in many Italian cities last a week. There is now a new planetarium the­ March by the Ministry of Science Research ater with video as well as panorama and all Comet Hyakutake was extremely well vis­ and Technology, a Starlab planetarium was sky systems, but live stargazing presentations ible from our high latitudes, opened in Genova. The inflatable dome occu­ will continue to be an important part of the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor when it was at its pies a section of the temporary exhibition program. Loch Ness has come to the island in largest. Information about named Learn and Play organized yearly since the form of More than Meets the Eye, adapted available on Internet at 1994. The promoter of the initiative is prof. for British latitudes. tari urn's homepage. nLLAVH&. Giuseppe Gambardella of the Engineering comet presentations were the several late Department, University of Genova (address: evenings at the top of Falun's major ski Council of German Planetaria DIST, via Opera Pia 13, Genova). tower with over sixty comet hunters at the In Germany there are approximately Sixty In the city of there are three plan­ Florence most crowded evening. planetaria There are two planetarium orga­ etaria: one in the Museum of History of June will be a busy month for Nordic nizations. All the planetaria of Germany, Science (Galileo moden, one not in use that is planetarians. The distance course Austria and Switzerland are very loosely waiting for the opening of a medium plane­ ence with emphasis on the didactics organized in the Working Group of German tarium (ZKP2 mode}), and the third which centers at Dalarna University 8-9 June Speaking Planetaria (Arbeitsgemeinshaft opened in March (Goto EX-3 model). The last (more info. from [email protected]). The Deutschsprachiger Planetarien, ADP). This is managed by the amateur astronomers of lab driver's license course takes organisation holds one meeting per year, the Astronomical Society of Florence and is sater 11-13 June ([email protected]). which is open to anybody working at plane­ installed in a secondary school (Scuola media The First World Science Center takes taria and to companies selling shows, special Barsanti, via Torri 28/ A, Firenze). place at Heureka (home of Verne Star effects, etc. The XI National Meeting of Italian Theatre) in Helsinki-Vantaa 14-17

24 Planetarian Vol. (helena@heurekaJi). A Mobile Planetarium entation, and flight controL The planetari­ Fin all y, please, note that RP A has Workshop with Per Broman, Susan Reynolds um shows 10,000 stars, the sky view from mail address: sitko'va~~lan .. scinnov and Sadler as teachers takes place in orbit. In the center is Buran's pilot cabin Falun 18-19 June (for details please contact with complete navigation eqUipment. [email protected]). Sitting inside it, you can get the real feeling of space flight! The 1996 SEP A Conference is ...... OC:U.Uj,.;;;u. The Director of the Space Center Plane­ 18-22 June 1996. The host tarium was glad to join Russian Plane­ The program of the Russian Planetariums Sudekum Planetarium in Nashville, tarium's Association. He and his staff are Assodation Annual Conference 1996 induded nessee. For further information very interesting people. The head of the divi­ two days in Moscow (28-29 February), and registration, contact Kris AV.Il'~'-""-U. sion that the planetarium belongs to is cos­ one day in Star City near Moscow, in the Sudekum Planetarium, monaut Vladimir Djanibekov, the legend of Russian Center (1 March). 5160, fax: (+1) 615862 5178. Russian space flights. He is an amazing man. Seventy-five representatives from twenty­ The 1997 SEP A Conference will It is hoped that the new contacts will be seven planetaria from all over the Russia and by the Space and Science Theater interesting and helpful for RP A as well as for other Independent States carne to the confer­ cola Junior "-''-''HO;;:lI:.C • .l:'eJI1.S;:lcoIJa. IPs. ence. The conference didn't acquire any June,1997. The Conference attracted the attention of financial support. Owing to this, the number Dave Hostetter's A4 media, including national TV and radio of participants and guests was less than Lafayette, Louisiana has been 11""''','''''''''''''" channels. It proved that astronomy and expected The organizers (Nizhny Novgorod a several year hiatus due to structural planetaria in Russia are still alive despite the Planetarium), being in Nizhny Novgorod lems. Mike Sandras reports that the Kenner (a collapse of Russian science and education. (400 km from Moscow), faced great troubles suburb of New Orleans, Louisiana) Conversations and discussions however and unexpected problems in preparation of Council has approved for a 50 showed that now Russian planetaria cannot the conference in Moscow, the most expen­ planetarium to be constructed next to look forward to satisfactory support of the sive city in Europe, without any financial existing facility. Jim Mullaney Hrr..~~.~·I •• state. The good news is the strong will to support. Despite all the difficulties, the RPA Spitz) is directing a new 45 foot develop the cooperation and exchanges Conference was successfully completed. ity in Aiken, South Carolina between Russian and Ukrainian planetaria The program of the first day induded Kris McCall (conveniently) in prE~paratilon (representatives from four Ukrainian plane­ reports of leading Russian astronomers (from for SEP A '96, has installed a new control sys­ taria came to Moscow). Together with Euro-Asian Astronomical Society, Sternberg tem by East Coast Control and Ukrainian Planetariums Association, we Astronomical Institute, and Institute of Bowen Productions has upgraded the sound decided that the next RPA & UPA Joint Space Researches of Russian Academy of system at the Sudekum. Savannah Annual Conference will be held in Kiev in Sciences), planetarium directors and writers Science Museum Planetarium Director and representatives from relative organiza~ May 1997. Psillos Watson has her position International Day of Planetaria 1996 and tions (amateur observatories, publishers, etc.). return to school for an advanced Comet Hyakutake in Nizhny Novgorod and in In the very beginning, the Greetings from Erich Lindstrom is the new director. Russia. This year's Day of Planetaria (SurJday, the President of the IPS James Manning were Ian Griffin, of 1-\ nrn~'un f\J",.rt~'''' ...... March 24) coincided with the closest announced Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium Ireland, arrived approach and maximum brightness of live from the Hubble Space assume the comet Hyakutake. The comet became the Telescope Program in Russia. Community great attraction of public interest in events The second day of the Conference indud­ Florida He has .. ev·"",...... I., contracted with in many planetariums. ed an open discussion on the present and mer Buehler and John Planetarium Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium began to f~ture of Russian planetaria, with participa­ staffer Mark Howard and Page Hare Howard prepare the Great Comet Coming in the end tIOn of from the Ministry of to two laser shows for the BCC facil­ of February. We announced information on Education, Ministry of Culture, and the all­ ity. John Hare, director of Bradenton the comet via local mass-media. TV, radio Russian Society Znanie (Knowledge), the for­ Florida's Bishop Planetarium, effec~ and newspapers showed very great interest mer owner of aU the Soviet planetaria. For tive January 31st, to pursue his technical ser­ in the event. As a result, many people waited the first time, attention of the governmental vice and consulting business (Ash Enter­ for the comet's appearance in the skies with structures was given to the specific problems prises) on a full time basis with partner Eric great impatience. During the whole Comet of Russian planetaria All the participants of Melenbrink. George Fleenor has been week (21-28 March) the planetarium was the discussion decided to continue their appointed Acting Director at the overfilled In the Da y of Planetaria, we even efforts to create the legislative basis and guar­ Finally, a controversial change to the SEPA had to organize extra shows (due to public anties for the planetarium activities in bylaws, enacted at the 1995 Conference, was demands). That evening the skies were amaz­ Russia. upheld by a committee headed Mike ingly dear and hundreds of people came to The last day of the conference was dedi- Chesman of the Bays Mountain Park Plane­ the planetarium and observed the comet. cated to a visit to the Russian Center in tarium, Kingsport, Tennessee. The The entrance was free, and we don't know Star City near Moscow. Conference change allowed vendors within the SEPA exact number of visitors -300 as a minimum! pants and guests had the unique opportuni­ region to have fuB membership This was a fine completion of the Day of ty to see and touch both a Soyuz spaceship including voting and serving as an officer. Planetaria program. and a Mir station, the 18 m main centrifuge Previously, only planetarium staffers were Most of the Russian planetaria also partic­ of the Center, the Flight Control allowed this SEPA, unlike most ipated in the Day of Planetaria and showed Center, and (most impressive!) the unique ?th.e~ regions, however, still excludes any the comet. And now all of them say Good planetarium of the Center, where cos­ mdlvldual outside of the from Bye to the comet with great appreciation. monauts study astronomy, naVigation, ori- and/or holding office.

Vol. No.2, june 1996 Planetarian common? a

Shonandai Culture Center

GSS-Helios The GSS-Helios (GSX) features 25,000 stars reproducing a sky seen only from space. shutters mean paJnm'anlas without stray stars twinkling through the image. Computer-assisted functions give manual mode the ease without replacing the lecturer. The list of special GOTO features goes on and on. Contact your nearest re1JreSe]ltatnre find out what your planetarium could be like.

The GI014si offers GOTO's exclusive automatic mechanism. No more shows lost to With the into action with a of a at the

console. UUjLliJ!C, fast and efficient. That's a GOTO Planetarium.

4-16 Yasaki-cho Fuchu-shi, 183 JAPAN TEL: Inti No. +81-423-62-5312 FAX: Inti No. +81-423-61-9571 Email: [email protected] GI014si old, the steps that had to be taken. The result secret me,IAliu was amazingly accurate: a circumference within 200 miles of today's figure. The illustrations done Kevin Hawkes ch,m~~ed over time, from the "r;IVI"lrnl"'n" are as important as the text, clarifying and Lascaux to the present He eXl;Jlailns: expanding our knowledge of life in those times. We see their dress, their homes, and their monuments, temples, Hbraries, and cities-dozens of little details that need to be searched for and enjoyed This book can be read by fourth or fifth april. whit [email protected] grader, but it is probably best read aloud by a parent or grandparent. There is so much to The stars of the season wheel into the discover on every page that it is sure to to unravel the secrets night sky, and excellent books appear. Here delight. melody, so that we can listen to are some to collect, some to avoid, some for sition in all children, some for your bookstore or gift The Secret Melody: And Man shop, some to tuck into a knapsack and take Created the Universe, by Trinh on a hike. And if you'd like a free book to Xuan Thuan, Oxford Univer­ reView, contact me at the address above or sity Press, 191 Madison Avenue, through e-mail. Happy Solstice! New York, New York, 10016, Thank you to our loyal reviewers for this 1995, ISBN 0-19-507370-3, cover issue: John Appeldoom, Bob Banou, Robert price $25.00. D. Hicks, David DeRemer, Francine Jackson, Wayne James, David Maness, John Mosley, Reviewed by: Robert D. Hicks, Richmond, Mark Rosauer, and Steve Tidey. Virginia, USA.

The Librarian Who Measured the An astronomy professor at the University space and time, these discussions are Earth, by Kathryn Lasky, illus­ of Virginia, Trinh Xuan Thuan has written factory. trated by Kevin Hawkes. Little, an entertaining new addition to a genre of Thuan's finest moments concern Brown and Company, 34 Bea­ popular science book made famous by Carl sions of contemporary quantum con Street, Boston, Massachu- Sagan, Paul Davies, and Timothy Ferris. This terse but ins:igtlt11.tl e:xplanaU()ns setts, 02108-1493, 1994, ISBN 0- genre provides an outline history of the evo­ digest and relate to a 316-51526-4, cover price $16.95. lution of the cosmos, from Neolithic artistic eX1trapOJatlOI1s into the future are ...... r'u""',r">_ representations to the latest developments tive, such as a scheme to "tame" black Reviewed by John Appeldoom, Savannah in quantum physics. Books of this kind are by feeding them cosmic debris in Science Museum, Savannah, Georgia, USA tempered with philosophical digressions (usually not as sophisticated or insightful as How does one get a child interested in sci­ the discussions of physics) and present The news release ence? A good way to start might be to read inventive analogies to help general readers argument for the this book, a biography of Eratosthenes, the interpret astrophysical notions that oppose II an argument for purpose ancient Greek who asked questions since common sense (such as the space-time dila­ determinism in the universe (a early childhood, and finally found a way to tion effect). near-Ptolemaic view). like measure the circumference of the earth, and Thuan, in fact, is known as the "French drawn to this (in my view In(~01oglca.l) this by hardly having to leave home. Cad Sagan" because of his popularizing of " ...... ,.,,...+;;,,,,, notes the astoulnamg COlmCla~~n(:e In just 48 pages, the author covers Eratos­ astronomy in France (where The Secret thenes' Ufe from a baby to an old man. We Melody was originally published). In fewer go to school with him, follow his expanding than 300 pages, Thuan seeks to outline the career. We learn about Greek life and about sum total of our knowledge about the nature hubris in the argument the Greek cities of Athens and Alexandria. and evolution of the universe. To do he the universe had to be what it is because We are even introduced to some little­ parcels key concepts under numerous are here (or, that the universe had one known Greeks: Herophilius, who first recog­ subheadings, each concept generating sever­ direction, the evolution of man), his discus- nized the difference between arteries and al paragraphs of prose. Although jargon is sion is muddy. He concludes two veins, and Ctesibius, who invented a water­ minimal, recurring important terms are viewpoints in of that a driven clock. explained in a glossary. Ambitious readers supreme being exists who is the author of Eratosthenes himself was a man of many are referred to an appendix in which some physical laws and who as "fine tuned parts: a poet, musician, astronomer, geogra­ concepts (such as the uncertainty principle thing," or else all is chance, pn~ical:ed pher and botanist, and most of all, Chief in quantum mechanics) are framed in math­ pOSSibility of Librarian of the most important library of ematicallanguage. The text, surprisingly, is Thuan opts for the supreme the age, that at Alexandria. But Eratosthenes' accompanied by very few photographs (all thing unverifiable "violates [his] sense chief claim to fame was measuring the earth. black and white) and few diagrams. plidtyand Rather than view The final third of the book relates in great Thuan introduces a thread connecting within a cosmic framework of chance detail, and understandable to a nine-year- developments in cosmological thought-the its attendant "nonsense and

Vol. No.2, June 1996 Planetarian votes for a friendly universe of "sense and Although the author is writing for children, not only hope." Wen, we didn't need this book to it seems that the ones he has in mind have teristics of the arrive at such a conclusion. the attention spans of flies. I personally find technology and I recommend Thuan's discussion of con­ this attention deficit style of writing Voyager II in an interesttruz: temporary physics for the educated, general extremely irritating to read. The editors must able manner. reader. His anthropic ambiguity, sparse and share a great deal of the blame here. After all, that fine cliched analogies to explain complex con­ they are the professionals who should know cepts, oversimplified discussion of pre­ how to write for children. I would have liked Newtonian cosmologies, and everything to see an effort at mental imagery, or maybe placed within a narrative of progress to our a few questions to encourage the reader to enlightened late-20th century present, think. is, of course, dated. detracts conSiderably from the book. Thuan The text ranges from overly-simplified to Neptune in 1989. might have written instead a shorter book overly-technical. Maybe this is an effort to Overall, I found this book to about f~dings in modem cosmology. appeal to a wide range of ages. One sentence chronology of the dlGrand about Triton reads, "With polar caps crusted the II It r'Ol,,,,h, .. ,,,,,, Mission to Deep Space: Voyagers' with methane and nitrogen, it is the coldest reader's attention as it informs and edl.lCates. Journey ofDiscovery, by William place ever measured in the solar system." The information eX]Jjaine~d E. Burrows, Scientific American What is the temperature? The author never text a fine historical reS:OlJlrCle, Books for Young Readers, W. H. answers that question. Later he writes, for Freeman and Company, 41 "Winds on Saturn were found to be the amateur astronomer. Madison Avenue New York, fastest in the Solar System." Again, he never New York, 10010, USA, 1993, answers the questions that many children ISBN 0-7167-6500-4, cover price will ask: How fast were they? Captain James Cook, $17.95. Many of the sentences are awkward. W. W. Norton "Before Voyager 2's arrival at Neptune in COImp<:mv 500 Fifth Reviewed by David Maness, Virginia Living August 1989, the only view we had, even New New Museum, Newport News, Virginia, USA through the best telescopes, was that of a USA, 1994, ISBN 0-393-03580-4. fuzzy speck." This 28-word sentence and oth­ When I saw this book, I was excited by its ers could have been rewritten for ease of Reviewed by Francine Jackson, Unliv~ersjitv lively appearance. The cover with the close­ reading and better flow of ideas. As a chil­ Rhode Island up of Jupiter's awesome swirling clouds and dren's science book it is watered down. It Rhode Island, USA moons is striking and attractive. The shiny does not excel as childrens'literature either. smooth cover and pages make it pleasant to On the other hand, the book was not aU Although a book about a famous touch. The book has an ample suppl y of bad. It has beautiful pictures, follows a his­ hero probably doesn't appear to fit beautiful astronomical pictures as well as toric journey, and tens a Httle about the pro­ astronomical niche, Captain Cook's interesting fonts and colorful diagrams. Just cess of science and exploration. I wish Ihad surprisingl y the heavens. the thing to encourage a budding young sci­ written it myself, but I would have taken the When he was a young sailor, Cook's entist, I thought. time to correct some of the literary prob­ published work was his "0.,:, , M:J'","" The book is well organized, at least in the lems. an Harbour." This led to his 'l:l1v'..,p'uiT1'U table of contents. Chapters 1 and 2 (of 7) If I had children, I would want them to of the St. Lawrence River, " ... cover the planning and spacecraft operation learn about the Voyager mission and others, and Islands in that respectively. The next four chapters handle if they wanted to read further. Mission to and Sou,ndings. the planets they visited. These chapters are Deep Space is a place to start, mainl y for the So impressed were his sUJ:leriors divided into two sections: "What we knew" pretty pictures. I hope there are more and veying skills that, when a leader was needed and "What we learned". Chapter 7 is a brief better books to come however. This book for a three-year excursion to map the overview of the highlights and a few words just doesn't find its niche. discovered lands of the South Pacific about the future of the craft as they drift obtain readings of the 1769 transit of ever farther from the solar system. I was glad Uranus and Neptune - The James Cook was quickly raised to the to see the book includes a glossary, an index Distant Giants, by Eric Burgess, Captain and chosen to head the round-the­ and a list of books for further reading. Some Columbia University Press, New world journey. of the terms like IIhypergolic fuel" and "grav­ York, 1988, ISBN 0-231-06492-6. "The of [the] 3 June 1769 [transit itational propulsion" are not for the begin­ of Venus] dawned clear" wrote ner. Unfortunately many glossary defini­ Reviewed by David A. DeRemer, Charles Hor­ "as favorable to our purpose as we tions are woefully inadequate; e.g., "Comet - witz Planetarium, Waukesha, WisconSin, wish ... If the observation is not well made, it A celestial body with a bright head and a USA. is owing to the observers." His six long taiL" hours of Venus was deemed The organization doesn't hold up on the This book, illustrated with over 100 draw­ good as circumstances text level. Something about the wording and ings, tables and photographs, highlights and though his were not COmIHe'[e sentence structure bothers me. The text is details the journey of the Voyager II space­ accurate (usually attributed to m(~ctlanllC(U, readable but has little prosaic quality. It craft past the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn not human, error). His survey often requires rereading to see how one sen­ and Uranus. It then anticipates the passing of Pacific was precise, and his ".H·,ou,o..,.1riAn tence leads to the next. Very often the con­ Neptune by the Voyager II and describes scurvy bordered on miraculous for that nection is not easy to discover. Within each Pluto and points beyond as the next intrigu­ When a captain was need far another section the ideas seem to jump around. ing possibilities for exploration. The author around-the-world excursion, Cook

28 Planetarian Vol. natural choice. One of his tasks was to test confuse? Perhaps that was the intent of this ence just can't be fun. Its author the accuracy of a John Harrison-style marine series. Perhaps it is helpful to see an illustra­ known to Americans as the writer clock against lunar positioning, tion that makes lithe visually strengthened" senter of the TV programme Dr. Author Hough portrays James Cook as a among us say, "I could draw that well!" Phantastic Physical Phenomena. Some self-taught naturalist whose love of science Perhaps it is less expensive to provide illus­ simple experiments in this book have showed itself in many ways, from the amaz­ trations rather than actual photos. been adapted from that programme, ing maps he created (many of which have As adults, we will enjoy looking at the great fun they are, too. yet to be improved upon), to his observa­ series and comparing the illustrations with The presentational tions of the heavens, to his pinpoint accura­ the photos we know so well. In an illustra­ cate that the publisher has aimed it cy in global positioning, and to his negligible tion of the full moon on p. 19 of The Sun and tens." However, many of the u .. "'.. ~_"... mortality rate among his crews. Although Moon I would include a photo for compari­ nomena readers are encouraged to his third voyage, during which he is credited son, and an invitation for the reader to the comfort of their own home can with the European discovery of the observe the Moon and try to draw what they adapted from science exhibits and p!ametall- Hawaiian Islands, proved disastrous, Cook see. All who try this with binoculars or at the urn-related studies for much could be counted as one of the greatest sea­ eyepiece of a telescope will quickly discover Tomecek's enthusiasm comes across men to have ever lived Anyone interested in for themselves just how visually skilled they in the slick text. Like many of us these 19th century seamanship and scientific prac­ are. This is a good way to appreciate the abil­ he is a converted hands-on tices, seen through the eyes of one who did ities of Paul Doherty! credo is summed up in a quote both well, will truly enjoy this well­ Do illustrations lead to misconceptions? book's Introduction: "The true researched biography. Yes, and so do photos, and so do words, and ence isn't just learning the so do conversations! For we learn in chaos, cess of figuring out kind of like the universe is created, not in Ain't that so. The Starry Skies Series: The Sun logic or clockworks or even computerworks The intrigued reader is and Moon (ISBN 1-56294-622-6), (whoops, running into PC problem again ... ). to the subject of light by The Planets (ISBN 1-56294-622- So go ahead and scan the series, get a copy reflects off different surfaces. By bmmcing 2), Comets and Shooting Stars for your local school, read them to your chil­ baH off a waH at different angles, one can (ISBN 1-56294-622-0), The Stars dren or grandchildren, have them read to demonstrate regular and diffuse reflection. (ISBN 1-56294-622-4), by Patrick you (the pictures as weH as the words), mea­ The text then journeys on Moore, illustrated by Paul sure the sizes of the planets on pages 4 and 5 through more complex ideas such as the the­ Doherty, Copper Beech Books, of The Planets, and see how your young ones ory behind concave and convex 2 Old Milford Road, Brookfield, understand the orbits on pages 8 and 9. pIe reflecting telescopes, Connecticut, 06804, USA, 1995, Would you indeed see the two moons of pOint, and so on. My favourite eXlperiments cover price $1190 each. Mars as shown on page 15? Why isn't Saturn were simulating a blue sky shown in all the pretty colors like Voyager bright light through water, Reviewed by Wayne James, STARLAB con­ "saw" it? Why is the British flag shown on ing a rainbow by shining the light on sultant to East Central lllinois public schools, page 6 of Comets and Shooting Stars? t Who Iy submerged mirror. AU very Mansfield, lllinois, USA. was taking the picture of Hillary on Everest? very effecti ve. - a little political1y correct social studies) Last, but by no means least, the "A picture is worth a thousand words!" We Does Betelgeuse have the color shown in the most innovative idea in the book is printilng all know this, but how many words will an picture on page 13 of The Stars when you see all the solutions to the many questioflS illustration replace? This series of library it in binoculars? What else would you add to way that forces the reader to work out how books for young readers (ages 5 to 9 years) the drawing? Take your young readers out to use a number of mirrors at certain depends on two very good foundations for and see if they can see it in a telescope. to read the answers. Very nice! communication: beautiful pictures and It's not the tools you have, but what you I highl Y recommend this book. words by a well-known author. Both are do with whatever tools are available. This regret is that it wasn't around when I was at trimmed to a minimum for young readers. series can lead to lots of learning, for the school. The words are sparse, usual! y fewer than 100 young reader as well as for the astronomer per page, yet challenging enough in vocabu­ who wants to communicate new discoveries lary to keep the reader interested The illus­ to the next generation. The Universe the trations are very well done, so well that casu­ Earth-Dwellers Guide to the al readers not familiar with the actual photo­ Mysteries of Space, CoHn A. graphs found in most astronomy literature Bouncing and Bending Light, by Ronan, Henry Holt and Com- may not realize they are looking at draw­ Steve Tomecek, W. H. Freeman pany, Inc. 115 West 18th Street, ings. Which brings me to the crux of any and Company, 41 Madison New York, New York, 10011, criticism of these books. How do you pre­ Avenue, New York, New York, USA, 1994, ISBN 0-8050-3488-9. pare material for the young reader? Patrick 10010, USA, 1995, ISBN 0-7167- Moore is an old hand at choosing words to 6591-8, $9.95 (paperback). Reviewed by Mark Rosauer, Buehler Plane­ fit the audience, and these books are what tarium, Broward Community College, Davie, you would expect from him. Reviewed by Steve Tidey, Southend-on-Sea, Florida, USA What about pictures? Should we do the England same for the younger reader? Trim the infor­ The Universe Explained... is the first book mation to just the essence? Make the colors This is the sort of book you should show by Colin Ronan that I have read. If this is a bolder? Take out a lot of detail that might people who think that learning about sci- typical example of his work, I'll be sure to

Vol. 25, No.2, june 1996 Planetarian look for some of his other titles. As a past Choosing, Using, & Repairing Mr. Seyfried, who spent much president of the British Astronomical Binocu lars: by J .W. Seyfried, Japan researching his work, is oh,vi!"lII,.lv Association, his credentials are unquestion­ University Optics Inc. P. O. Box fine, largely self-taught, enthusiastic able. Ronan brings some of his expertise to 1205, Ann Arbor, Michigan, on binoculars and other ... Ti.,urin ...... ";:::,, ''-.''-'c>. this book. Written in a clear and concise 48106, USA, 1995, ISBN 0- qualified helping hand in the manner, Universe succeeds as an introducto­ 934639-01-9, $19.95. organization tasks, and comments ry, coffee table book on general astronomy. editor in this field, would have made It has over 80 chapters, each of which is Reviewed by Bob Ballou, Atlanta, Georgia useful, popular book. two pages long. These chapters are arranged in five general topics. The first four headings A title such as Choosing, Using, & Repairing are set up like a typical Astronomy 101 text: Binoculars would seem to hold some excite­ World, Second Edition, Earth motions and astronomical history, ment for any sky watcher hoping to make L. Martin, ASK Publications, planets and the solar system, the Sun and the next big discovery with just an ordinary Box 25000, OR stars, and galaxies. The fifth topic deals with pair of binoculars. Alas, though the title is ISBN 0-945657-87-0. simple physics. Ronan has the notion that promising, the book itself will be of little $14.95 simple physics ranges from the four funda­ help to those who do their magnified watch­ mental forces to cosmic wormholes and the ing through binoculars. Reviewed John Griffith anthropic principle. Despite the IIheaviness" The trouble with this self-published, virtu­ va tory, Los Angeles, California USA of the last few chapters, the author still man­ any unedited work is in the starting: the ages to write about the subjects in a manner writing isn't good enough to elicit anything Despite an over-enthusiastic apIJ1i(:ati.on that an intelligent person can grasp. better than a feeling of annoyance from the of political correctness that is "-.. ,,-,,u.. ,,,, The book itself is colorful with some high­ reader. The abundance of misspelled words, decline in the number of Star of Bethlehem quality graphiCS. Besides the obligatory star quotation marks around single words, non shows presented each December in maps, the book also has a 3-D map of the sequiturs, and folksy sentences ("Sure, you planetariums (at least in the United States), constellation Orion. It has the first cross-sec­ look at a lens with a little dust on it and it many institutions (and many members of tion of the upper atmosphere of Jupiter (in­ just plain bothers you!") is a burden. There the public) still enjoy hearing what astron­ cluding the Great Red Spot) that I have come are a zillion exclamation pOints in this small omers have to say about that famous Star. across. Other diagrams include a graphiC of volume. The old argument that those who Whether the Star was a real astronomical Earth's atmosphere that shows the relation­ write about science and its ancillary matters object or a later fabrication to add authentic­ ship of altitude and the colors of the aurorae. needn't necessarily worry about good writ­ ity to the nativity, the fact remains the peo­ The influence of computer software ing is long dead. ple have heard about the Star and expect (Windows in particular) can be seen in the A struggle notwithstanding, could a reader astronomers, if not to explain it, to at least be design of the book. At the far right margin of still make good use of Choosing to get that able to say something intelligent about it. each chapter there are icons that give you excellent binocular view of the firmament, And there's always the possibility that the page numbers of related chapters. These or of the favorite rock star on the stage? Not ter understanding of the Star and the icons are helpful, but small enough to allow quite. The organization of the text is un.~ven. eclipse that preceded it will fix the reader to ignore them without feeling Several paragraphs simply repeat what was wise loose dates and nail down the of that s/he is missing something by skipping said immediately above. Figures are low-bud­ this important but confusing of time. over them. get though adequate, but captions are mis­ Ernest Martin is an original thinker whose The first edition is printed on acid-free leading and mislabeled. A glossary is includ­ passion is understanding the events sur­ paper. This insures that the page won't yel­ ed in the back, but a few important words in rounding the Ufe and times ofJesus. His writ­ low and crumble in a few years. However, the text find no entry here. Collimation - ings about the Star of Bethlehem have per­ there are some mistakes that need to be cor­ the alignment of the optical axes of the lens­ haps attracted the most public attention and rected in later editions. The one that really es of binoculars to the machined mechanical comment, but his other books include an sticks out is the chart of meteor showers. It components - gets a hefty, thoughtful treat­ attempt to restore the original order of the states that the Perseid shower takes place ment; however, the procedure is difficult to books of the Bible and to identify of the site from August 23 - July 30 with the peak on follow, requires a lot of time and grueling of the crucifixion. His fresh to his­ Aug. 12. A similar mistake occurs in his list­ patience, and makes it clear that there is torical problems and his willingness to ing for the Delta Aquarids. These are the only plenty of room for mistakes and worse the status quo if it does not make sense have major factual errors that I have found There vision. put him at the forefront of those who are are other passages in the book which contain Finally - and this seems odd - author J,W. reinterpreting the history of Bible times. what could be typos or grammatical mis­ Seyfried devotes a full chapter to himself ("A The first edition of his new book aptJealred takes, or they could be accepted British usage Brief Personal History" sandwiched between with the title The Birth of Christ Recalculated and I'm just coming across these particular chapters on "Binocular Mathematics" and (©1978, and never reviewed in the Planetar­ examples for the first time. "Export Standards"), forgoing a simple bio ian). It put together Dr. Martin's new chro­ Overall, this is a very good book to supple­ somewhere in the back of the book. nology for the decade surrounding the death ment one's education. I can see using a soft­ There are some nice inclusions as appen­ of Herod and the birth of Jesus. to cover version as a secondary text in high dices. In addition to the glossary, which is Dr. Martin, a critical reading of the events school and college courses. It is also a very greatly appreciated, one finds binocular test surrounding Herod's death that nice book to look at even if you already charts, a decent bibliography, and a list of Herod died several years later than had been know the material. If it is ever offered as a sources for eqUipment and a repair service text, I hope the publishers are smart enough (presumably in case the book doesn't sink to issue a slide set which uses and expands on in). some of the graphics.

30 Planetarian Vol. 1996 Ever since the discovery of ancient bones and the first use of the word "dinosaur" to describe the creatures they once were, people around the world have been fascinated by these prehistoric beasts.

N ow, your audiences too can share the excitement and wonder at the diversity and magnificence of these beings who once dom­ inated the earth as no other group of creatures has since.

Presented in a smoothly-flowing your audience back for the feel of the

how geologic time works in a method that is at once "-I-L-L.,.,""' ...... understood.

By using fresh, new and exciting depictions of the .... .JLJ.... '-'u'.... ~ ... than twenty overall), this dynamic show answers the

• Exactly what were the dinosaurs? • Were all creatures of that time dinosaurs? • Are there any dinosaurs left? • How big were they?

1& Did they live all over the world?

• What did they eat? From some of the smallest to the most gigantic, the • How did they die? very earliest to the latest, "Dinosaurs!" tells their • How did we find out about them?

Best of all, this dramatic 30-minute show featuring more that 150 exciting

$7 .00 (Plus Shipping) Joe Hopkins Engineering • P.O. Box 14278 • Call 1-800-JHE-5 60 available expertise, proposals for future jOint tor Burns remarked that "if you projects in research and educational out­ know why we should go into space, t reach. Dan Goldin is known for being an over to the museum and see their p12metari­ interactive listener, and not unpredictably, um program." e he halted the proceedings in the middle of It was one of those one presentation to ask a question. And it moments the was the Big One: yes, but what do you see as budgets and frustrations and overwork outcomes; what are the products you intend underpay suddenly seemed worthwhile. Jim Manning to produce, and how will you measure their offered a product that And it aem()n- effectiveness? Because this is what will be strated, perhaps, to NASA officials Planetarium important. poli ticians and to our own Museum of the Rockies The presenters fielded the question researchers and educators what our mtlSelun, admirably, but I began, ever so slightly, to our planetarium, could add of value Montana State University sweat. For there was something more than common effort. And if the discussions Bozeman, Montana just talk on the agenda: there was, in fact, to that Saturday m()rn:in~ USA be a product shown-in the form of a plane­ one day bear fruit, ... "" .. h·,..,. ... tarium program. we will have a role to

Part of the museum's role in the day's And if this sort of can UCl!-'!-"ii;:U activities was to present liThe Final Frontier," slightly-wild Montana, it can Greetings! Last November, NASA Administrator Dan a planetarium program we produced in 1994 where. for the 25th anniversary of the first moon My point is that every everyone Goldin visited our university campus at the landing, supported by a grant from the has an opportunity to add ",.,...... <>+1-1 invitation of one of our U.S. Senators, Conrad Burns. The purpose of the visit was to NASA-funded Montana Space Grant value to our common effort to enjli~llte:n, Consortium. The show chronicled the histo­ explore the possibilities of combining move, to motivate-to demonstrate our ry of the human desire to travel into space, complementary strengths of NASA, our uni­ potential, to show that we can deliver in science fiction and fact, from the early versity, and our community on several the product is what's important. Our dreamers to the Apollo program to future stances and opportunities may but research and education projects. Now I know that Montana is still per­ possibilities. It seemed to us an all-around each of us can work with what we have ceived as being a bit, wen-wild. We have good choice to demonstrate what the muse­ make a difference. um could do and suggest ways in which we Granted, it's not getting any easier. These wolves and grizzly bears and wide-open could contribute to the educational propos­ days, many of us wonder-with spaces and not many people and, as recent press reports in the U.s. media might suggest, als being discussed. It was a chance to show what if any future the may our stuff-not just to Goldin, but to Burns a plentiful helping of bombers, gun-toting have. I think of recent conversations with and our own university administrators. colleagues: the one who took a "freemen," and goodness knows who else-all east coa.')t of the U.S. and came back cli"hp:n+­ without a daytime speed limit on the high­ Would they find it a product worthy of the way. But contrary to some reports, we're also grand designs floating in the air that nlorn­ ened by the long lines at IMAX theaters civilized and educated (mostly), and people ing? A single bead of perspiration began to the much shorter lines at pl

32 Planetarian Vol. trum of of course, but there were Please be sure to take note of the minutes releases, and information also common threads that seemed to emerge. from last October's Council provid­ TeJles(:orJe Science Im;titll1te First, financial and institutional survival ed by Lee Ann Hennig, and the will be a challenge, and we must become our 1995 financial report supplied by Treasurer own best advocates. We need to be relevant Keith Johnson. Thanks to these officers for to our audiences. We need to develop doser their efforts! one has access to this source, partnerships with other professional groups, one who has access ha<; the .... u~JU'-".uH institutions and communities to achieve our vert from cybeI'Sp

Vol. 1996 Planetarian IAU: There will be an International and contact numbers with an Astronomical Union Educational Collo­ pubUcizllng the list -nr"h",hlv I've also been in contact with the "'U'J"~LLjJ quium sponsored by the lAU's Commission Hon departments of Sky & and 46 (Astronomy Education) to be held in Astronomy MagaZines, to see if IPS qualified London in early July. Bill Gutsch is our repre­ for their magazine discount program for astronomy groups (usually ama­ sentative to this commission, but unfortu­ nately the dates coincide with our own IPS teur astronomy dubs) in which group mem­ conference in Osaka. for presentation to our bers can receive a savings on subscription Nonetheless, we hope to have a presence Committee will monitor the renewals. there. Bill will be preparing a written bly through surveys to From the discussions I had, it appears that statement on the world-wide efforts of back on the sorts of contacts we do indeed qualify as an astronomy group planetariums which will be submitted to the how much use the list is .... _•. _..... , eligible for these programs, and so we've colloquium organizers either for reading, decided to give it a try. A minimum number indusion in the colloqUium materials, or of subscriptions must be obtained in order inclusion in the proceedings. Undine Con­ ~~r·~"'+'H "l.I\..IA .... U to ASP ..... -...... -, for the program to go into effect. So if you cannon of the London Planetarium will rep­ have a subscription to either magazine, and resent our interests there before she leaves you're not already enrolled in such a pro­ for Osaka gram through your local astronomy dub, AAS: Information on planetarium meet­ and you'd like to take advantage of the sav­ ings and events is now being sent periodical­ ings, please contact Secretary Lee Ann ly to the American Astronomical Society's Hennig with your subscription information. newsletter for consideration by the editor. Once we have the minimum number of sub­ scriptions in hand, the program should pro­ Special thanks to Alan Gould for providing this information as an offshoot of his ceed, and the savings will be applied on your "Planetarian's CaJendar" effort which next renewal and wiB be handled through appears regularly on Dome-L. IPS and the IPS Secretary. STScI: As I've mentioned above, I was The discount is $10 U.S.-a one-third sav­ invited in April to deliver a colloquium at ings for U.S. subscriptions, and a one-quarter savings for subscriptions outside of the U.S. the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, on the topiC of interac­ If our effort here proves successful, this Notes tion between astronomers and planetarians. can be another potential benefit of IPS mem­ Australian conference: This The colloqUium had the slightly juicy title bership. Special thanks to Jeanne Bishop for received a letter from Paul of SOllthlern "Marriages Made in Heaven: The Astrono­ the idea! Star Education, Lot 25 Doncaster mer-Planetarian Connection./I Beechmont QLD 4211 Australia, fax I had an opportunity during the colloqUi­ 333-610, e-mail um to make use of our brand new atten­ ASTC: Last issue, I failed to mention our dance estimates, to review the efforts and involvement in the meeting of the Associ­ effect of planetariums around the world, to mobile planel~arium ation of Science and Technology Centers review the outreach efforts in which we're the Brisbane Astronomical 'r.ru>t"U which was held last October in San Diego currently engaged and the connections we're held in Brisbane next March 15. immediately following our Council meeting. making with other groups and institutions, The Southern Star Conference aims A number of planetarians were in atten­ to promote the importance of increased mote astronomy and space science teaChJln~ dance, as were some of the Council. communication and connection between in and and The conference was hosted by the Reuben astronomers and planetarians, and to stress to access resources from other countries with H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center, the importance of planetarians as allies with greater with hands-on education- and the theme was "Science Centers and a delivery system for supporting the work of al materials and useful The Communities." It was a large and fascinating astronomers and scientific investigation. nizers are conference, with an impressive display of More next time about this very positive for sPt~aklers, exhibitors, and no end of pertinent talks and experience. and letters sessions; there was much of value to be mined there by planetarians. link Many of us participated as presenters in One of the steps we're taking in the direc­ ence su<:ce:SSHU, the session entitled" A Universe for Ever­ tion of astronomers springs from an idea cation yone: Astronomy Showcase," in which we that John Mosley expressed at last year's ASP claimed, are not supportive of science offered examples of how planetariums and Educational Symposium in College Park, ing in the schools-with the educational organizations around the world Maryland: to assemble a list of professional efforts such as theirs. were reaching a variety of communities astronomers and others whom planetarians If you wish to and can, you may wish through the creative use of astronomy. It could consult concerning questions and to contact Mr. Floyd as was a great experience and another effort to matters on a variety of astronomical topiCS. reach out and make connections with a That effort is now proceeding under the Astronomy Day (mentioned last time)-I group of professionals in much the same working title of "Astronomy Link" through received the new .... u ...... ~ .• uJ' business as we are. Special thanks to Dennis the Outreach Committee chaired by Martin of activities, by the Astronomical Mammana for organizing and hosting the Ratdiffe. We're beginning to collect names League in conjunction with showcase.

34 Planetarian Vol. Corporation. Last October, Council agreed to expect that our effort will be up be one of the international sponsors, and I'm and shortly if it is not so. pleased to report that our name appears in Council will be reviewing the home page inel ude the announcements the new publication along with a distin­ during its meeting in Osaka We youll dates for the election and guished list of 14 other organizations. stop by the site, and offer your comments ed site for the IPS conference Our museum planned a fun day of activi­ and suggestions to the Publications Com­ 2000, as weB as brief affiliate ties in conjunction with our local astronomy mittee and the Home Page Subcommittee. Council meeting will also have dub, the Southwest Montana Astronomical agenda Society. I hope you also took advantage of IPS Since the deadline for the Ser)teInb4~r the opportunity to introduce your public to As you read, the 1996 IPS conference in of this will descend astronomy in special ways. Osaka will be not far off; I hope to see many ing from look for news IPS Home Page: development of the IPS of you there for what wiU be a fascinlating ence in the December issue.Dewa maITG--"C-'P World Wide Web site is proceeding, and we you there! meeting and a chance to make contacts with

Job Planetarium Assistant (lO-month The Schenectady Museum & Planetarium seeks a highly respon­ and experience with darkroom m2tSkilng tec:llnllqlles sible, self-motivated individual who can take projects to completion ing B&W and Kodalith is with minimal supervision and who has at least two years proven week (e.g., Wednesday through ',"nt1",,1 planetarium experience. This individual must have the ability to pre­ Starting date: November 4,1996. (10 months): ."'.1'-'''''.''''''. sent a substantial number of ulive" planetarium programs (2-6 per To apply, contact Richard Monda, Planetarium day). This individual must also have experience in planetarium pro­ Schenectady Museum and Planetarium, Nott Terrace duction and visual preparation techniques. Specifically, knowledge nectady, New York, 12308; (518) 382-7890.

INPUT "CAM APERTURE:

Vol. 25, No.2, June 1996 Planetarian animations and other to ,-AIJ'''LAU topiCS ranging from the Big Bang and and solar system formation to the cause of the seasons and finding your way around the sky. They're quite well-done, although I noticed that when running the tours, the program seemed to have to pause and catch its breath periodically and then continue; whether it's an intrinsic feature of the pro­ gram or an effect of the computer we ran it on, I can't say. There are also libraries of some of the lat­ est space images and 20 short "movies'l rang- How about that comet? from galactic encounter computer simu­ When I was writing the previous column, lations to Apollo Video footage from the it wasn't news yet. the time you read this, moon. There is a dictionary of astronomical it will be old news, and fading back into the terms. There are surface maps of the moon, firmament. But it was while it visit­ Venus and Mars which allow you to find There can be a down side ed (and after a twenty-year drought, about large numbers of named features, plus a map as we all know time!), and offered a wonderful opportunity of the earth on which you can center in on to get people at the sky, find some- any number of locations. You can observe Aside from that, I think it's beautiful and learn smnethi.ng three-dimensional simulations of the ($54.95 U.S., acc()rdilW; about the universe in the bargain. Now if from a variety of viewing You can more warning, search time periods for planetary canil.Ine:­ will do as well! Hans and eclipses visible from your location, As we dust off our old comet shows and with accompanying displays. You can even them for the serendij:)itc)Us create little movies of the and take and the aPlJrclaclhirlg Hale-lio,nn. sequences you can create with the program. One of the new features is "Space advantage of oooortunitjes which anows you to fonow selected space­ lap and that can involve and excite people craft, satellite, and comet trajectories from "mood" music about astronomy. another such distance or hop on board to accompany reCitation, ap1prC)priately spacey avenue fen into my in the them on their journeys through a full-color r-r.""' .. ,..Ii .... fY to the information 1l''''(''''''''1<=,r! form of a review copy of a very fine comput­ three-dimensional simulation of space. You the system re(lUlreIne:nts for er column's first item up for can watch the earth drift past below you on program are for IBM and cOlmp1atible:s: bids ... board Mir, relive the flybys of the or with hard drive (486 re(:0111m.end- join Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (or one of its ed), double CD-ROM Next parts, at least) on its approach to SVGA follow Galileo's more round-about AtilT"'''')'' programs to same. It's tascin!aHng. continue to and this is a good one. "RedShift 2" is a new-and-improved ver­ ." ... ,...... ,..j, .... ," which seems to have won cornpatilble sound card, and a For Macintosh, you need: every international award for a with hard drive, double software that there is-ten in all drive, 7.0 above, from 1993 to 1995. The new has a or minimum with 2.5 1fYH'('f::l·h·ut",,, number of new features, and it's a gas to play with color or The main program offers a view of the colors recommended, above, and a mouse. sky and can plot 250,000 stars, asteroids, and comets, some 40,000 Power Macintosh, the reciUlrelne.nts positiorling sun, moon, planets, are: 6100 with 7.1.2 or the other you need for the Macintosh and their moons for any point in time between 4,000 B.C. and A.D. 11,000. (Makes listed above. (For the purposes the universe seem downright crowded!) The nation, we used a Power Mac 7200/75.) If you are blessed with this sky can be manipulated in a variety of wa ys using a series of "control panels" which can add or subtract objects, basic grids, and con­ stellation lines, lock onto objects, and let you zoom in on dose-up views (of the planets, for instance) as if you had a telescope. But that's not all. "RedShift 2" offers a series of ten "guided tours" which are narrat­ ed mini-programs a few minutes long using

36 Planetarian Vol. and a resolution of more than 600 lines. The literature indicates that it can record stars MIDI-guitarist Mark Dwane is out with his fourth compact disc album of New Age-style down to 9th magnitude through an 8-inch tel{~sc(>Pe. It costs $699.99. music entitled Paradigm Shift, which I've Each camera comes with a power recently had a chance to hear. It compares very favorably to his men­ and 2S feet (7.5 meters) of cable. The compa­ ny also sells 10-inch (25cm)and 12-inch tioned in the 1995 column. Mark has a big, rich sound that continues to invoke (30.5cm) monitors for between $200 and $300. ancient myths and possible futures with syn­ It sounds like a relatively inexpensive way thesized and layered melodies, catchy rhythms, and contemporary beats. The six to get into CCD imaging for bright objects selections average over five minutes apiece, with modest telescopes. If you're interested, contact the company as given above for bear titles Uke "Giza" and "Paragons of Light" more details. and range from the atmospheric to the rol­ licking. Extreme This is good stuff, and enjoyable to listen to. It's not background music, I think, but A couple of new magaZines have crossed would work very wen for seating and exit my desk in recent months. One of them is music (of course, get permisSion first), and caned Kids Universe, published by Third would be a wonderful addition to your per­ Millinium Publishing (that's the way sonal library. It can be had, with it), 2437 Bay Area Blvd., Suite 235, Mark's other albums, for $17 U.s. apiece (add Houston, Texas 77058 USA, 713- $5 for outside the U.S.). For or to 488-7671, fax 713-486-7743. As the title sug­ order, contact Orbian MUSiC, P.o. Box 45131, gests, it's a children's magazine covering top­ Westlake, Ohio 44145 USA. For credit card ics in science and the natural world. It's orders, the following telephone number may bright and colorful and the January/Febru­ be used, at least in the U.S.: 1-800-767-4748. ary issue I examined included games, activi­ And online orders may be sent to ties, and articles on subjects from data," the announcement http://wwwJochness.com. animal behavior to meteorology. the Guest (GI) Science P ... r'

Vol. 1996 Planetarian

commitment to astronomy and science edu­ persons and other cation. difficul ties these What encouragement, then, might I offer? to many school pl(im~tarltlmS, Well, since I always had more people space that the school board sees approach me than would ever find a posi­ for. There are, Tidey tion, it is probably the same advice now as are quite low-cost in cmnp;ari!;on then and applicable in other fields as well. planetariums and which do not There is no one route to being a planetarian. space, except when in use: mobile plame'taI'i­ (In fact, I have always argued, there is no urns. I foresee a future for this planetarium profession, only people who and popular educational and 6NN work in planetariums. But that's a debated recommend any young person who England for another day.) Young people should be like to work with [email protected] encouraged to develop a variety of useful skills related to communicating, teaching, media production, and technology, and per­ haps hone those skills outside the field until Hello, again, from Blighty. an opportunity becomes available. Interest in space travel and astronomy is The greatest encouragement I would offer enjoying a resurgence, thanks to the wealth is a strong belief that, whatever the problems appropriate UULULUF,. of data available on the Internet and Web our facilities may face, we can look to many Per Broman pages. Yet, in this world of information-hun­ people, not necessarily our administrators, runs a Mobile Planetarium Driver's License gry patrons, planetaria aU over the world are who understand the value and importance course every year in June. The 1996 enduring the most difficult times they've of what we do. I have been encouraged, not will be held U-13]une. ever seen. This paradox prompts the Forum just by the number of letter I have received, Lars Broman topiC for this issue, which is: but by the thoughtful arguments they put Director, Stella Nova Planetarium, forward in support of the planetarium. Here Falun Science Centre The planetarium profession is going through are but a few: its most difficult phase in 70 yeaD of public S-79133Falun,Sweden service. Budget cutbacks and strong competi­ lilts good to look up, and hold your daugh­ tion from television, video games and many ter's hand, and see her face full of wonder." other media are making life for planetarlans Carole Corbeil - Toronto Star, November 18, increasingly difficult. What encouragement 1995. Rather than would you give to a young person just out of a negative, I see it as having a university who Js considering entering the "The planetarium was a door to whole new on our industry. We, as pf()fessi~on,a!s, profession, but is put off by what they've worlds of outer space." the opportunity and the mandate heard? our planetariums to grow and compete "[The] planetarium was a big part of my these new tec:hrlol1ogiles. It seems only appropriate that Tom childhood memories - helped form my We are aU faced with the "-U'<4H'~"I'," Clarke, the most recent and visible sufferer at thoughts re immensity of the (sic) world. keeping plane1:arium the hands of astronomy-ignorant adminis­ ChHdren & adults need this." focused. are in terested trators, is first off the mark with his thoughts astronomy. Just look at the number about the current PR difficulties faced by the "Not only is this a great learning eX1Jerienlce, people who show up for a comet or planetarium field it's so visually beautiful." is our to present astronomy in an fig way, and motivate people to learn more. "One of the few places where individuals New professionals must remain flexible. and families can have an experience that Major no longer have the As the sole remaining staff, at least tem­ transcends the everyday world" of large staffs. Nor can the new pCC)tesSic)n'H porarily, of perhaps the most visible plane­ Tom Clarke be expected to fill the role of musician, artist, tarium cutback in recent memory, and one McLaughlin Planetarium technician and presenter. Tomorrow's who is working on a renewal of the Mc­ Royal Ontario Museum Df()tessllonaJ will need to be, busi­ Laughlin Planetarium hopefully to be com­ Toronto, Ontario, Canada ness-minded and have the pleted within the next three years, I would from non-traditional resources. question the premise that our problems are We must be realistic about one of the related to video games and other media. If major challenges we face. We cannot expect the magiC of astronomy and space manifests A planetarium provides an environment a qUickly-made, $2,000 show to itself in games and other media, that is just that is second only to real life, an environ­ satisfy audiences accustomed to evidence that the marketers still recognize ment that surrounds you. Therefore, a plane­ video games, the new breed of that astronomy and space are highly mar­ tarium gives something that no other media special effects and multi-million dollar ketable. That may be evidence of opportuni­ can. If you want to tell a group of persons format films. Only collaborative efforts will ty and a challenge to market ourselves in something about kosmos, there is no place help us to compete fulfill new ways. Rather, our problem may be that like the planetarium where you can start mission and deliver those who ultimately govern planetariums from the starry sky. will expand our audiences. or make the choices that affect their opera­ Large planetariums with staffs of many If I ever lose sight of what I am tion, do not necessarily share our love and

Vol. 25, No.2, June 1996 Planetarian need to do is watch the face of a young child will help ensure the future of planetariums. would have to go into what leaving the planetarium. There is no better Laura Deines would be a passive "show". If school ·motivation than seeing the excitement of a Southworth Planetarium want "shows" then should child learning! Portland, Maine, a video or a movie! Scott A Niskach There are many pl,mt:~talriums Director of Thea ters & Planetarium last thirty years or so that are not Orlando Science Center at all, or not being used to their fullest Orlando, Florida Our planetarium is part of a public school today. Some, no doubt, are system, one of the many built during the eager university graduate who is "space age" of the late sixties and early seven­ make the public pl

In that respect, young people considering IIplanetartum director" of a public museum Harford Co. a career in the planetarium field face similar or other facility. Moores Mill Rd. uncertainties to graduates interested in other First, Steve is correct that the planetarium Bel Air,MD fields. Given that, there are two main areas of teaching position is going through a difficult encouragement I would give to a recent and competitive (for funds) stage. Money gralduate considering a job in a planetarium. that might have been spent on astronomy fonow your dreams. If a career in a and space education twenty five years ago Things are tough in planetarium is what you desire, go for it. was spent on environmental education in Museums are facing shortfalls and Don't settle for a career that may be more the recent past and is today being exclusive­ cut back programs. Schools don't permanent, but less satisfying. If I were to ly spent on schools' technology needs. It is same kind of public goodwill did lose my job tomorrow, I would be grateful my opinion that we need to be a willing and 50s and 60s, and can't support science pro­ for the opportunity; I wouldn't trade these working partner with these interests, rather grams (in the U.S., anyway) as weB without ten years for anything. In my opinion, being than to be competing with them. For exam­ the threat of Communistic And a planetarian is a rewarding and unique ple, we recently added a weather satellite there are motion theaters and multimedia occupation that has many benefits. Not only downlink to our planetarium to enable us to extravaganzas available to our that is it satisfying, being a planetarian fosters the plan lessons on meteorology, as well as put most planetarium systems to shame. broadening of knowledge and acquisition of astronomy, for our student groups. So what else is new? Things are expertise in many areas. Especially working Here in the USA, education is largely a changing. It reminds me of the situation in in a small planetarium, there are a wide vari­ function of local and state governments who scientific research (especially astrorlOrllY) ety of skills attainable: educator, a'itronomer, have embraced educational reform. In sci­ the late 60s and 70s. With the U.s. trillmph sound engineer, audio-visual guru, book­ ence, these reforms stress process and the the moon landing, the bottom dr<>Ptled keeper, publicist, computer programmer, development of scientific habits of mind, of astronomy research. Jobs in astronomy administrator. Building on and refining these rather than a mastery of a large base of factu­ dried up; one of my from skills over your tenure will help you in the al information. This would rule out "''1''1·1- ....'''1" graduate school, one of the most talented long run. Should you lose your job, you win the "canned" or taped "show", or any and intelligent Ph.D.'s I saw come be better equipped to find other work, attempts at "lecturing in the dark" for plane­ Steward Observatory, moved to Colorado whether in another planetarium or at anoth­ tarium teachers. Planetarium lessons need to and went into real estate because he couldn't er occupation. be planned with attending teachers that get a job in astrophysics. Going out into the world with versatility encourage a great deal of student and attend­ But look what's happened since. We've is an asset; you can gain this in a planetarium ing teacher participation. For example, stu­ sent robot explorers to distant We've and have fun while you're learning! dents might need to leave their seats, assem­ launched a magical above the Secondly, new blood in the planetarium ble in small groups - perhaps a lab station or douds (and fixed it when a spllericaUy··ableI field is positive. The competition planetari­ table where they work on a task cooperative­ rated witch put a curse on it), and it's ums face from television and video games is ly, etc. The lesson should have an appropri­ returned pictures that seem like paintings more easily addressed by a young person ate follow up for the classroom on the fol­ the best space artists. We've found who has grown up with these mediums. If lowing day. To work in this manner one around other stars, and black holes in many we are to compete effectively with such must have the cooperation of the attending places, and watched two dozen comets strike mediums, we must rise to the challenge teachers. These teachers must be willing to Jupiter. offered by the new technology and fast pace be involved in the planning and work that Sure, we've done less than we could have. of today's society. Having the perspective of goes into the delivery of participatory Certainly, the Hubble Space young people who can breathe new life into lessons. Sometimes, we get calls from private should have been the Hubble the planetarium will help us all address this schools or horne teaching groups. Often, Telescope. There should be more than one issue. The freslmess and spirit of youth, com­ they will make a request such as this: "We space station in orbit. But wonderful bined with the experience and wisdom of have our important subjects in the morning, have happened, and I don't doubt the established planetarians, might be the and we were looking for a field trip such as a continue. panacea needed to prevent further closures planetarium show for the afternoon", When Sure, planetariums appear more nr,"r~ll'l­ and layoffs; it certainly couldn't hurt. I explain what would be involved in terms ously perched than they used to. But look Encouraging young people into our pro­ of planning for a lesson in our planetarium, what we can do now. With video, and fession, and infecting them with our passion, they are often amazed that such planning projection systems, I can take my "'I.U11-(Ty·::anpl''i:

40 Planetarian Vol. on trips through more of the universe than I (What's New, continued from page 37) could when I started in this crazy business. Yesterday I submerged myself in the ocean, My own view on this topiC is that some­ and watched a whale shark swim by me, body new to the profession should not without getting even moist. spend too much time thinking about the Since the deadline for the SeElternb<~r We can grab images of celestial objects out negative baggage which comes with the job; of the Planetarian will be des:ceradulg of the ether (or off a telephone line) to share many of the problems are no different than I'm winging back from in with our students. Our classes can converse in other more mainstream education posts for news from the IPS '96 conference in with scientists in distant lands, or even in the world over. Besides, I firmly believe that Osaka in the December issue. space. We can plot orbits of newly-discov­ anyone with a genUine, deep love of the And so until next time-kawatta koto wa ered comets faster than Isaac Newton, and work (which most planetarians do have) will arimasen-ka .. , what's new? we can use little electronic gizmos on our find this sustains them through the troughs. telescopes to bring them in closer than ever Here is the next Forum topic: The before. the 1.1" ...... _ ..... There may be more (and different) prob­ lems in toda y's profession than back in the sticldng strictly to planetarium Jssues, if you wUI be held at the Westin Hotel in good old days. But there are more and differ­ could ask God one question, what would it Clara, California, from June 21 throu}l(hJ 1une ent solutions as well, and some of them are be, and why? 26,1996. It will feature sessions of mterest to pretty eXciting. The old saw tens us: "If life the general public, amateur astronomers of hands you a lemon, make lemonade." I'd go all levels, school teachers, college tea(:nelfs, further. I'd say: "Save the seeds, and plant an I'll be pleased to receive your contribu­ and research astronomers. For information, orchard!" tions by July 13. please phone: 415-337-1100 or e-mail Keith Johnson . Have a good Summer/Winter, whatever lbaker©stars.sfsuedu. The ASP web site is at Fleischmann Planetarium may be your hemisphere bias. * http://www.physics.sfsuedu/asp/asp.html. Reno, Nevada L-______

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Vol. 25, No.2, June 1996 Planetarian 41 stage and became the rings of action. Into Epilogue: Dart number three was those three rings were projected action-stop­ later by two bamboo ping slides of girls' gymnastics. Balance beam, together with tape and floor mat and parallel bars were the scenes of some of the tape out action. The gymnastic scenes had been pho­ way that the un dimmable tographed from books and magazines. removed at an earlier time It was a fun show. It was an educational 1973.) show. Hopefully, it was an inspiring show. The teacher: Char Wiehe. Char was a stu­ it it ." dent teacher working under the supervision ofJan Young. The show was her idea and FI St. Petersburg, together we joined the pieces. There was a little bit of built-in concern Talk about other pUUA'...... , SUf[{)UlHiilng about the removal of the sawdust, wood other sun-like stars reminds me shaVings and popcorn. No problem: A that I would share with my students. broom, shovel, dustpan and vacuum cleaner took care of the sawdust and shavings and "Could there be around there wasn't a grain of popcorn to be found. stars?" a student would ask. "Likely, since most dogs have fleas." * "Why can't we see them?" Sounds of circus music could barely be "We do wen to see the heard as the girls from physical education II to see the stars." 'H.. n .... '..... classes walked toward the open door of the school bus?" planetarium. During a PTA Open House, the planetari­ "No. Then some afternoon let's "Step right this way, La-a-a-die-e-s!" the um featured 11 minute mini-shows with six the front lawn as the busses are mustachioed barker droned, minute breaks. hopefully we will see the neighborhClOd. "Get your free-e-e bag of popcorn! Step As the second show audience trooped in, and a friend on right this way"," the lecturer's attention to the dome was A day or so later, we were on the Hardly did the girls recognize one of their prompted by, "0h-Oh" and a giggle from the lawn, looking down the street toward very own classmates as the barker costumed audience. Three hand held helium balloons station on the comer. with mustache, the planetarium director's were buoyed to top center dome. "There it is-the neHHIDC)ftlO()Q red lab jacket, bow tie and plastic straw hat. The show went on in the eyes and ears of right in front of the gas station." Hardly did the girls recognize the planetar­ the now hushed audience but in the back of "Yes, I see it." ium decorated with a montage of colored the lecturer's mind was the question: How III'B bet it has fleas." lights on the dome, circus posters sprouting can those balloons be brought down? "How can you teU from here?" from the horizon line and sawdust and wood During the first several seconds of the six About that time, the friend on shavings scattered on the floor. minute break, the lecturer raced to the sci­ rides up.

Twenty years ago at Smith Junior High ence preparation room for a 14 inch length /I Are you going down toward the School of the Vandalia-Butler City Schools, of glass tubing. Raced back to the planetari­ "Yes, why?" we did produce such a program in the plane­ um workshop for a pair of diagonal "When you get down entertain tarium. It wasn't a typical star show with an three ordinary straight pins, three wooden dog there in front of the gas station artificial sky and constellations. It was a spe­ matches and a pair of ordinary pliers. get there?" cial show for the girls physical education The diagonals cut the heads from the pins "What for? Okay, never mind, but classes. The presentation used the planetari­ and the matches. The ordinary pliers pushed The friend hurries away on the um as a special effects auditorium. the pins into the matchsticks and then and we follow on foot-in a The show or presentation was built pulled them pulled them out. The pins were arri ve, the friend is scratching the around a circus theme that began as the girls turned around and the pliers shoved the pins nice things to it. marched down the hallway and approached into the matchsticks again resulting in three As we in scratching the and look- the planetarium. A barker (a girl wearing a impromptu darts. ing very closely, a flea is found fancy jacket and mustache) stood out in the Using the glass tubing as a blowgun, with "How could you ten that this had hallway hustling the girls inside as they were a little over a minute to go, the darts were fleas?" handed bags of popcorn. The carpet was launched toward the suspended trio of bal­ "Most dogs have fleas but we could do strewn with sawdust and shavings to repre­ loons. well just to see the dog." sent a circus tent. Circus music was belching "Pop," One of the balloons and dart Our sun has planets. out of the sound system. Circus posters sta­ dropped to the pedestal. "Pop." have planets but we do weB to see the pled to pieces of cardboard bolted to furring Number two balloon and dart dropped to stars. strips anchored to the peripheral projection the pedestal. "Pop." Number three banoon ring with obtuse angled 1/8 by 1 by 12 inch dropped; however, no dart. steel strap all obscured the planetarium hori­ Dart number three was stuck in the acous­ zon. tical plaster dome but the next mini-show As the house lights dimmed, three large opened without a gasp other than for the projected circles of red, blue and gold set the starfield

42 Planetarian Vol. ANSWER: Thafs easy. Everybody asks about our theme song which is the classic' Arabesque #1' by Claude Debussy performed by Tomita on the still available "Snowflakes Are Dancing- album (RCA) , QUESTION: At what Umes and days of the week can I see • HUSTLER'? ANSWER: Most TV stations air 'STAR HUSTLER' just before nightly sign-off. However, due to 'STAR HUSTLER's' enormous popularity a number of stations find the shows 5-minute format can fit anywhere during the broadcast day and air the show more frequently. Local TV listings seldom include 5-minute shows, so irs best to call the station for the broadcast schedule. QUESTION: if I can't find 'STAR HUSTLER' on my hometown PBS station, I1O'N can I see it where I live? ANSWER: 'STAR HUSTLER' is provided free of charge 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. available free of charge. QUESTION: is it necessary to get special permission to use .41 ...""..,1\, TV series HUSTLER' for astronomy dub meetings, teaching In the on das1Ioom, sdence rrusun or pIaneatm use? ANSWER: No. In fact many astronomy dubs, teachers, science museums and planetariums have been taping 'STAR HUSTlER' off ". .. one of the few writers who can the air and using it regularly as a way to reach their public. translate into DDt:lu/a.r la/1f1lJ.aaR without the science. " QUESTION: Is there any way I can get 'STAR HUSTLER' other Dr. Sidney Nobel Laureate than my loem PBS station? ANSWER: Yes. A month'S worth of 'STAR HUSTlER' episodes are fed monthly to a satellite from which all PBS stations take it for "... knows how to come down from the tower and make ::i.c:fjF()nrlmv their local programming. ~ with a satellite dish is welcome to the satellite feed. Again, no permission is required. For satellite feed dates and times call Monday through Friday (Eastern time) 305-854-4242. Ask for Mrs. Harper or Mr. Dishong. Planetarium QUESTION: I am a teadw planning my amcuh.m and would like several 'STAR HUSTLER' episodes In advance, but I do "... 1 never miss it. As someone not have access to a satellite dish. Is there involved in science I'm enthralled can obtain 'STAR HUSTLER'? with Jack Horkheimer's science fact. .. John Nathan ANSWER: Any teacher anywhere around the world can obtain 'STAR Executive 'Dr. Who' HUSTLER' episodes in advance through their NASA C.O.R.E. Teachers' Resource Center. For details write:NASA C.O.R.E.; Lorain County Joint Vocational School; 15181 Route 58 South; Oberlin, OH. 44074.

Produced in with Miami Museum of Science & Transit Planetarium 111 sador for the He's been doing a lot of Fleenor Planetarium, I community service and speaking. Florida) is the new the way, additional late congratulations to Smeltzer of Hlc10nlsDurg Jon and his Wife Lisa on the birth of their son, Daniel James Bell, who was born on November 2nd, 1995. Jon said that newborn Daniel seemed to say 41alright-I know some­ body ordered pizza-where's my slice?" to Donna Pierce (Highland Park Ind. Sch. Dist., Dallas Texas) for her golf teams to regionalsi she said on getting to the state luck! Abilene, Texas) was place for herself and her Our she's found a with the oellro,onls Williams (University of Arkansas at opposite sides of the house. Little Rock) is seriously ill with cancer. At Most that held this date, the would prefer no phone calls. Perhaps cards or letters would be in I hope everyone is nn"]pr"--TlIt"1,e check on his condition before As I am writing this in them. how mine will go yet. I was married in Fort Worth March 30th to Martin You "'n.n""' __ A television news reporter. We had a in attendance; hnnevrnlOOifl in Thanks to evcry- Murdock Theater (at the shows! Sclheloel:taa Museum of Science & Industry) is rCClpemrlg a search for a Planetarium AS~;lst:ant; 24th with a revised version of their interested individuals should VODuiar show, Orion Rendezvous. They've des:CrllJtlCm (see page 35). been dosed since February from flood dam­ to Mike Lutz (Laser L."1l'"'''"",u Int.) and his age. Unfortunately, their staffing was also cut wife who were Httle Lutz # 2 months Todd has been the 1st. planetarium single-handedly ever since. to Prue of West The European Planetarium Network Chester State University) for her new (EuroPlaNet) is really taking off-kudos to Education Coordina- Thomas (Forum der Technik Planetarium, Munich) for all of his i.n Baltimore. Their web page is fantastic, with a to Kevin (Willard W. number of web links. Kudos also to Web­ Smith Planetarium, Pacific Science Center in master Dr. Klaus Woerle (also from Forum Seattle), for a 1995-1997 Inter- der Technik Planetarium, Munich) "I-',-",",,~./"t national Museums of web-pages, the IPS web site is award the American Association of like this to occur fit together, and something should be Museums to undertake an with had, the world would be to show the Council members by July. the Hong Kong Museum. It includes a It's finally happened. Howard Estes 4 week trip to Hong Kong for Kevin in June, Inc. ever-popular technician) retired I and the development of a complete guess all of the planetarians down in the astronomy program that he will to Dallas-Ft. Worth metro area will have Hong students. Similarly, London to work on a series on to grow accustomed to someone else. (Assistant Curator in School Programme at Solar for cable television. ing of Dallas, the Science Place will have the Hong Kong Space Museum) will spend 4 open house for Bell their new 15 perf/70mm theater in weeks in Seattle with the local students. Planetarium) at which June. Ask John Bwtollg Paul to Bow Walker (Hudnall Planetarium, ...... , ...... , or the (The Science Place Texas) on the birth of his baby boy! Planetarium, Dallas Texas) how it's (With so many children being born, it's hard next time you see them-maybe in Japan? to remember if I've mentioned it before.) Taylor Planetarium at Bozeman, Montana, to Bell (Indian River Community was visited last November by NASA Admini­ College, Fort Pierce Florida) for the strator Dan Goldin. reports 1996 Instructional Innovation Award, for afterwards. that they showed him their production "his creativity and vision in developing and "Final Frontierll on the anniversary of the implementing the educational programs of lunar Mr. Goldin "loved it!" HaHsrom Planetarium. In 1995, Jon received Hare (Ash Enterprises) is not at the Ambassador Award as the mem­ Bishop Planetarium any more; he's devoting ber who best exemplifies the role of ambas- his extra into his company.

44 Planetarian sun at the Pacific Science Center and a continued from page 12) 1.3 em Pluto located 42 kilometers away. Some of the possible si tes for the Conference costs have gone too high for me to attend, even in U.s., benefits I planets induded the Space Needle, Directory and Planetarian. I will continue membership for a while, but will focus more Microsoft, and a television station. regional association and other users groups, which are more directly tied to the work Donna Pierce said I just had to AU our shows are mastered onto 3/4" video wi visuals synched to audio; extra video from inel ude a copy of the poem I wrote for laserdisc. Curious if other planetariums are doing something like this. my wedding invitations in this col­ Unless you folks provide this dupe service IPS has very little importance besides the PlanetJ.'lnCl'rl. umn: with 6 years before the next IPS [sic] on this [sic] continentll! bother to Everything helps. I called to the heavens Don't know what you're leading up to, but it sounds great! and awaited reply It would be nice to get a Httle something more than just a directory and books for me.mbersllin. but the only echo As to what, I'm unsure to suggest depending on cost. .. returned was my Sigh. Why are you conducting this survey? Please place next IPS conf. somewhere in USA or Europe. I still watch the stars (Would like ... ?) databases for videoclips (with quality rating), computer programs but now as I stand in planetariums (no windows... ) (sic) I rejoice in the view Looking forward to new edition of "SFX Sourcebook" while holding his hand A very big thank you to IPS. I am the only astronomer!planetarian (here) and value help and support I get from coneagues at other planetaria Have a great summer/winterlJuly! (Long response. Basically, would like IPS to supply low-cost shows, show materials.) Any service that would reduce the business that the scuzzy company called gladden my heart. '* An IPS Web page would surely generate new members and raise our Go for it!

The New Orlando Science Center is opening a DIGISTAR II planetarium and IWERKS 15/70 domed Y""""'i""" We are hiring for positions that will start as Opportunities

Theater Manager, Console Operators, IlUl'lIflI'jRllloIIJI.

Mr. David Penn or Ms. Shurlitha Hodges Human Resources Department Orlando Science Center 810 East Rollins Street Orlando, Florida 32803 Voice: (407) 896 - 7151 Fax: (407 896 - 9927

Vol. 25, No.2, June 1996 Planetarian

workshop. As effects builders-or would-be effects builders, at any rate-we fidget a lot with motors and the mechanisms driven by them. The funda­ mental use of planetarium spe­ cial effects is to add dynamism to visuals, and there's no more basic way to do that than through the use of a motor moving something. For in­ stance, in building special effects, I regularly find myself 2 in need of shaft couplings, for attaching a motor to a shaft in a special effect mechanism. Take the basic anism will bind up and stall as it slew mirror. Let's say we have a front-surface if you've ever tried such a mirror about lScm (6 inches) square and outhi~!~V-sp~:i~I~E~d need to tum it with a motor. Because of the know just what an ImpO:SSIID.le It's tough working on stuff when you size and weight of the mirror, it's advisable seemingly, anyway. don't have the right tools. Anyone who's to attach the mirror itself (via epoxy, or Actually the cOllpliing ever tried doing electronics work without a some other method) to a shaft which is, in make if we a had a machine lathe soldering iron can verify the truth in that tum, suspended between the drive motor The main components of a machine statement. One of the biggest problems the and a stationary upright support (Figure 1). are the motorized headstock n~eo»'J""I1J typical special effects tinkerer encounters, I The uprights for the motor and the mirror holds and rotates the metal stock), think, is not having the facilities to fabricate shaft are pretty easy to construct from alu- stock (which can be set up to have centering support for metal stock, In this installment, we'll explore some strategies for making an drill chuck, or other the toolrest assem- bly (for tools for essential and oft-needed bit of effects hardware-the motor­ from the outer of the .. ,,~~,~.~ shaft coupling-without having a master-machinist's workshop. metal stock), and the toolrest and tailstock assemblies positioned-all the while mC:iintailnirlg some of the basic and most-used parts need­ minum bar and angle stock using a hacksaw, ment with the headstock ass;errlbl'v) ed in effects construction. This unfortunate a small bench vise, and a hand drill or drill especially when reality is due to the fact that-while many press. To round-out the slew-mirror mecha­ stock-a planetariums are "poor as church miceli-the nism, though, we also reqUire some way of eqUipment needed for specialized mechani­ attaching the motor shaft to the longer mir­ cal fabrication is often quite expensive. In ror shaft. This is best accomplished by fabri­ this installment, we'll explore some strate­ cating some sort of special shaft-coupling gies for making an essential and oft-needed (Figure 2, a cross-sectional view which bit of effects hardware-the motor-shaft cou­ reveals the shaft bores and threaded set­ pling-without having a master-machinist's screw holes within). But that's where life starts to get much more complicated. Actuall y, making a mirror coupling to attach the shaft motor shaft atone end, and the mirror of a bore. With a aU we'd need is to shaft at the other chuck a short piece of small-diameter mirror sounds easy enough. drical aluminum stock in the It's when you realize chuck, install a drill chuck in the ...... 1,,, .. "', .... "- that unless the two and a driB bit in the driB drill bores are perfect! y aligned-therefore ate hole size, and we'd have a maintaining a perfect aligned (minus side-drilled alignment between tapped set-screw motor shaft, mirror made after) within a base shaft, and the bore or bushing in the mirror­ In the U.S., for instance, shaft's uprigh t sup­ the thousands of dollars. (In Figure 1 port-the entire mech- we use at Morehead was acclui;red

Vol. No. .2 , June 1996 Planetarian ing or cutting job you can wear out after two or three years motorized dream up. use. In such a case, be Dn:~Dared. headstock toolrest Of course, this "wait on replace the chuck with a netter-au.amtv assembly, the lathe" approach when the time comes, or go ahead assembly ,..---,/ tailstock doesn't help us with our a little more up-front to get a press \ current dilemma of fabri­ better-quality chuck. avoid the "ry--.l.-f--,..,/-/ / cating a motor-shaft cou­ tion to buy one of those little "drill pling for our slew mirror. stands", designed so that you can bed But as I said earlier, we're hand drill on it. While these devices •••.• "fr going to explore an alter­ fine as a stop-gap drill press for those •· ... ",Iru·,rl_ nate, less eqUipment-inten­ time I'in the field" jobs, they won't sive strategy for that. In the stability or accurate g4eoniletJ~y fact, as long as you have a more critical work. And few basic power and hand of a hassle than a when Figure 3 tools-including a small-to­ more that just an occasional drill-hole.) medium-sized drill press A few other tools that will be needed unit in a trade with another university (Figure 4)-you can center-drill round metal fabricating center-drilled shafts department-otherwise a new unit of com­ stock which is functionally just as good as pUngs-tools that any wc::ll-C:!qt.:liPlped parable size and quality would have run at can be done with a lathe. tatium should have, anyway-are: least $2000.) While there are hobby lathes Note that I specified having a drill press, vise, a hack saw, drill bits, machine that cost less than a thousand bucks, these rather than a simple hand drill. First, the fol­ ter punch and an assortment tmits are generally intended for model mak­ lowing procedure cannot be accomplished files. In addition, you should have a ers who only need to tum out tiny parts, and without the "relational geometry" afforded quality drill-press vice, and a most are undersized and underpowered for by the drill press. By having a rigid and work of any appreciable size. For instance, unchanging axis of rotation of the drill the Unimat hobby lathe we had when I was chuck, as well as an equally rigid and at Gibbes Planetarium in Columbia SC, was unchanging stage for positioning the work­ unable to satisfactorily outside-cut metal perpendicular to the chuck's rotational stock larger than about a centimeter (3/8 axis-the alignment of the coupling's shaft inch) in diameter or center-drill holes larger bores can be established and controlled. than about 3mm (1/8 inch) without bogging Second, a drill press should be considered down. This was due to the relative lack of basic eqUipment for the planetarian because power of the lathe's motor. (In fact, this Uttle it has the versatility and stability needed for unit had such low torque that it actually many other drilling jobs. (Of course, a hand­ used neoprene O-rings and small plastic pill- held drill is also a necessity for jobs ~here between the motor and headstock!) portability is reqUired, but it cannot provide While a planetarian could certainly use such the relational geometry between stock and a lathe for turning very small parts, the unit is cutting tool-in this case, the drill bit-that Figure 5 quite limited in the types of work it can the drill press can.) Third, smaller drill presses accommodate and still isn't cheap. My per­ are actually ra ther inexpensive, as large (Figure 5), This last item is an accessory for sonal recommendation would be to save machine tools go. If you don't have one the vice, and is block your money and try to shoot for a bench­ already, consider it a ilmust" purchase for of steel with one horizontal and style metal lathe later. That strategy would your planetarium, even if you're not a one-to-three vertical V -grooves. When eventually provide you with a versatile mechanical whiz. A decent, medium-sized placed in the drHl-press vise between the machine capable of handling most any bor- unit can be had at home-improvement standard flat-faced jaws, the prllSITJlatllC stores for less than $300 in the U.s., and such will tightly hold a of a tool will last you for many years. Given its stock-such as tubing or dowel-and it easy-of-use, you'll be glad you purchased one either horizontally or vertically oriented for whenever you have special effects or other drming. (Some drill-press vises even come otor fabrication projects to do. If you can, buy a unit with at least a 13mm (1/2 inch) capacity drill chuck. This will allow you to use larger-size bits as wen as decent-sized metal dowel stock for making couplings, etc. (There are only two caveats to remember here. First, note that many of the home-improvement­ store models include drill chucks manufactured with substandard forging. In other words, while the chuck will function just fine initial- Figure 4 ly, you may find that it will start to Figure 6

48 Planetarian Vol. machining since it tends to ed between the vise's be a bit on the soft side. But countersink into one of the 3-jaw headstock as long as you use plenty of grooves and it into nlacp--If"av'inp" chuck on lathe cutting oil when drilling roughly a centimeter of the bit -n ..,,",Y ..,,,.rl',,,,,,, (spinning) drill and tapping, this material above the jaws. Now adjust and lock-in works fine. On the other press' stage-height to the chuck hand, if you can get a hard­ countersink below the level (stationary) er grade of aluminum for­ dowel-end and tum on the drill press. mulated specifically for the position of the countersink's machining, so much the to the center of the aluminum better. cylinder as you lower it with the drill bit The first step in coupling- press' hand crank. The next is ext:rerne- (wobbling) fabrication is to cut a short Iy critical as the countersink should length of the round alu­ dose as possible to the center of the spinnjlnsz; minum dowel stock-I gen­ dowel, while the initial contact between erally cut about 25mm (l­ dowel and countersink should be as Figure? inch) when making mine. ery-light as possible 10). If the After tightening the dowel contact is or the with an integral prismatic jaw.) Finally, you in the drill-press chuck, it's tial contact-pressure is too great, the bit should get a small machinist's countersink important to make the end of the stock as vise will be spiraled well away from

you with an end which-while not applied to drill the IIstarter hole", perfectly flat-should be essentially the "hole" only needs to be a slight symmetrical (typically a slight dome the dowel as it will simply serve as a center­ shape). While this is an unorthodox ing mechanism for the actual shaft-bore method of machining aluminum, it is bit you'll use later. After a few attc~mlots. nonetheless effective in minimizing should begin to get a IIfeel" for how \ • the surface irregularities at the dowel's works, and become more comfortable \ end This operation will prove neces­ the procedure. co~ntersink sary as we later attempt the center­ Once this starter hole is made, (not wobbling) drilling procedure. (By the way, the an!nrc)nr·i1l1·f'-~:i7.1"c1 drill bit in the vise filing will go faster if you start with a prismatic jaw to actually bore for the shaft coarse-cut file and Figure 8 move down to a fine­ cut file to finish.) irregularities in the stock's end-surface and, Once you've determined as a result, wobble and orbit around the true that the dowel's end is sym­ center, as in Figure? (depicted set up on a metrical-with no remnants lathe). The much squatter length of the of the hacksaw-cut irregulari­ countersink makes it relatively impervious ties, it's time to "find the cen­ to the forces that flex the standard metal ter" of the stock. But first drill bit

Vol. 25, No.2, June 1996 Planetarian (again, using cutting on tionaI motion. Once the tap to keep the bit cool). you can then relax the downward pr~$Sllre. drill After repeating this pro­ Don't expect that be able to .____-chuck cedure for the other the tap into the bore with one "....,...,,\'1-,,,,,,, ... ,,,;: countersink __ (spi~nin~) end of the dowel, both motion. Hand taps have \ I I holes can be tapped for four narrow I I I I the screws. which the metal /p/~ismatic ' For those who chips can quickly haven't done much grooves, making it difficult to q..v~uu,u,".,,", ,.jaw thread-tapping, it's twisting the tap in. The solution important to accurate­ alternate twisting motions as you ly match tap-size to hole. I usually twist the tap in a drill-size. If the drill clockwise, then back out a half-tum r.,...."nihp .._ drill hole is too small for the clockwise, followed by a full-tum CI0,(j('WiS,e. tap, you'll be unable to and so on, which keeps the rr~,nl'\1-Cll1t , press , get the tap to thread chips from binding up the tap as the tap I I , I vise into the hole. If the gressively advances into the hole. hole is too large, the all y, however, as the fill up with threads will be too metal chips, you'n probably need back Figure 10 shallow to hold a the tap out of the hole completely, clean the torqued set screw in tap with an old toothbrush, and resume the (using cutting oil to keep the bit cool). After place. For American-standard screws, tapping again to finish. Be sure to be sensi- that's done, simply repeat the entire process machinists precisely match numbered wire­ tive to any extra resistance or of the on the opposite end of the aluminum gage bits to their taps. While these can be tap during the procedure, as this is a that dowel-using the appropriate-diameter bit acquired in sets of 60, the better hardware the tap-grooves are packing up. Failure to for the other shaft stores sell these bits individually, so you recognize this can lead to poorly-cut threads, Now, all that remains is to side-drill and don't have to purchase a full set if you're or worse, a tap broken-off in your work-an tap holes for set-screws in the dowel. The only drilling a few specific sizes. Typically, event that will usually ruin the as prismatic jaw will help you here as well, as the reqUired drill-bit size will be stamped the tap-piece cannot be twisted out or drilled you can use its horizontal groove to hold the into the tap's shank, serving as a gUide for out. dowel in the proper position for side-drilling. the drill size to buy. Also, make sure to apply Finally, simply return to the apJJrolPri.;:lte­ First, tighten the dowel in the jaw and vise cutting oil to the tap and hole before tap­ sized bits and hand-tum them in the cou­ with about 1/3 of it protruding out the side ping. And be careful when actuall y tapping, pling's center-bores to clean out any of the vise, and use your center punch and a as the tap should be aligned with the drill­ burrs formed by the hammer to impress a starter dimple where hole and firmly torqued-but not overly-so­ ping. Viola! You've finished you want to start drilling. Now, select a drill as it is run into the screw-bore. To get the tap sian motor-shaft coupling for use with bit that corresponds to the screw-tap you'll to start cutting threads, you will probably slew-mirror, or other effect be using, tighten that into the drill press' need to apply some initial downward pres­ nism. chuck, and drill through to the center-bore sure on the tap handle in addition to rota- Look Ma, no lathe!

(Book Reviews, continued from page 30) through and around subjects and then back supporting material into them. His new to and around them again, as was character­ book is far richer in details and his argu­ commonly supposed. Consequently, jesus istic of Dr. Martin's first books on the subject, ments are made in much greater was born a similar number of years later and, the second edition of The Star That Aston­ There is much new material on the "War of equally consequentially for readers of this ished the World puts arguments in sequential Varus," for example, and on the antedlati,ng journal, astronomers had to scan the sky of a order and builds as it goes. Gone is the feeling of their reigns by Herod's sons. His new different period to identify Matthew's Star. that "I thought I just read about that." chronology leaves few ends unraveled and We found ourselves looking at planetary Instead we progress through the topicS such ties back on itself to form a com­ conjunctions during 3 and 2 B.c. rather than as "Who Were the Wise Men?," "Was the Star plete whole. 7 and 6 B.C., and although the general story­ a Real Star?," liThe Time of jesus' Birth," People who own earHer editions of this line is Similar, the astronomical details are l'Astronomy and the Death of Herod," "The book will find these changes and additions certainly qUite different. Historians have not Lunar Eclipse of josephus," liThe War No so substantial that they warrant a yet come to a consensus (my own reading of One Can Find," ''The Two Governorships of new copy. It's another book. It is the essential the past 15 years is that interest is growing Quintilius Varus/' and the "Census of book on the topiC. for Martin's chronology), but many of us Quirinius." Dr. Martin lays out his case, step I find his chronology but am have changed our planetarium presentations by step, for his reorganization of the only an amateur historian. It will be more as a result. chronology of the "Dark Decade" that interesting to see how historians There are two main differences between encompassed the death of Herod, the birth view it and what The Birth of Christ Recalculated and the new­ of jesus, and a major (but almost forgotten) This new book presents a historical est edition of The Star That Astonished the war in the Middle East. package that cannot be dismissed and that World. First, the organization is immeasur­ Second, Dr. Martin has had 17 years to may have redefined the of this ably improved. Rather than wandering develop his arguments and to integrate new most interesting period.

50 Planetarian Vol. To p/anetarians who say~

IAIlld control my theater with SPICE Automation if it cost Ie.," "

The best media control system money can buy now costs less money. A lot less. Take our new TlIYME II Data/ Time Interface. It costs over 60% less than its predecessor. Our new NUTMEG utility cards make automated dimming and switching functions dramatically less expensive. New pricing on existing SPICE Automation hardware delivers even more savings. If yoUre planning a new or revi­ talized theater, call us for a quote. The best is within reach. Sky-Skan, Inc. 5 J Lake Street Nashua NH 03060-4513 USA Tol/-free 800-880-8500 Tel. 603-880-8500 Fax 603-882-6522 previous director retired. It's been quite a ing experience as we have rli"''''''''''''''''''",rl change and a lot of fun. We have over 45,000 poorly science is in schools student visits per year, and work closely with primary ones we work in). AooaJ:entlv two district observatories at our outdoor lab the last 30 years, there has been no emph,asis schools up in the mountains. I persuaded the placed on science by the state govemments­ district to replace the old Goto star projector with the result little is done. (I say apJ)an~ntl,y with a new Zeiss last summer, and have been because we only moved here 4 years doing a lot of work on that and getting this information has been Brought to you by and of things up to speed in related areas. to other 'locals'). So I syrnp'ithize in terest to: "Although the facility is a moderately have read about in the newsletter Powerful Interactive large one (10.1 meter dome) I have found Har comments in your country. that, ever since POPS, my sympathies and probably guess how an this Planetarium Systems instructional style have been far more in income!" synch with the Starlab planetariums and the Paul goes on to ask for information Susan Reynolds POPS philosophy than with the 'star theater' acquiring materials from the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison mind-set so prevalent in the IPS today. I'd files, locations of people who have like to get involved with your group and get men ted with alternative bulbs B.O.C.E.S. Planetarium different ideas for the programs here. We are Starlab people eXIJerilenlced P.O. Box 4774 doing strictly live educational programs and use of GOTO EX-3 in the Starlab we do not do any of the canned, pre-record­ he induded an announcement of a Syracuse, New York ed, ZOO-slide megashows." ence he is involved in for 433-2671 I sent Jim a heart-felt "Hello Again." We Their first conference in 1994 attracted 19 had a wonderful time learning about interac­ teachers/individuals. The second 1995 fax: (315) 433-1530 tive lessons at that first POPS session because attracted 47 and they are aiming for 100+ in [email protected] the whole group of people involved were 1997. This Southern Star Conference very upbeat and interesting. I also sent him held in Brisbane on March 15, 1997 and will some information about the Portable be jointly run by the Brisbane Astronomical Preparations for Japan's IPS '96 conference Planetarium Committee and the public Society and Southern Star Education. Paul consume everyone's minds, and final touch­ domain files as well as some information states, "The organizing committee is es are being made to plans for an exciting about our latest projects. I am so happy he the following: speakers for the cOIlferenlce, workshop of interest to portable users. wants to get involved funds to anow the above to attend Working with Loris Ramponi (Italy) and Lars the conference, educational materials (sam­ Broman (Norway) to provide a unique and Paul Floyd (Southern Star Education, Lot ples) to display at the conference. (You interesting workshop has been very reward­ 25 Doncaster Drive, Beechmont Q.4211, have damaged stock which is unsell able. ing. We feel we've designed an experience for Australia; e-mail [email protected]) to the lack of a budget, we would participants that will be both inspiring and writes, "I am writing to say HI! I joined the to return this material. It would be fun. Announcements will be made during International Planetarium Society in June of the tnlln'{,ui.",a this workshop about a new Starlab cylinder 1995 .... I have been reading your column for who we can aDl)roclch and also the initiation of a contest involving with interest as we are starved of informa­ would even a written the Starlab "dear" cylinder. These announce­ tion 'down under'. support from your V."',lU •. U.....' ...... 'A. ments will then will be repeated in the "In fact reading the first copy of the IPS Southern Star Conference is attem,pti,ng September '96 Mobile News Network col­ newsletter was a bit like a breath of fresh do. A letter of support would be umn. air-reading about people working in plane­ 'proving' to the education tariums. Up until then, I have been limited authorities that the aims of the conference American Teacher in Italy: to astronomy magazines. 'ProfeSSionally are important and worth proper­ starved' you might say. (I have also just sent ly." Several applications have been received away my membership application to 'The I sent the information reclueste:o from highl y qualified planetarians for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific'-to get ter of support. I encourage you to experience of a week in Italy. Our decision even more information) .... in any way you can. Thanks for will be made soon and the participant will ill have been runn ing a small business/ser­ Pauli it sounds like you into this new be announced in the next column. Don't for­ vice for two years offering planetarium pro­ career with both feet. I like your ne'N'sllett{~r. get-this will be an annual opportunity. grammes in a Starlab planetarium to ..... rin·"".. " Astronomy For Teachers, your Think about applying for 1997. and secondary schools. I have made a few enthusiasm to network (my customized projectors-Milky Way, up the good work and stay in touch. Co rrespondence: 'N.E.W.S.' direction projector and projector Jim Beaber (ZOO Kipling Street, Lakewood, for measuring the height of the sun at mid­ and Smith (KensillgtC)fl

CO 80226 USA; e-mail [email protected]) day throughou t the seasons (every 10 Planetarium, Kensington House LJU.UAL\,,;U, wrote to remind me of the wonderful time degrees). The inspiration for these has come 215, Chickamauga, GA we had at the POPS 189 training in San from receiving the 'PASS' manuals with the [email protected]) wrote to some Francisco and to tell me what he's up to Starlab. I also use a slide projector and wire­ new materials in the files and to these days. He tens me, III ran a small plane­ less microphone in the planetarium (as I a homepage which would r''''''II''r'I:>nt'''' tarium in the Ft. Lupton, Colorado school speak an day). Most (90%) of my work is rna terials available from the district for 14 years before taking over the done with primary aged students ... Planetarium Committee. (This Jeffco Planetarium this past year after the "Unfortunately, it has been an eye open- works.)

52 Planetarian Vol. (15 Queensberry Avenue, any date, place, and time on earth extremely Canberra who offer four units for Hartlepool, Cleveland. TS26 9NW, United useful. Not only can you show simple mag ject to operator (1993 Quest,acoln Kingdom; e-mail Raymond@STARGAZR one skies, but you can gradually introduce leaflets list charges of $220-AustraHan DEMON.Co.UK) is the most prolific e-mail the dimmer stars bit by bit. The programme I first day hire which includes writer and my valued UK connection. He use is called 'Skymap 2.2' and it is absolutely training for one $110 per writes, II ••• As soon as we got back from Italy brilliant for printing maps. It is so quick and ond and and it was an hands to the pumps in the con­ easy. It was written by a young fanatic living evening hire and shows Starlab operators struction of a planetarium dome built for a in Cheshire, England. We haven't met, but every state except Tasmania gentleman new to our fraternity, by the we correspond from time to time. You can Northern Territory.)' name of John Napper (3 Blewberry Road, get a shareware version from the net, but I (Ray continues) My cor'fes:pond~ent East Hagboume, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK). subscribe to a more developed version. It did from a northern suburb of You'd like him. He is a postman with a very not cost much. Details can be obtained in in that area which was devastated happy family of two young children, a boy America from: J.A.S.c. Inc., 10901 Red Circle did not push the because and a girl. He lives in a country village about Drive, Suite 340, Minnetonka, MN 55343 or that mishap. I often wondered what ten miles south of Oxford. It is a delightful Internet [email protected] of him. He moved, of course, and I have place. Behind his house is a long green gar­ To cut a long story short, the bulb experi­ addresses: Mr. Tom Raabe, 901 Halrre:njcley den. When you walk down the garden, a ments are still going on. One of the bulbs Road, Palm Beach, NSW 2108 and PO dome confronts you. This is an observation proved to be the eqUivalent to the Starlab 278, Mona Vale, NSW 2103 Australia. There's dome. There is a larger dome further down bulb with a better pin structure, so that I the Australia connection. I it is of and this is another observation dome con­ could construct a simple handle for the lamp help. It may be old hat to you, but verted into a small planetarium. School and and it could be changed without skin con­ down for what it's worth" Scout groups come to programmes there in tact. It retails at $10 if you buy from 1 to And yet another note from growing numbers and the two children ninety nine. The life is quoted at 4,000 hours. this year there have been no mobile accept it all as a part of their normal exis­ (Welch Allyn Inc., Lamp Division, 4619 in Scotland This is now ch:an~~in:g. tence. It was but a small step for him to Jordon Road, Skaneateles, NY 13152 - Phone week in Newcastle decide to go peripatetic with a mobile dome. number: 315-685-4560 "Precision Lamps" cat­ giving shows every day, it was As he already has his projector, an Apollo, he alogue # is 01213). I passed this info along to Conference of the British Association for did not reqUire the whole apparatus and he Phillip Sadler by snail mail. The other high Advancement of Science and I was en­ liked what he saw of one of my domes. He powered bulbs proved useless for Starlab pur­ sconced in a large basement my placed an order with me and I complied. poses because they have a longer filament voice) whilst hundreds of children were Josie (Ray's wife) and I made it after our and it shows on the screen. However the shouting outside my dome doing scientific return from Italy (late October) and deliv­ Cosmodysee projector does not use photo­ projects. (I really did lose my voice, or very ered it to his home on the last day of graphic film but uses plastic of some thick­ nearly; people do not realize that the dome is November. We spent a couple of hours in a ness. This allows a filament of longer dimen­ not sound proof.) I was visited by a local school showing him the dome. He sion to be used. In fact, the bulb used is man who stayed a short while and who seemed pleased with it." underpowered but has a longer filament. I me his card. He turned out to be Professor I asked Ray to examine the public domain have sent one of the higher powered lamps John Brown of materials in my files to determine the value down to London where Peter Bassett is going of placing some of them in a booklet of tips to try it out ... I'll sign off now and go to play our most astronomers a for portables. His comments: "I collected the a game of table tennis in my large dome. commensurate with their standing, we box of your stuff from Undine Concannon Incidentally, now I am getting use to the them titles. John Brown is 'The Astronomer and have begun to farm some of it out to size, it is seeming better and better and the Royal' of Scotland, no less. Well anyway, he local school customers of mine to get some Starlab bulb is quite adequate." contacted me on the net later and we have reaction. I have already begun to form an In another note Ray told me, 1/ A couple of been corresponding regular! y ever since. opinion of one aspect of the work. Before I years ago, when my efforts with the first gave him a detailed resume of the mobile started using inflatable domes, I taught dome got some exposure in Astronomy Now, dome availability (world wide) because he astronomy to examination standard. The a British magazine, a gentleman (Tom Raabe) was coming into a little money and was exam won't mean anything to you, but was wrote to me from Sydney making inquiries. intending to buy three domes to onl~raite a national exam for sixteen-year-oIds. The In his correspondence was an address which from Glasgow, Edinburgh, and St. aspect I wish to discuss is the drawing of con­ may be useful to you in your world-wide Universities. In short (is that £-,V,;);)AILlAI; stellation figures. I find it most useful to keep quest. I shall pass it on anyway. I quote: 'The 771), he is now operational himself and treat- the figure restricted to the positions of the Australian representative is Journeyman it like a new I am to him stars in the sky and not to let the imagina­ Educational Services, 4 Stanley Street, set of of your 'box', His e~mail address tion rip. Often, the drawings have no refer­ Williamstown, Victoria 3016 Australiai Tel. is: [email protected],uk" ence to the astronomical content. Such fig­ 03 399 9089 fax 03 397 8239 The managing I had heard of the Australian dealer before ures, used at the younger levels, confuse Director is a Mr. Charles Treleaven. Our oper­ Ray contacted me but not Tom Raabe--I will pupils when they are presented with the ations extend beyond marketing Starlab in try to search him, as well out. actual sky and they are absolutely useless for Australia and New Zealand. In Victoria, we Ray is an and ".n:~pl'·t::tilnirICl' teaching astronomy to the older ones. I pre­ run a school visiting service and our field spondent and so fer to present the children with the star maps experience in that is available to those con­ names of new contacts. Thank and let them see why such groups got their sidering similar activity. We do not hire our much Ray. names. To this end I find the use of star map W1its out. If you want to operate in that way, programmes which can print out the sky for you may like to con tact Questacon in

Vol. 25, No.2, June 1996 Planetarian I l?-ave begun having fun exploring this program and it is great so far! You can An Idea for the get a copy at your nearest NASA Teacher The Italian Planetaria's Friends Association, in collaboration with the Resource Center or caU NASA CORE (216) Planetarium in Presov (Slovakia) and other European planetarium mstltultlons, 774-1051, extension 293 or 294. You can get support of the Serafino Zani Study and Research Center, organize a contest for this program for very little money (maybe annual "Day of Planetaria". Professional or amateur graphic can prurticipa.te about $20 USA) . ing a project by October 15.1996, to the contest secretary. . Astronomy Village: Investigating the The mark logo can include: Universe (Lorain County lVC, 15181 Route 58 - The representation of an astrono'mical subject, or of a planetarll1m South, Oberlin, OH 44074 USA; Phone (216) (this one does not have to describe a specific instrument, 774-1051 Ext. 293/294) Copyright 1995 by lar planetarium product); Wheeling Jesuit College/Classroom of the - The followings words: "Day of Planetaria"; - The logo will be drawn in black and white and in two formats centimeters Future. Astronomy Village was produced and timeters base). developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Cooperative Each participant can present more than one drawing in the contest. Agreement NCCW-0012. "This is an exciting AU the drawings for the contest will be exposed in a simultaneous exhibition held in different planetaria of different countries on March 1997, in occasion multimedia program that supplements high "Day of Planetaria". The drawings will also be published in Il "n,nn·nrrl·n school curricula. Although designed for by Serafino Zani Study and Research Center. ninth grade, the software can be used at All the drawings will be examined """'I"",rI,, " I other grade levels. Ten investigations cover a Iadwiga Biala (Observatory and Planetarium in Planetarium Association - Broman Planetarium, uoteClorJ~- broad cross-section of current research areas Lenzova (Observatory and Planetarium in Presov, in astronomy. Each investigation encourages Planetarium Committee - OCM BOCES Planetarium, -';'""'H'111CP students to in scientific inquiry as (Vilnius Planetarium, Lithuania). a member of a cooperative learning group. Each planetarian of the pre-committee, without I~'hH'"'' (Each participant can present more than one in the Nrume ______

Address ______(See the accompanying sidebar at right) City ______

Starlab Country ______. Two articles in the latest "Starlab News" Please insert your postal code in the proper space newsletter especially caught my interest: Occupation ______"Using Starlab to Implement the National Science Education Standards from the Year of birth _____ National Resource Council (USA)" and "Funding Update." The first article outlines Description of the drawing/s (optional; please attach): just what the title indicates and could be

54 Planetarian Vol. used by many of us when printing (justifying?) curriculum and/or developing curriculum. You Original National Geogra c ~.e"[-.r7-"""" ...... ,.... - can request a copy of this newsletter from LTI; Observatory Sky Survey to be Available on 8 ~-A'\.""'J.V.ll.Ul ask for Starlab News Issue XV, Spring/Summer 1996 (see phone/e-mail below). The second arti­ from the Astronomical Sodety cle states that if your organization is The Space Telescope Science Institute and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific tax-exempt under IRS Code 501 (c) (3) you may announce the availability of RealSky CD, the digitized Palomar Observatory seek funding from: DuPont Corporate Survey compressed by a factor of 100x, available on 8 CD-ROMs. Software included Contributions Program, National Science allows users to view images under Windows 3.1, 95, NT, Macintosh, UNIX, and VMS Foundation Instructional Materials Develop­ systems. The more than 800 plate images are digitizations of the E plates, taken with ment, NEC Foundation of America, The Bay the 48-inch Schmidt telescope on Palomar Mountain during the 1950s. RealSky CD is Foundation, The Coca-Cola Foundation, The a more compressed version of the original Digitized Sky Survey roSS) which was Hitachi Foundation, and Toyota/TAPESTRY made available on 102 CD-ROMs two years ago. The DSS was compressed a factor Grants. If you need additional information on of 10 and offered images that were nearly indistinguishable from the original data grant writing and funding sources for a Starlab, The 100x compression of RealSky is not suitable for professional research activity but contact LTI at 800-537-8703 (or write them at provides an invaluable tool for educational and amateur communities. The cost is their new e-mail [email protected]) for $225 prior toJuly 1, 1996, and $250 after July 1, plus shipping. To order, contact: a free copy of IIGrant Writing: Secrets of Success" (Issue XU, Winter 1995 of Starlab News) The Astronomical Society of the Pacific and/or the Learning Technologies "Funding RealSk y CD Orders Guide". 390 Ashton Avenue San FranCisco, CA 94112 USA Signing Off: (1) 415-337-1100 That's all for this time-hope to see many of (1) 415-337-5205 fax you in Japan. "* [email protected]

Vol. 25, No.2, June 1996 Planetarian 55 rf"k.f-IIn. ~!"IIJ"4!I continued from page 14) unequaled clarity as they match the action integr'at~~d into a planeltariumt's of the show across the sky. With the USM, ing sound system. The the even distribution of sound for all mem­ one can thrill audiences with convincing with the USM is its inherent cOlmplatibilitv bers of the audience. Other planetaria may demonstrations of the Doppler shift, or, set not only with components expect to achieve the same fine results as off stellar explosions across the dome of the systems, but with emel1l;'mg imlofOlvelmeln.ts, they blend in the use of the USM to their theater, and every member of the audience even in such entertainment technol()gi(~s own operations. will hear the sound equall y, no matter where high-definition television. Working in concert with a prescribed plan they sit. As audiences are inc:reasingly dis,crilmulat­ of installation, the USM balances perfectly A breakthrough concept that will not ing in their choice of information aU recorded sounds, voice, and music, and break your budget, the USM can provide an tainment, the that then levels, mixes, delays, and distributes the audience with the kind of audio fidelity and audiences with shows must cOlltume correct combination to the proper speaker true sound balance that is attainable for find informative and ",,,,iF"""·""';1"';""'''' locations. The resulting effect is that every every size of planetarium theater. In addition speaker is used as sound reinforcement for to the full-sized unit The Adler Planetarium every other speaker location, giving an enjoys in its Sky Theater, the USM is now unparalleled distribution of even sound. available in a more .compact unit to match With the USM the sky show producer or the the size and existing audio format of every sound engineer can program their existing planetarium. This means that the smaller tarium must maintain a sound system to respond with voice, music, theater can achieve the same full delivery remain With the inc:realSU'lll! and sound effects across the domed ceiling of and perfect quality of universal sound that sophistication of audiences and the planetarium theater. The USM's unique audiences in the larger theater already enjoy. of theater these audiences have sound delay technique allows every listener To avoid replacing existing audio compo­ expect, innovations, such in a theater to hear music, voice, and sound nents, the USM supports all audio formats, Universal Sound MatriX, allow effects equally, as they happen, and with induding all digital sound techniques, and is tarium to maintain that

Astronomy Education: Current Developments, ASP Conference Series Proceedings Volume Now Available

Astronomy Education: Current Developments, Future Coordination may well be the most book pu1bli~)hed history of astronomy education, and is the first comprehensive look at the many facets of astronomy education in North ica. It is the proceedings of an ASP symposium, held in Maryland in June 199,5, which attracted over 150 of the most active astronomy educators, from both schools and colleges, and from the infonnal science education Almost all of individuals contributed to this volume through the plenary papers, contributed poster papers, :,,,,,,,,-'>, •• ,,,,, and general comments. The plenary papers begin with an overview of astronomy education worldwide and in the then examine riculum reform, research on students learning processes, hands-on activities and teaching resources (electronic and and the roles of NSF, NASA, AAS, national observatories, professional astronomers, and planetariums. The needs of colleges and of under-served populations are specifically addressed. An innovative feature of this book is the eight small-group discussions: post-secondary astronomy, K-12 astronomy, teacher preparation, informal science edl1cauoll1, public education, reaching undeserved groups, creating networks and coalitions, and appropriate technology. These followed by general comments and discussion. Following the dozens of short papers on projects and programs, there are comprehensive catalogs of national .....:,.. .• "" .. ...,... cation projects. and selected resources for teaching astronom y. This book will inform and inspire everyone who is interested or involved in astronomy education at any level: amateur professional astronomers, teachers, planetarians, and other astronomy communicators. The cost of Astronomy Education: Current Developments, Future Coordination and all ASP Conference Series PrC)Ce~OO11n.gS volumes is $44.50 which includes shipping and handling within the U.S. There is a for to non-U.S. addresses. Orders for Astronomy Education, Volume 89 of the ASP Conference Series Proceedings. ISBN #: 886733-10-4) by check, purchase order, or credit card (Visa or Mastercard) should be sent to : Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series Orders 390 Ashton A venue San Francisco, CA 94112 U.S.A fax: (1) 415 .337 .5205 asp@) stars. sfsu.edu

56 Planetarian Vol.

ments because 1) it's next to my desk, has a and 3) I can document as I think of it. At my newer machines with printi,ng are often in use. You may have wait in line, or in some cases, the are in different than the computers. Ah, Df()lWess! I'll bet you can still read my He message. (Did you know that He has

spr'ea(isheet and database \..U I-'uuu All\...": -I'm a computer class elTlPrlasi,ziIlg educational uses of the computer; we're cur­ DflJC1111Cimr "slide shows" "Power­ . Will I ever use it outside of this class? I don't know yet. Just because I can do doesn't mean I will use it! -I love e-mail, but I don't feel to read it every when I feel like it. If you want to talk to me, better caB me on the You won't get an machine ... if you want to talk to me and I'm not caB back. (I don't machine which the res:ponsibility contact back on me when it's that wants to talk.) -J have several computer groups. I have learned to delete most after I read it, even if it's very because I have stages of e-mail insinuation: Phase 1) I must read it and it, someone else may want to read it too. Phase 2) I have stacks of messages and when I look at them, remember I them. it , check my it Phase 3) it. in letters. I have embraced the comput- er, the the whole but on my terms. Here's what I mean: - I stick to one font and the time, and throw in

UU'AUA.U'I...I;;;. or underline. Duncan Planetarian from Plane­ M«:mlptlis, Tennessee says, "You can ten when someone has learned how to use fonts on the computer. Their first document looks like a ransom the Air and note!" for eX(lmlple, and art file" or IIscan a mean the document with aPlJropriate empty space, cut a out of a book and paste it into the space, and then find copy machine." (I you to teU the differ­ of Venus except ence and 1 bet I can do it faster than you can ternplate to fit the camera look hundreds of art .nhe"::."'·"; ...... their ..... ," ..~..,.,. sCI~olmQ~ed iOCJkiln2 for one which sort looks like comet. I've got lots of astronomy books and use it to malg~1:.inles with of comets.) and move it to get the desired size. -I still use my He for lots of docu- The worked weB. The scientists

Planetarian Last July, Florida's Brevard Community College hosted the International Planetarium Society. Pictured above are some of the nearly 500 planetarians from around the ONLY world who gathered to exchange ideas and witness America's first Minolta Infinium FROM THE Planetarium. The result was nothing less than dazzling. For more information about MIND the Infinium and other model projectors, call your nearest Minolta representative today. OF After all, at Minolta we know that once you have seen our sky, you too will believe. MINOLTA Worldwide: In North America: In Japan: Minolta Company, Ltd. Minolta Corporation Minolta Planetarium Co., Ltd. Planetarium Operations Planetarium Division World Trade Center Bldg. 2-4-1 Esaka CTS Center 101 Williams Drive Hamamatsu-Cho 2-30 Toyotsu-Cho Ramsey, N.J. 07446, USA Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105, Japan Suita-Shi, Osaka 564, Japan Tel: (201) 934-5347 Tel: 03-3435-5511 Tel: 06-386-2050 Fax (201)818-0498 Fax 03-3435-5520 Fax 06-386-2027 MINOLTA DIGISTAR©II Is THRILLING PLANETARIUM VISITORS AROUND THE WORLD

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