PLANETARIAN Journal of the International Society Vol. 26, No.3, September 1997

Articles 5 Projections from Gallatin ...... Gary Likert 10 How Thinking Goes Wrong ...... Michael Shermer 17 Astronomy - A Beginning ...... Jim Manning 21 14th International Planetarium Conference ...... IPS'98

Features 26 Opening the Dome ...... Jon U. Bell 29 Planetarium Memories ...... , ...... Kenneth E. Perkins 31 Planetechnica: Shoestring Wire Management ...... Richard McColman 34 Forum ...... Steve Tidey 39 Book Reviews ...... April S. Whitt 45 Mobile News Network ...... Sue 47 ',X/hat's New ...... Jim Manning 51 Gibbous Gazette ...... Christine Shupla 53 Regional Roundup ...... Lars Broman 58 President's Message ...... Thomas Kraupe 62 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] Planetarian. USN 0090-3213) SOciety. ©1997, International Planetarium SOciety, Inc., authors are opinions are not ne<:es~>artly ctarium Society. its officers, or agents. ad,rert1s{:m(~nt:s, rurlnC)UI1lCeXnexlts, material does not endorsement agents. The Editor welcomes items for consideration for pUI::lUc:atlon. Se tern "Guidelines for Contributors" on page 56 this issue Editor reserves the right to edit any manuscript to suit this pulbli(~atiion

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...... " ..... LJ ...... r-, •• Planetarium P.O. Box 1480 Jon U. Bell )llen1:r.u! the Koc:nes:ter, New York 14603 USA Lars Broman Available from: Charlene Oukes Jane G. 1-1..,. ",1-,;-.-. ri''''' Jane's \,;c.rnler IPS Back Publications ""'-~-'V"JJ'"''''''

...... AU.'L4Ar-, ... Planetarium P.O. Box 1480 J:{Q(:he~;ter, New York 14603 USA Jim ...... ,.£"> A cumulative index of major articles that have What's New

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Vol. Plane tar ian President Execu.tive Secr@~tacrv Historlan/Photo~A.rchivist ThornasVV. Kraupe Lee Ann Hennig. Planetari'um John Hare EuroPlaNet @ imagicX Thomas Jefferson High School Ash F.nb·r..... ri"'p'" Rumfordstr. 41 6560 Braddock Road 3602 VVest D-80469 Muenchen (Munich) . Virginia 22312 USA Bradenton, 34205 USA Gennany (1) 703-750-8380 (1) 941-746-3522 +49 89 21031531 (1) 703-750-5010 fax (1) 941-750-9497 fax +49 89 21031532 fax [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer and Membership Pu.blications Chair President Elect Ch.air April VVhitt Dale Shawn Laatsch Fernbank Science Center Planetarium Arthur Storer Planetarium 156 Heaton Park Drive NE Physics & Astronomy Dept. 600 Dares Beach Road . Georgia 30307 USA Bowling State University Prince Frederick, MD 20678 (1) 404-378-4314 ext 221 Bowling Green. OH 43403 USA USA (1) 404-370-1336 fax (1) 419-372-8666 (1) 410-535-7339 april. whitt@fernbankedu (1) 419-372-9938 fax [email protected] [email protected] Elections Committee Chairman 1998 Conference Chair Steven Mitch Past President Undine Concannon Benedum Natural Science Jim Manning Planetarium Administrator Center Taylor Planetarium Planetarium Oglebay Park Museum of the Rockies Marylebone Road Wheeling, VVV 26003 USA Bozeman Montana 59717 USA London NW 1 5LR (1) 304-243-4034 (1) 406-994-6874 (1) 304-243-4110 fax (1) 406-994-2682 fax (44) 171-486-1121 72467.2051 @compuserve.com [email protected] (44) 171-465-0862 fax conference: June 28 - July 2

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Association of French-Speaking (81) 3-3396-4391 RtUlsian P~metalriu:m$ As:!ilo<~:i.a·Uon Planetariums pumeUU'lwn Association (81) 3-3396-4393 fax Zinaida P. Sitkova Agnes Acker Dennis Simopoulos [email protected] No'vr!o:rod Planetarium Planetarium Eugenides Planetarium Polsl1ycllinsky SYezd 5-A Universite Louis Syngrou Avenue-Amfithea Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society Nmrf1.Drod.603 Rue de L'Observatoire . Laura Deines 6700 Strasbourg. (30) 1-941-1181 Southworth Planetarium fax 33-388 212042 (30) 1-941-7372 fax PO Box 9300 33-388 212045 fax [email protected]. Portland. Maine 04104-9300 (1) 207-780-4249 Southeastern P1l;lne,taE~iuJn Assoc. of Mexican Great Lakes Planetarium Assoc. (l) 207-780-4051 fax John Hare Ignacio Castro Pinal Susan Reynolds [email protected] Ash VntF'Tnri'''PQ Museo Technologico C.F.E. Onondaga-Cortland -Madison 3602 West Apartado Postal 18-816 B.O.C.E.S. Planetarium Nordic Planetarium Association Bradenton, Florida 34205 CP 11870 City. D.F. Mexico P.O. Box 4774 Lars Broman 941-746-3522 (52) 55-16-13-57 Syracuse. New York 13221 USA Broman Planetarium 941-750-9497 fax (52) 55-16-55-20 fax (1) 315-433-2671 Ostra 1 (1) 315-433-1530 fax 3-791 71 British Assoc. of Planetariums [email protected] (46) 2310 177 Southwestern AsS04ciatioin Undine Concannon (46) 2310 137 (fax) Planetariums London Planetarium Great Plains Planetarium Assoc. [email protected] Marlybone Road April Whitten. Business Mgr. London NWI 5LR. England Mallory Kountze Planetarium 200 52nd St. (44) 171-487-0227 60th & Dodge Streets Oklahoma OK (44) 171-465-0862 fax Omaha. Nebraska 68182 USA Pacific Planetarium Assolclati(l~n (1) work (1) 402-554-2510 Jon Elvert (1) 405-424-5106 fax Canadian Council of Science (1) 402-554-3100 Lane ESD Planetarium wayne. [email protected] Centres [email protected] 2300 Leo Harris John Dickenson. Managing Director Eugene. Oregon USA Uknmian Pla,netalriUlm.$ Pacific Science Centre Italian Planetaria's Friends Assoc. (1) 541-461-8227 Dr. Alexander Lenin 1100 Chestnut St. Loris Ramponi (1) 541-687-6459 fax !{elJut)lic:aA Planetarium . BC V6J 3J9 Canada National Archive of Planetaria [email protected] Krasnoarmeiskaia 604-738-7817 ex 234 c/o Centro studi e ncerche Serafmo http://www.efn.org/-esd-p1f/ Kiev 252 005, 604-736-5665 fax Zani 227-51-66 [email protected] via Bosca 24. CP 104 Mountain Planetarium 227-51-43 fax 25066 Lumezzane (Brescia), Council of German Planetariums (39) 30 298 3686 John R. Peterson. RMPA President Prof.Dr. Dieter B. Herrmann (39) 30370 1048 fax EI Paso ISD Planetarium Zeiss-Grossplanetarium 6531 Boeing Dr. Prenzlauer Allee 80 Planetarium Society El Paso. Texas 79925 USA D-10405 Berlin. ltoh (1) 915-779-4316 +49-30-42184512 Suginami Science Education Center 0) 915-779-4098 fax +49-30-4251252 fax 3-3-13 Shimizu. Suginami-ku. [email protected] 167

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4 • • • motions of the heavens. J I I I I

Theater of the Fantastic. That's how I char­ finally decided that Christmas 1996 was the acterize what has come to pass in a strange time. The dome described below was circular chamber behind a barn and other than the Star Theater toy of pla,nerarLUIJ(l, I had nothing with which to fantastic memory - of dreams out generate even test star images. One of the to touch me instead of the other way I had worried about was a around. After 30 years of dreaming ... and larj~e-€m(mgh hole in the southern pole to Home Planetarium Association members get a light assembly in. I had no eXl:>erien<:e worldwide me I can do this I metal. My father-in-law suggested have done it, my friends. I have created my the solution that was simple: a cone own world, no, my own little universe. It is built. The thing is done. I have you to thank. I lay tonight in a darkened room! Mozart After 30 years of /:!I'''",',;::jWlli''Ill plays dreamily as the multi-hued sky above members worldwide telling me I can sports a blaZing, hazed yellow sun. As the friends. I have created my own music swells, this vision disappears, to be replaced by a fantastic A town faintly on the northern horizon, with shaped grinding stone on an electric drm phosphorescent barns and farmland to the shaft. This quickly enlarged the hole to the south. A single penlight throws fantastic suitable size. Whew, I was in business! Now shadows up on the vault overhead, silhouet­ kit-bashing paid off, as I had ordered the ting an improbable combination of steel. But Lawrence Han of Science Planetarium kit. I now pinpOints of light emerge in the dark stole the light stalk assembly, complete with shadows. A feeling of something important screw-in light socket, and superglued it into a coming fills the air. Now the atmosphere hollow threaded pipe about 3/4 inch in plunges into darkness and a virtual miracle diameter. Several reducing washers were occurs. The stars come out. No, not gradually implied for a tight fit. The same size room, I had a time as in - I a dramatic was screwed to the base of the cen­ it featured a metal axis all entrance. One minute I'm contemplating the tered on the access hole. The stalk and had cardboard eOllat,on;,u rich, dark hues of mother nature, the next I could then be inserted into the and can see forever. the whole globe/flange screwed onto the If you'll indulge me, I'll describe in detail light stalk assembly. Unfortunately, how it came about. initial testing I managed to and break the Lawrence power supply, my hopes of an AC powered light unit. Un­ Many of you know that I got my start, daunted, I converted the Ught socket over to (HPA - the Home Planetarium Association battery power and now use two D cells in a too), when I picked up the Starry Messenger Radio Shack holder. I now had a star­ baH. (astronomy want ad periodical) one day in The mounting involved several choices. I 1995 and saw Richard Emmons' add for drilled starballs. I immediately bought one wanted something tall to allow a to put accessories underneath, and a floor knowing that "I'd do something with it someday." Correspondence led to Richard's mount. I decided upon something suggestion for a newsletter, leading to the based on several factors. First, I'm not good HPA Newsletter and Sumner Skies Plane­ with motors, gears etc., and therefore a hand­ turned mount was planned for the start. A tarium. Its funny, but several times before then I had almost cut off my subscription to simple mount could also, of course, be Starry Messenger, but something always made upgraded later. But this also agreed with a me hold back. Boy am I glad I did! philosophy of mine to the displayed After almost two years of storing the 11- star stationary during shows. star shows and covered the disks would be more about wonder and basic con­ inch unpainted metal Art earth globe, I now I have filled these with caulk stellation recognition than explaining the

Vol. No.3, September 1997 Planetarian ed them. I intend on separate nr,."i&>rtinn stereo unit in one of the four devices for the solar system. table, and two more hold the sp{~aKlers. be needled out later should I ",h", ... I wanted to be in the center to mind start, with no waH-mounted ~iJ .... """,'... a", The h",eiil"'",Uhl c~Jmp!eted prc)jector looked The fourth great on its small table in the center of the circular chamber, but now I needed a mCliector. For way to mount I knew consist of Costar hand-held slide TH'£"\ipf'tnr..: that I wanted to teach the constellations and as too (Wolf Camera, $10 each) married to PVC their and therefore I'd need a number mounted a IOO-watt blue sockets from various of slide projectors. This need, plus the vision prc)jector base, I then purctllaS€~ at the Parent/Teacher of school children around the pro­ jector, lead to the idea of building a cage spot with red, around it. This was simply acc:oIIlplilsh€~d The yenow one bending bar-steel and them an excellent sun in the blue sky, together. One mistake I made was that which I have over the although the projector table itself was built western so if I need more I'll make more. into the ground and free from floor vibra­ two in,one and tions, I had not allowed room for the sur­ with the red from the spotlight and one so()tughts available rounding cage, and hence the cage and with the blue gel. The effect is a watercolor everything on it does vibrate a bit when the sunset, which is I think, than trying to floor is walked on. I put in be one hundred percent realistic. wife will be some shows for floor-level and cage bars, but An bonus of these pn;~sclho()l classes, I will arrange their additional ones can always be added for at the base of the orC)jector es so that she goes down more accessories should the need arise. A are the fantastic '~tionenlenl~e-IiKle' Dr()jec:tors as the narration insulator tube a ows that are thrown up on the overhead different colored wire dome! In the see a I wanted a control with a"''''''''

6 Planetarian ing the full majesty of the heavens! The ner of the then out a door in the dark horiwn is perfect because initial­ into the back As I write this I am added ly it is brighter when the eye has not yet a 6 x 12-foot front section to function as a totally become adjusted, then fades as the small museum/sUde tank for eye sensitivity increases. Initially I didn't do school groups who come to visit the trees with the glow-!n-the-dark paint, but I have since added it since it simulates 4 sections nailed to the floor moonlit branches and is quite surrealistic. The dome intimidated me, I must admit. then bent 8-foot of After the show, the penlight again is turned around the pelriITlet4er For someone who has trouble ..., ..... & ...u ... ,.. on, but with constellation projectors still on things with straight the of a and top of the four

Vol. 26, No.3, September 1997 Planetarian ting in there, and began bending it around If you've never built a dome, its an exhila­ indicators, which were mounted on the the upper rim of the circular wall long-ways. rating feeling the first time you light it up, walls at the cardinal points. This got me It worked! For the first layer anyway; I sta­ lay on the floor and gaze up. Its as if you've away from my various plans for pled it into place. I had begun to climb up somehow created a planet. double wall to provide a bay, a the sky! I hastily bought more 4 x 8 panel bay off the thin walls; stringing Christmas pieces and completed my way around the The Horizon lights along the horizon, and so on. I'm no entire circumference to a height of 3 1/2 feet; This was another area where I'd had virtu­ electrician, so I was actually relieved not to I overlapped the other six inches with the be ally hundreds of ideas from a strip of duct trying to wire much around the outside base surface. This quickly however petered tape to a fully functioning model railroad I of the dome, much of which was hard to out - I couldn't go another panel horizontal­ grew up trying to pick out details in the access anyway. I bought two roBs of flexible ly as distortions quickly surfaced Then the painted black skyline of in the old vinyl floor edging and stapled that up as a gnat idea hit and wouldn't let go. With that Adler Planetarium. Bob Myler again had basic horizon interface between the base and firm base around the horizons, verticalpanel­ blown me away with his horizon rings and dome panels. Another roll went around the ing strips would bend up to the zenith ring. St. Louis Arch, complete with lighted LED at base/floor interface. Some black construc­ How to mesh the pieces together? Overlap the top. Another very basic decision was tion paper hins were added for a totally dark them. I needed a workable size, so hit upon whether or not to somehow build a "bay" pastoral setting against the white sky. But no, cutting each 4 x 8 piece of paneling into around the edge to hold lights, speakers etc. I couldn't stop there and you wouldn't three 16-inch x 8-foot strips. The paneling This forced me into a fundamental deCision, either, would you! My wife is an avowed was so thin a small saber saw went through it for now at least, with one exception. model freak who loves putting together plas­ like butter. Now the strips began going up, I decided for simplicity'S sake to keep tic models. The kits started rolling in from finished side out for looks, and unfinished everything that is electrical in the center the local hobby shop. amateur astron­ back side to provide a smooth surface for projector unit. This includes blue sky and omers dream of an unencumbered southern painting and projection. The first piece up sunset floods. The only exception would be horizon, so I placed my vantage point to the was straight. Then I began slanting them and Gary Burgess' unique lighted directional south of the small imagined town of overlapping them, creating pie­ Sumner. Its buildings went to shaped curved sections of the north, its barns and pasture dome and using the staple gun to the south. After my wife (l/2 inch staples) every foot or assembled the buildings, I took so. The staple heads were a hacksaw to them and cut exposed, but so small that I fig­ them in half! This served sever­ ured with paint they would be al purposes - it made them thin invisible and they have been. enough to glue directly onto And they've held wonderfully the dome along the horizon, through single-digit cold to and gave me several houses/ mid 70's F. They have onI y to structures per kit. Thus the pass the heat of summer yet. same large farmhouse appears Every four or five strips that as two separate IIhouses" in dif­ went up began to thicken at ferent locations! All models the top. I then drilled a hole were spray painted flat black. through them and wired these For downtown we did find a overlapped sections to the sup­ courthouse, church, and some­ porting iron ring. Some pieces thing that looks like a fire sta­ of pie were less exposed than tion. I never did find a suitable others as the shape began to get municipal water tower. Tele­ off. The final piece couldn't phone poles, picket fences, overlap and was exposed, so I bare trees used in model rail­ put this dead north. I had roading, and even a few cows decided long before that the and a telescope were added. planetarium directions would After various experiments in coincide with the actual direc­ lighting the buildings, I tions outdoors. This put my painted them liberally with door in the southwest. A rough­ glow-in-the-dark paint pur­ ly 3-feet-across circle of panel­ chased at the local mall's ing then went up in the zenith Nature store. I also put cut-up covering all the overlapping pieces of glow-in-the-dark stars pieces at the top. It looked like in some of the windows. This a dome to me, and it was. Three has a startling, rather surrealis­ coats of white paint and the tic quality to it. I finally went thing was done. Its not quite with it and did the trees as light-tight during the day, but a well; when the lights first go covering of 4 mil black vinyl or out these all glow strongly as a totally darkened shed will fix the eye adjusts to the darkness, this situation. and later they softly fade as

8 Planetarian Vol. 26, No.3, September 1997 simultaneously the stars grow brighter and were a glossy gray paint that meshes Now Set h .. icrht,,,.. as progresses. I love weB with the black horizon and white Thanks for Ust:enilng it. The sky illuminates more than charges the dome. Putting a door on the circular base paint. I also used the paint for the tips of the was no easy task, and it is not cOlnp'letely urns. After two years of Hstenilng projector console switches and penlight light-tight. exp1erilenoes and coljlec1:ing shadow projector, the need for illumination. You do have to duck to get into the the­ ater, but as this is primarily for my I made several mistakes with the floor of use and school groups, that's not a big prob­ come the theater. I didn't bury a wire access pipe to lem. I've put no seats in; the best star effect is the outside of the theater for the Sitting or even lying on the floor. The opera­ universe. I built it; power wires and others, and these are now tor of the console can easily reach the con­ come to this starfield of dreams. under a cover on the surface of the floor. I trols sitting next to the projector on the also did not sink a base for the projector southwest side. There is currently no outside itself. It very soon became apparent that the light switch, so you need a penlight to find floor vibrated far too much to mount the your way in and power it up. There is cur­ delicate projector on the floor. This necessi­ rently no heat, as mentioned I have no idea The Home Planetarium ".».v ...... ,'v.. tated cutting a circular hole in the floor and how hot it will get in there this summer! I comes anyone who shares actually using a post hole digger to dig into desperately need an outer chamber to make aspect of small planel:ari 1llm prCljec:tm'S, the dirt for the projector foundation in the the shed light-tight for use in the daytime; its aters, and all related items. Dues finished theater - a ludicrous situation to be about eighty percent dark during daylight for four issues. Please direct all incluilries sure! I should have leveled the floor better. It hours at the moment. All-in-alI, its a fantastic contributions to the author. has a distinct lean to the east, fan owing the place to go and listen to Mozart, stars or not! land it is built on. The floor and side panels

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Vol. Planetarian In 1994 NBC aNew gram caned The Other Side that claims of the various 1m.",,"'''''''''''''''' she was fourteen years old and was there and miracles, and assorted "weird" with her class to see how televi­ aDlJeared numerous times as the token sion programs were produced. tic-the "other side" of The Other Side, if you In my opinion, most believers in U... U ..... H.". will. On most talk shows, a "balanced" pro­ monsters, and mysteries are not UUUA'""", gram is a half-dozen to a dozen believers and flimflam artists, or lunatics. Most are normal one lone skeptic as the voice of reason or whose normal has gone opposition. The Other Side was no diffen;!nt, wrong in some way. In chapters 4, 5, and 6, even though the executive many will discuss in detail psychiC power, altered of the program and even the host were of most of the beliefs they were I did one program on were- In my opinion, most believers in wolves for which they flew in a feHow from are not hoaxers, flimflam England. He actually looked a little like what pie whose normal thinking has wrong in some you see in werewolf movies-big bushy side­ burns and rather ears-but when I talked to him, I found that he did not actual- states of consciousness, and alien abductions, claims. For when ly remember a werewolf. He but I would like to round out part 1 of this believer whose a01oal'entlv sutJerna1turai recalled the under In book by looking at twenty-five fallacies of my opinion, his was a case of false memory, thinking that can lead anyone to believe either planted by the hypnotist or fantasized weird things. I have grouped them in four by the man. categories, listing specific fallacies and Another program was on The lems in each. But as an affirmation that and called them a maxim: producers brought in a serious, professional thinking can go right, I with astrologer from who how it what I caB Hume's Maxim and dose with worked charts and maps with aU the what I call Spino;z.a's A..' ..... u.uu. But, because he was so serious, ended up a astrologer who made all sorts of about the Skeptics owe a lot to the Scottish mony be of such a kind, that its lives of movie stars. He also did some read­ David Hume (1711-1776), whose An En­ hood would be more ings for members of the audience. One quiry Concerning Human is a than the fact which it """,ria"",,, ..,, young lady was told that she was classic in skeptical analysis. The work was establish." When anyone tens This article is three of Why People Believe Weird Things, a new book Michael dead man restored Shermer, the references) with permission. Subtitled Pseudosdence, tion and Other Confusions ofour Time, the book looks at astrology, alien abductions, reI)re:)SeC11 memories, cults, creationism, and other 41 confusions of our time." In it, Dr. Shermer attempts to understand an even greater mystery-the source of our immense capacity for self-delusion. This is a wonderful summary of why things go wrong, and those of us in the front lines will appreciate his thoughts. A short review appears under Book Reviews on page 41. Dr. Shermer is the director of the Skeptics SOciety, the host of the Skeptics Lecture Series at

Caltech, and publisher of Skeptic magazine. For information on the SOciety, lectures, or maga­ discover, I pronounce my '-""''-.... v •• , zine please go to http://www.skeptic.org. His book is published by W. H. Freeman and is avail­ and the greater UAll!Ctl_AC. able at all bookstores or it can be ordered directly through the Skeptics Society for $22.95 + $3 If the falsehood of his shipping/handling. You may subscribe to Skeptic magaZine for $25. Contact: PO Box 338, would be more miraculous Altadena, CA 91001; 818-794-3119; fax 818-794-1301; [email protected]. (Visa/MC accepted.)

10 Planetarian Vol. event which he then, and not tists often encounter this of sea-creatures till then, can he to command Anth1'opolclgis;ts know that when your my belief or Opiinl~Dn. a the behavior of the members may be adapl:ed to catch them." The altered the fact observed

tested. This is use 1. blind and double-blind controls. Lack of About the human quest to understand the such controls is often found in tests of para­ nhvsical world, and Nobel laureate normal powers and is one of the classic ways Werner "What we that goes wrong in the DS«~U(lO­ observe is not nature itself but nature ex- sciences. Science tries to minimize and to our method of " In ac~~nolwlleaQre the effects of the observation Likewise, what my teh~sC()pe quantum mechanics, this notion has been on the behavior of the nh""" ..",p,rl· nSellO()­ and what my test can't m~~as'lfe formalized as the science does not.

In PO'SSiible events until a measurement interferes with the iso­ lation of the system and a event is 3. gence exist, but how we m€:~asl11re stand them is influenced actualized" (in Weaver 1987, p. 412). The The used in an eXlpeI'irnten 'L.U}J"-',lU'''5'' ;",l-0,'I"1i""I,.. ",l-.,+;/,,,,,... eliminates the U often determines the results. The size of our one-to-one correlation between and telesc:oples, for has and The in part constructs the real- reshaped our theories about the size of the ity. im1ep1enderlt of the observ- universe. In the twentieth century, Edwin er, of course, but our oelrce:ptilorlS of Hubble's 60- and lOO-inch on Mt. are influenced the theories tra,mi,ng our examination of it. pnuo:sor:mers call time power for science theory laden. alStiTIlgUiSh individual stars That theory in other thus that those Anecdotes-stories recounted is true not for quantum but also objects called nebulas that we thOlugtlt of a daim-do not make a science. ,,,, .....,,,,,,,,. for an observations of the world. When were in our own galaxy were sepa­ corroborative evidence from other arrived in the New he had rate galaxies. In the nineteenth century, or of some sort, ten an~ocdlot!~s craniometry defined as brain are no better than one, and a hundred np,rr"h,p the New World as such. Cinna­ size and instruments were that dotes are better than ten. ATIleoaotes mon was a valuable Asian and the first measured it as today is told fallible human New World shrub that smelled like cinna­ defined with certain de'l/el()prneIl- mon was declared to be it. When he encoun- tal tasks and is measured another instru- tered the aromatic Q'UlmrIO-I.lmIDO tree of the ment, the test. Sir Arthur West Indies, Columbus concluded it was an Ed<11n:gton illustrated the with this evidence of an alien Sp(llCec:ratt Asian similar to the mastic tree of the clever "'n'~lnln" ies, not a story about ... u".. " .. ~," Mediterranean. A New World nut was abductions at 3:00 AM. on deserted matched with Marco Polo's of a Let us suppose that an try road. Likewise with many UH;;UA'l..al coconut. Columbus's surgeon even ae<:lal'oo, is the life of the ocean. claims. Stories about how your Aunt based on some Caribbean roots his men He casts a net into the water cancer was cured Marx brc)th.ers uncovered, that he had found Chinese up a assortment. movies or a liver extract from rhubarb. A of Asia observa- veying his catch, he in the ed chickens are The tions of Asia, even Columbus was usual manner of a scientist to system­ have gone into remission on its half a world away. Such is the power of theo­ atize what it reveals. He arrives at two which some cancers do; it ry. generalizations: been or, Of, or .... What we (1) No sea-creature is less than two need are controlled not dotes. We need 100 ~UL/BI;;\"L~ (2) AU sea-creatures have Archibald Wheeler noted, In appl ying this analogy, the catch "Even to observe so minuscule an as stands for the body of ers movies, 25 to watch Alfred tU1tCr:lCQICK an electron, [a must shatter the which constitutes science, movies, 25 to watch the news, He must reach in. He must instaH his and the net for the sensory and intel­ watch Then we need to average rate of remission for this chosen ..... "..,,,,, ...... eqll1ip1m€mt lectual equipment which we use in cer and then the data for staUst:icaLlJ the measurement rn"'n,rrp" oOtal:mrH! it. The of the net electron. The universe will never afterward cOlrre:spc)fl(is to observations. be the same." In other words, the act of An onlooker may that the there are stattsl:iC2lU studying an event can change it. Social scien- first generalization is wrong. "There we better get confirmation from

Vol. Planetarian tists who have conducted their own at 1:00 P.M., on March 23, 1989, when ments separate from ours before we hold a Pons and Martin Fleischmann held a press press conference to announce the cure for conference to announce to the world that cancer. had made cold nuclear fusion work. Gary Taubes's excellent book about the cold fusion named Bad Science (1993), thoroughly examines the impliocatimlS of this incident. years will one scien tistic larllgttage experiment, but don't throw out your fur­ as in "creation-science," means nace until that has been rermc:ar­ HVLAAj,UF. without evidence, experinnelnta ed The moral is that the more ex1tra~:)fdlin.:uy and corroboration. Because science the claim, the more exltra()rd1muilv wen-test­ has such a nmNeltw .... u .... 4-,i,..,"'a ed the evidence must be. not have evidence try to do an end run around the evidence by and 7. smll<11ng "scientific." Here is a classic exam- ness from a New Age column in the Santa Monica News: "This has been slumber- for eons and with the inc:ention

Being laughed at does not mean you are right. energy is about to awaken in at does not mean you are Wilhelm terms of consciousness and spirituality. Reich compared himself to Peer the Masters of limitation and masters of divina­ unconventional genius out of step with soci­ tion use the same creative force to manifest ety, and misunderstood and ridiculed as a their realities, however, one moves in a heretic until proven right: "Whatever you downward and the latter moves in an have done to me or will do to me in the upward spiral, each increasing the resonant future, whether you glorify me as a or vibration inherent in them." How's that put me in a mental institution, whether you again? I have no idea what this means, but it adore me as your savior or me as a spy, has the language components of a physics sooner or later necessity will force you to experimen t: " comprehend that I have discovered the laws "downward and spirals," and "reso- of the living." in nant vibration." Yet these phrases mean ruary 1996 issue of the Journal now the burden notmng because they have no and Review, the organ of Holocaust denial, is a U~"U4U'J"''''' definitions. How do you mea­ famous quote from the nil1eteelnttl-c,enltury sure a energy or German philosopher Arthur SctlOr)enhalJer. the resonant vibration of masters of divina­ which is often by those the mar- tion? For that matter, what is a master of div­ II All truth passes through three stages. ination? First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is n."."",,,, .. ,u

Galileo shown a scientific truth, Something is if enormous claims are made for its power and unknowns whose "truths" never veracity but supportive evidence is scarce as hen's teeth. L. Ron Hubbard, for ex,arnmle. opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident." torians to prove that it did. The ratilonale opens his Dianetics: The Modern Science of But "aB truth" does not pass these this is that mountains of ouiric,nr"o Mental Health, with this statement: "The cre­ stages. Lots of true ideas are accepted with­ ation of Dianetics is a milestone for man out ridicule or oppOSition, violent or other­ In other words, it is not comparable to his discovery of fire and supe­ wise. Einstein's theory of was large­ dence. You must convince rior to his invention of the wheel and arch." ly ignored until 1919, when eXlpel'irnlental of your evidence. And when Sexual energy guru Wilhelm Reich called his evidence proved him right. He was not an outsider this is the theory of Orgonomy I'a revolution in biolo- ridiculed, and no one violently his less of whether you gy and psychology to the ideas. The Schopenhauer quote is just a ratio­ nican Revolution." I have a thick file of nalization, a fancy way for those who are papers and letters from obscure authors filled ridiculed or violent! y opposed to say, "See, with such outlandish claims (I caB it the must be right." Not so. IITheories of file). Scientists History is replete with tales of the lone sci- sometimes make this mistake, too, as we saw

1.2 Planetarian know that ... passes from person to person. n ...·nV11 ... are Rumors may be true, of course, but are not. do make for great tales, explain something, it must however. There is the 44true of the es- maniac with a pr,ostoe'tlc haunts the lover's lanes of America. There is must have been constructed space aliens. ~ ~~~ ~ Even those who are more reasonable at least which a driver up a hitchhiker who think that if the vanishes from his car with his .n-"lu ...,U ••UJ .... it must be u ...... a-" ...... ""',g-. locals then teU the driver that his hitchhik- such as the OeltlQllng woman had died that same the year before, and he discovers his on her grave. Such stories fast and never die. Caltech historian of science Dan Kevles once told a story he was apocry- at a dinner Two students did not ~ get back from a ski time to take their en; over or m~rst4m()US final exam because the activities of the pre- chemicals that block the and prevent vious had extended wen ~ to the .J ... AA .... "&. The simple is that the told their that had got- ,....,.,.",,·,t"u of and fluffy coals to contain ten a flat tire, so he gave them a heat is very and the of final the next the students in heat from the and coals to your separate rooms, he asked them two ques­ feet is very poor. As long as you don't stand tions: (1) "For 5 what is the chemical around on the coals, you will not burned. (2) 95 two home runs. The galTIO'ler formula for water?" "For which (Think of a cake ~ a 450"F oven. The air, the tire?" Two of the dinner guests had heard a shoes because he has won lA7f"~rjnO" cake, and the pan are aU at 450"F, but the past. More scientific similar story. The next I repeat­ the metal pan will burn your hand. It has a faU prey to this In 1993 a ed the story to my students and before I got heat capacity and high ..... "".,._. __ .. to the three of them simultane­ that breast-fed children have while air and cake are and scores. There was much clamor ously blurted out, "Which tire?" Urban have a low heat "'''y"",r'.t",{1 in~~re(1ierlt in mother's milk increasea ends and rumors are uDllquHCIUS. ity.) This is gence. Mothers who bottle-fed Here are a few: secrets. Most of their tricks are extre:mle.l The secret iT'l(Yrp(lIl"nr in Dr. were made to feel But and knowing the secret takes the ers to wonder whether prune out of the trick babies attended to A woman "l\_'_A\4''-U ""'" killed her There are many geltlUlme unsolved myster-

... the fact two events in not mean are Giant UJU!'tULV.", York was faked and filmed ies in the universe and it is to say, "We H.n, I hllA7 r}OIl studi o. do not yet know but we \N~ICnln(YTnin had wooden teeth. will." The is that most of us find The number of stars inside the liP" on more to have even it Playboy cover indicates how is than to live with unsolved many times Hefner had unexpla~ed mysteries. sex with the centerfold. are connec1:ea mean causation. A saucer crashed in New Mexico 11. Failures Are and the bodies of the extraterrestrials are the Air Force in a secret In science, the value of negative tindirlgs­ warehouse. failures-cannot be ov,eremJ)h'lSi2:ed.. How many have you heard ... and be­ are not wanted, and often are not lieved? None of them are true. published. But most of the time failures are how we get closer to truth. Honest scientists Is will admit their errors, but all scien- ~ l~e the fact that their fel- low scientists will any to to Not pseudoscientists. They ignore or rationalize when eX1Dos~ct that seems impos:sib,le a1cc()rdlng it must be in(~xr)H(:abje If are iHon of the laws of IJ ..... u ... u,,,, mystery of the An amateur frequen t oocu irrenCie-tn(~V terlaE~ncy to think SOI1nethi.rlg af(:hE~Ol()glst declares that because he cannot powers usually work but not always, so at work outhowthen"r~'TI1/'C when to on television or

Vol. Planetarian But most have a very poor under- class of phenomena. In the case of the and America as a sick ,..,."",n""·", standing of the laws of probability. A gam­ 4IBermuda Triangle," an area of the Atlantic hovering on the brink of bler will win six in a row and then think he Ocean where ships and planes "mysterious­ back to health his father is either lion a hot streak" or "due to lose." ly" disappear, there is the assumption that Two people in a room of thirty people dis­ something strange or alien is at work. But we after twelve years cover that they have the same birthday and must consider how representative such be nurtun!d back to health under conclude that something mysterious is at events are in that area. Far more shipping administration. Like anecdotes, .... ',.. 'W'F.".... work. You go to the phone to call your lanes run through the Bermuda Triangle and metaphors do not constitute friend Bob. The phone rings and it is Bob. than its surrounding areas, so accidents and They are tools of rhetoric. You think, "Wow, what are the chances? mishaps and disappearances are more likely This could not have been a mere coinci­ to happen in the area. As it turns out, the dence. Maybe Bob and I are communicating accident rate is actually lower in the Ber­ This is an to ignlon:lnc:e In muda Triangle than in surrounding areas. telepatWcaHy." fact, none of these coinci- knowledge and is related to the proofand is not ine;'I(plicab'le ... the human mind seeks relationships between events and often des, where someone argues that not a claim it must be finds them even when they are not present. example, if you cannot prove that any power, then there must Perhaps this area should be called the dences are coincidences under the rules of absurdity of this comes "Non-Bermuda Triangle." Similarly, in inves­ probability. The gambler has predicted both if one argues that if you cannot possible outcomes, a fairly safe bet! The prob­ tigating haunted houses, we must have a Santa Claus does not exist, then ability that two people in a room of thirty baseline measurement of noises, creaks, and exist. You can argue the oDDo~;ite 71 other events before we can say that an occur­ people will have the same birthday is per­ manner. If you cannot prove Santa cent. And you have forgotten how many rence is unusual (and therefore mysterious). I exists, then must not exist. In ...... '-'-, times Bob did not call under such circum­ used to hear rapping sounds in the walls of belief should come from n..-.~:itj~TP p'l1ilip1'1(-p stances, or someone else called, or Bob called my house. Ghosts? Nope. Bad plumbing. I support of a not lack of ""'uiliP,.,,rp but you were not thinking of him, and so on. occasionally hear scratching sounds in my or against a claim. As the behavioral psychologist B. F. Skinner basement. Poltergeists? Nope. Rats. One proved in the laboratory, the human mind would be well-advised to first thoroughly seeks relationships between events and often understand the probable worldly explana­ finds them even when they are not present. tion before turning to other-worldly ones. Literal1y lito the man" and Slot-machines are based on Skinnerian prin­ these fallacies redirect the focus from ciples of intermittent reinforcement. The logical Problems in ing about the idea to thinkilng dumb human, like the dumb rat, only needs son holding the idea. The an occasional payoff to keep pulling the han­ Thinking hominem attack is to discredit the ...... 'CUH dle. The mind will do the rest. in Calling someone an a cmnrrmnlist, child or a neo-Nazi does not r'i'" ...... rrH,t> that ~n.·""",~1 As Aristotle said, "The sum of the coinci­ Emotive words are used to T ...·'"\ur'Ir"" dences equals certainty." We forget most of tion and sometimes to obscure ratlO]laluy the insignificant coincidences and remem- They can be positive emotive words-moth-

... someone argues that if you cannot disprove a claim it must true. For example. if you cannot prove that there isn't any psychic deniers, for power. then there must be. anti-Semites, this would r"", ..+","" 1 " choice of which historical events to

size or But if are &4 ....,"U46 ber the meaningful ones. Our tendency to erhood, America, integrity, honesty. Or claim, for example, that Hitler did not have a remember hits and ignore misses is the bread can be negative-rape, cancer, evil, communist. for the extermination and butter of the psychicS, prophets, and Likewise, metaphors and analogies can cloud the response he soothsayers who make hundreds of predic­ thinking with emotion or steer us onto a side that because he is a neo-Nazi" does not tions each January 1. First they increase the path. A pundit talks about inflation as "the refute the argument. Whether Hitler cancer of society" or industry .Iraping the en- probability of a hit by predicting mostly master or not is a that be generalized sure bets like "There will be a major earthquake in southern California" or The goal of an ad hominem attack is to discredit in "I see trouble for the Royal Family." Then, next January, they publish their hits and hopes that it will discredit the claim .... but refuting ignore the misses, and hope no one bothers be done directly, not indirectly. to keep track. We must always remember the larger con­ settled historically. ~------J for tu quoque. text in which a seemingly unusual event vironment." In his 1992 Democratic nomina­ someone accuses you of cn~eatLng occurs, and we must always analyze unusual tion speech, Al Gore constructed an elabor­ taxes, the answer "Well, so do events for their representativeness of their ate analogy between the story of his sick son proof one way or the other.

14 Planetarian Vol. Also known as the fallacy or the false dilemma, this is the to In logic, the hasty generalization is a form dichotomize the world so that if you discred­ of improper induction. In Ufe, it is called prej­ it one position, the observer is forced to udice. In either case, conclusions are drawn accept the other. This is a favorite tactic of before the facts warrant it. Perhaps because our brains evolved to be constantly on the lookout for connections between events and ... this is the tendency to dichotomize causes, this fallacy is one of the most com­ discredit one position. the observer is forced to mon of all. A couple of bad teachers mean a bad school. A few bad cars mean that brand This is a favorite tactic of creationists. who of automobile is unreliable. A handful of was divinely created or evolved. members of a group are used to judge the entire group. In science, we must carefully creationists, who claim that life either was gather as much information as possible divinely created or evolved Then they spend before announcing our conclusions. the majority of their time discrediting the theory of evolution so that they can argue 19. Over-reliance on Authorities that since evolution is wrong, creationism We tend to rely heavily on authorities in must be right. But it is not enough to point our culture, especially if the authority is con­ out weaknesses in a theory. If your theory is sidered to be highly intelligent. The IQscore indeed superior, it must explain both the has acquired nearly mystical proportions in "normal" data explained by the old theory the last half century, but I have noticed that and the "anomalous" data not explained by belief in the paranormal is not uncommon the old theory. A new theory needs evidence among members (the high-IQ club for in favor of it, not just against the opposition. those in the top 2 percent of the population); some even argue that their "Psi-Q" is also 21. Circular Reasoning superior. Magician James Randi is fond of Also known as the fallacy of redundancy, lampooning authorities with Ph.D.s-once begging the question, or tautology, this is when they are granted the degree, he says, they the conclusion or claim is merely a restate­ find it almost impossible to say two things: ment of one of the premises. Christian apolo­ "I don't know" and "I was wrong." Authori­ getics is filled with tautologies: Is there a God? ties, by virtue of their expertise in a field, Yes. How do you know? Because the Bible says may have a better chance of being right in so. How do you know the Bible is correct? that field, but correctness is certainly not In other words. premise. guaranteed, and their expertise does not nec­ Because it was inspired by God. God is because God is. Science also has its essarily qualify them to draw conclusions in share of redundancies: What is gravity? The other areas. tendency for objects to he attracted to one In other words, who is making the claim another. Why are objects attracted to one makes a difference. If it is a Nobel laureate, another? Gravity. In other words, is we take note because he or she has been because gravity is. (In fact, some of 's right in a big way before. If it is a discredited contemporaries rejected his theory of scam artist, we give a loud guffaw because he

... we might either (1) accept a wrong idea just because it was Most of us, most of the time, want supported by someone we respect (false positive) or (2) reject a ty, want to control our environment, want nice, neat right idea just because it was supported by someone we disre­ may have some eVCJIutiolnax'V spect (false negative). How do you avoid such errors? multifarious

ty as being an unscientific throwback to reality and interfere with or she has been wrong in a big way before. +h;~ IT:~~ and For eX':imlple, medieval occult thinking.) Obviously, a tau­ While expertise is useful for separating the tological operational definition can still be I believe that beliefs and wheat from the chaff, it is dangerous in that scientific claims flourish in market useful. Yet, difficult as it is. we must try to we might either (1) accept a wrong idea just construct operational definitions that can be mies in part because of the unce:rtaint:v because it was supported by someone we tested, falsified, and refuted the to James respect (false positive) or (2) reject a right after communism in idea just because it was supported by some­ was a increase in such beliefs. Not one we disrespect (false negative). How do you avoid such errors? Examine the evi­ Most of us. most of the time, want certainty. want to dence. environment. and want nice. neat simple 20. Either-Or

Vol. 26, No.3, September 1997 Planetarian are the now freer to try to swin- dle each other with scams and rackets but many truly believe they have discovered something concrete and about the nature of the world. is a lot less stable a social structure than commu­ nism. Such uncertainties lead the mind to tist day Stuart Snelson calls this resistance an look for for the vagaries and ideological immune system: "educated, intelli­ contingencies of the market (and life in gen­ gent, and successful adults eral), and the mind often takes a tum toward their most fundamental nr,eSllDtJQ5;itiofllS" the supernatural and oaI'anlornnaJ.. According to Snelson, the more Scientific and critical does not individuals have accumulated, and the more come naturally. It takes training, experience, wen-founded their theories have become (and remember, we all tend to look for and and effort, as Alfred Mander in his Logic for the Millions: is skilled remember evidence, not coun­ terevidence), the greater the confidence in work. It is not true that we are naturally endowed with the ability to think dearly their ideologies. The consequence of this, and logically-without how, or however, is that we build up an lIi[lnrrmrlit~r" without practicing. People with untrained against new ideas that do not corroborate minds should no more expect to think dear­ previous ones. Historians of science call this ly and logically than people who have never the Planck Problem, after Max learned and never practiced can expect to Planck, who made this observation on what find themselves good golfers, must for innovation to occur in 5ci- bridge players, or pianists." We must always work to suppress our need to be absolutely New and revol utiona ry certain and in total control and our tenden­ cy to seek the simple and effortless solution rather than welcomed with to a problem. Now and then the solutions scientist has a vested may be simple, but usually they are not. est in maintaining the status

ence: 4/ An important scientific innovation All critical and scientific thinking is, in a rarely makes its way by gradually winning fashion, problem solving. There are numer­ over and converting its opponents: it time and corroboration. ous psychological disruptions that cause happens that Saul becomes Paul. What does inadequacies in problem solving. Psycholo­ happen is that its opponents gradually die gist Barry Singer has demonstrated that out and that the growing is famil­ when given the task of selecting the right iarized with the idea from the bes~inniI1g" answer to a problem after being told Psychologist David Perkins conducted an whether particular guesses are right or interesting correlational study in which he wrong, people: found a strong positive correlation between A. Immediately form a hypothesis and look intelligence (measured by a standard IQ test) only for examples to confirm it. and the ability to give reasons for a E. Do not seek evidence to .M',·.,.,. ..'rn:,,,, the of view and defending that no:;;itilon; hypothesis. he also found a strong negative correlation C. Are very slow to change the hypothesis between intelligence and the to con" even when it is obviously wrong. sider other alternatives. That is, the D. If the information is too complex, adopt the IQ the greater the potential for iaeOlC)Q]­ overly-simple hypotheses or strategies for cal immunity. Ideological is built solutions, into the scientific enterprise, where it func­ E. If there is no solution, if the problem is a tions as a filter against over­ trick and "right" and "wrong" is given at whelming novelty. As historian of science I. random, form hypotheses about coinci­ B. Cohen explained, "New and dental relationships they observed. systems of science tend to be resisted rather Causality is always found than welcomed with open arms, because If this is the case with humans in general, best: every successful scientist has a vested intel­ ridicule, not then we all must make the effort to over­ lectual, social, and even financial interest in come these inadequacies in solving the prob­ actions, but to understand them. lems of science and of Hfe. As skeptics and critical thinkers, we must move or al responses because by understanding and how science is subject to In day-to-day life, as in science, we all resist we can im prove our understanding of how fundamental paradigm change. Social sci en-

16 Planetarian Vol. • when local resources I your needs, you efforts, or you don't • • area I I need

date them with frivolous contacts.

3) saf~e2'u.ard

In. 1995, at the Astronomical cific contact person will be selected the of the Pacific's Education in Public Information Office and included in , USA, ASP President future updates. And in the case of the Bruce Mosley and I had a con­ TelleS(:oj:>e Science Prue t.:amr>beH versation about ways in which the scientific for new adventures and her and communities might work ment, as of this writing, as not been chosen; more John mentioned that the new person's name will be included once he would find it helpful to have an addition­ it is known. al source of to consult his work. From that seed has sprouted the IPS The primary goal of Astronomy Link is to Outreach Committee's Link" group of scientists, scholars. project, which publishes its first consultation planetarium-related list in this article. The goal of Link is to education officers from gather an international group of scientists, serve as a supplementary scholars, and experts in astronomy and other in our work planetarium-related diSciplines, as wen as public information and education officers from astronomy and space-related facilities, The entries include name, title where to serve as a supplementary pool of resource appropriate, institutional CUAUl(~Ln"'H, people for us to consult in our work-as we tion, method of contact research programs, develop classes and restrict your contacts to these methods), and exhibits, and seek up-to-date information area(s) of expertise. Mailing address (the so­ and answers to questions. The project also called "snail-mail" address in this era of carries an supporting goal: to instant communication) has not been encourage the development of additional sought unless it is the preferred method of consultation nnnnrt-" professional links between the planetarium contact, but would you find it useful to world and scientific communities. include mailing addresses in future list This initial list is designed to be a begin­ updates? Please let me know. (Please note ning for both objectives. It has been orga­ also that e-mail addresses with number nized into two sections: 1) a listing of indi­ "ones" or letter lIels" can be to distin­ vidual scientists, scholars, and experts dis­ guish. If you try IleI" and it doesn't work, try playing a diversity of and 2) a list­ "one" -and vice-versa.) ing of public information/education officers As with any resource, natural or at a variety of space-related facilities who this resource will serve us best when it is can serve as conduits or points of referral to carefully and effectively used. Therefore, I other experts or resources. Because of the offer the following three guidelines for use: between the scientific and DI,metaI'imn specificity of areas of expertise and because munities in recent years. the list is stilI modest enough to be easily 1) Use the list as a resource. The current is to .... rd"'ui,rl"" browsed, I've not the listings by We all probably have (or most of us do) local list in the December issue; I area. But I've highlighted subject resources and experts which we know and contribute to the areas for quicker identification. cultivate and use. Please use your local re­ with your su~:ge~m(ms A few names in the second section are list­ sources first; these form a basis for direct You can reach me at [eH~prlonle ed twice when the individuals have impor­ involvement and collaboration with your 6874, fax +1 406 994 2682, or tant involvements in more than one organi­ efforts which is and effective in zation or project. In. several cases, only an forging professional ties between researchers any errors in the office and not an individual is given. In. the and The time to most effec- Iy my own; you find any, case of the Jet Propulsion a spe- me for an and a correction.

Vol. Planetarian Mr. StelDhf~n Astronomer/Member of Technical Staff­ Senior Dr. Loren Acton Jet - California Insti- Research Professor Montana State University Bozeman, Montana USA E-mail: [email protected] Areas: solar physics, spaceflight

Dr. John Bally Director of the Center for and Dr. Anthony Fairall Space Astronomy (CASA) Professor of Astronomy Associate Professor of and University Town Planetary Sciences Town, University of Colorado [email protected] Boulder, Colorado USA Areas: and structure E-mail: [email protected] wUverse Areas: star formation, interstellar medium Dr. David Flower Dr. Reta Beebe Professor, Physics Professor of Astronomy Durham University New Mexico State University Durham, Las Cruces, New Mexico USA Phone: +441913742145 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +44191374 3749 Area: atmospheres E-mail: [email protected] Area: interste1J.ar matter Dr. Max Bernstein Research Scientist Dr. Katy Garmany NASA Ames Research Center Director of Planetarium/Research Moffett Field, California USA Member Fax: +1 650 604 6n9 Fiske Planetarium/University of Colorado E-mail: [email protected] Boulder, Colorado USA Web site: http://www-space.arc.nasa.gov Phone: +1303 492 7836 ;-astrochem E-mail: [email protected] Moffett Field, California USA Areas: organic molecules in interstellar medi­ Areas: hot stars and stellar formation, science E-mail: [email protected]:l53.gov um and cometary ices education Web site: (Has amNnJoaciable Dr. Dale Cruikshank Dr. James E. Hesser tional software lI.A .... U'.. U.l~ Research Scientist Director, Optical Astronomy Hon sinml':lti(m.) NASA Ames Research Center National Research Council of Canada/Herz- Area: ex1tIruK>llU' Moffett Field, California USA berg Institute of Astrophysics E-mail: [email protected] Dominion Astrophysical Observatory Areas: outer solar system, icy comets, , , Canada asteroids, organic matter in the solar sys­ Fax: +1250 363-6970 tem E-mail: [email protected]

Areas: stellar in "' ...... A.U;;.;). Dr. Konrad Dennerl populations clusters, the Q,x'(;;-.... U.0)Il41jIL~ rnntll'n'~"'w'''''''' MPE - Max Planck Institut fur Extraterrestri- observational cosmc.l~~ sche Physik Garching, Germany Inge Heyer Phone: +49 89 3299 3862 Data Analyst (WFP2 Team) Area: soft x-ray astronomy (ROSA T, etc.) Space Telescope Science Institute , Maryland USA Dr. Michael De Robertis Phone: +1410 338 5017 Professor of Physics and Astronomy E-mail: [email protected] York University Areas: stars, planets, Hubble North York, , Canada Field Planetary Camera 2 (can Fax: +1416 736 5516 E-mail: [email protected] in English, German, J aJ)allles~e. "'11-'Q,"'ll.l.'U..I.. French, lta.lian, Areas: extragalactic astronloIIlV active Dr. William Hiscock Professor of Physics Dr. Megan Donahue Dawn Lenz Montana State University Graduate Student Staff Astronomer Bozeman, Montana USA JniU,,"lrdtu of ...... AllA .... "l~U Space Telescope Science Institute E-mail: hiscock@montanaedu Baltimore, Maryland USA Areas: black cosmol- E-mail: [email protected] Areas: clusters ogy

18 Plane tar ian Dr. Catherine PUachowski Astronomer h"" ... ", lr,... .. ", - California National AsltrolnOlDV Observatories

E~mail: [email protected]

Professor Erindale College, University of Mcssis.saulga, Ontario, Canada comets, E-mail: jpercy·@erin.utcJront().ca Area: stars and stellar ...... ,. .... I •• 4-~ ...... international education Dr. Mario Livio science centers Senior Astronomer TelesCiope Science Institute Dr. Alan Rubin Sandi Barnes BaIltim~Jre/l\A""""h,nn USA Associate Research Geochemist Director of Public Inf,OfOlatl[on Phone: +1 410 4439 Universit:v of California - Los McDonald E-mail: [email protected] California USA Austin, Areas: stars, white E-mail: [email protected] black SUDIen110Vlle Web site: http:/,/st(llrd,ate,ut(;~xa:s.eclu Mi!)sion: varied. astrolloIltllCal fE!seaJoch Dr. Scott Sandford Dr. Cole Miller Research Astrophysicist Mike Bennett Research Scientist NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California USA Astronomical of the U ... ,-iH.",/!J'~",;~~" Chicago, Phone: +1 650 604 6849 ASTRO E-mail: milleIiOOb,Lye).uc:hic:ag().edlu E-mail: [email protected] San California USA Areas: black holes and neutron stars, Areas: comets, meteoritics, !lI~"'I'"",,,,,"'h'V:l;cl"'Seattle, Washington USA Astroph ysicist E-mail: [email protected];edu NASA Ames Research Center Areas: variable stars, referrals to deJ)arDtnellt meter m1rror Moffett Field, California USA E-mail: [email protected](:mlSa.gov Area: inf:ra]~ed. astrcul0Jnv,

Vol. Planetarian Dan Brocious Roger Elaerts Andrew Perala

Public Information Specialist Head of Public Relations Media/public Information JJUII;I..L'Ua Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory European Space Agency (ESA) W. M. Ked< nh"",... """t,n .. " Amado, Arizona USA , France Kamuela, Hawaii USA Phone: +1520670 5760 E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +1 808 885 7887 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.esaint E-mail: apt:~ra14:l@~;ecl(.halwaH,e~ju Web site: http://da-www.harvard.edu/da/oir Mission: manned and WlIWUmed space re­ Web site: /flwo/flwo/whipple.html search for peaceful purposes, development '3636/ Mission: optical, infrared, spectroscopic of space transport amci1ers observation and gamma-ray and cosmic­ ray astronomy Yvette Estok Manager, Public Information Office Bill Buckingham National Optical Astronomical Observa- Public Programs Director tories/Kitt Peak Visitor Center Lowen Observatory Tucson, Arizona USA Office of Public Information Flagstaff, Arizona USA Phone: +15203188163 Space Telescope Science Institute E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +1520 318 8360 Baltimore, Maryland USA Mission: modem astronomy research pdn:w'­ E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +1410 338 4444 fly focused on the solar system., innovative Web site: http://www.noao.edu E-mail: [email protected] public and private education programs Mission: varied astronomical research. Web site:

James Cornell Dave Finley Mission: adJmiJrm'tmtion, 01)el~tion. Public Information Officer Public Information Officer formation about Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astro- National Radio Astronomy Observatory TeI,esoope and its science physics Socorro, New Mexico USA Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Phone: +1 505 &35 7000 Public Information Office Phone: +1 617 495 7462 E-mail: [email protected] Jet Propulsion Lat>or.itOl:Y E-mail: jcornell@daharvardedu Mission: radio astronomy research of aU Pasadena, California Web site: http://da-www.harvardedu types fur the international radio astrono­ Phone: +1 626354 5011 Mission: study of the origin, evolution, and my community Mission: planetary &1plOll.'atllon fate of the universe Eileen Hawley Public Liaison Billie Deason Astronaut Office Liaison Department of AstrOli1mny Education Team Lead NASA johnson Space Center University of California - K",,'i.N>!I"'U NASA johnson Space Center , Texas USA Berkeley, California USA Houston, Texas USA E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +1510 6425275 Fax: +1281483 4876 Mission: provide and support flight crews for E-mail: mcraig@astro,berkeley.edu E-mail: [email protected] the space shuttle and expertise for human Areas: stellar and R;3.LactlC astlO!lO!DY Web site: http://www.jsc.nasagov/ spaceflight Mission: trainIng of astronaut crews, flight control for the space shuttle and future Rex Hunter Seth Shostak space station Administrative Officer Public Information Scientist National Solar Observatory SETI Institute Edna De Vore Sunspot, New Mexico USA Mountain View, California USA Science Education Coordinator Phone: +1 505 4347000 Phone: +1 650 960 4530 SETI Institute E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +1650 9617099 Mountain View, California USA Web site: http://www.sunspot.noao.edu E-mail: ssh,ostak!g)se:t.org Phone: +1 650 960 4538 Mission: solar research Mission: search for ex1tfa1terres'tril:U Fax: +1 650 961 7099 E-mail: edevore@setLorg Virginia Keiper Web site: http://www.setLorg Lead Secretary (referral contact) Gretchen Van Doren Mission: search for extraterrestrial Ufe, sci­ US. Geological Survey Field Office Technical Writer ence of the Drake Equation Flagstaff, Arizona USA Phone: +1 5205567000 ::>unlS[)C)t, New Mexico Edna De Vore Web site: http://wwwflag.wr.usgs.gov Phone: +1 5054376822 Co-Director of Education and Public Out- Mission: study of the geology of earth and Fax: +1505 434 5555 reach other worlds E-mail: gretdlen@galiJeo.;ap().ntnSl~e(lu SOFIA Project Web site: Moffett Field, California USA Don Moffatt Mission: ...... 'vu.u. Phone: +1 650 960 4538 Public Education Coordinator member ins1t1tu.tiOltlS C()Ve.ll"irul: Fax: +1 650 961 7099 Herzberg Institute of Astrophystcs/National astronomical research E-mail: edevore@setLorg Research Council Web site: http://sofiaarc.nasagov Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Thomas Weyer Mission: airborne infrared astronomy Phone: +1250 363 0026 Public Information Officer Fax: +1250 363 0045 DLR (German Research Establish- E-mail: [email protected] ment) Web site: http://scienceweb.dao.nrc.ca Wessleng, liel:m(:my Mission: galactic and extragalactic astrono- my, cosmology, astronomical engineering, Gemtn1 Project

20 Planetarian Vol. the end, to accommodate those who BOOK NOW TO BE wish to leave after the formal SURE OF A PLACE! sessions.

This Conference is now less than a year away, and you, as IPS members, have priority booking! PRE-CONFERENCE Saturday June 27 Numbers have to be limited because J odrell Bank Radio Observatory of capacity of the venues we are Science Centre (by train). using, so you do need to book early (See more details over page) both for Conference, and to secure accommodation. Full registration and Astropark, CONFERENCE details will be sent out in November , (See more but bookings both for delegates and Sunday June 28 Evening Registration exhibitors will be accepted in strict rotation, so sign up now on the pull­ Welcome Reception at the New ConnaughtA~u',,,.,~ out form in this issue of The Planetarian. No money is required Monday June 29 yet! Morning Registration &

Annual General 1'>110,0.1" ....' ..... The Conference venue is the high Afternoon Papers, Workshops quality New Connaught Rooms, on Discussions the edge of the Covent Garden Evening Demos and Buffet .... " .... ~,...... district, and close to the British at the Planetarium Museum, theatres, and Soho with its huge variety of restaurants. The official hotels are all within easy Tuesday June 30 All day Papers, Workshops walking distance. Discussions Evening Demos and Buffet Supper Formal sessions will have a new at the Planetarium twist this time - see under Call for Papers for more details. The Wednesday July 1 Planetarium evenings will offer a Morning Papers, Workshops and unique blend of dome shows and Discussions buffet supper with wax royalty and Afternoon Visit by boat to celebrities. Greenwich Evening Farewell Dinner at the should be booked ..... "."n,...... The cultural visits will take place at New Connaught Rooms booking agency, tlotel~scene. chronometers.

discounted

or

you are family, or other you please we to give will sophisticated Georgian monuments, museums, p;"C;UJ.""Ll""~. shops, restaurants.

A ...... ' ...... "", •• on your own

College,

coach to Birr year. (Rosse Telescope) and ...... ' ...... '-'-H.A provided own and n.,,,,, .. n.o+," at We shall

on own Afternoon visit by coach to Newgrange see some at drawings. plan to give you a unique into the ancient

bogs, by riding a train back ... .., .. ~ .. r_ ... NB Tour ends at Heathrow the mists time! We now invite your contributions to offer others if you like. We think for Papers, Workshops and Panel that Discussion Panels will offer Discussions. Papers should be opportunities for exploring aimed at the widest possible particular topics in more depth than audience, whereas poster papers are 10-minute papers; the themes have available more suitable for a one-to-one or been chosen to arouse controversy, small group discussion. We have and we will select panel members Paper ... IJI--, ...... ,'.... "' ..,;u suggested some themes but feel free with opposing views to get a good special

PAPERS 10 minute talks with 3 minutes for questions

Innovative programmes for children, the disabled or those with special needs Astro-Navigation Non-Astronomical programmes New products Planetaria built/refurbished since 1996 Scriptwriting U sing the Internet Low-tech solutions New Resources for Portables Practical in the dome Custom-made solutions for Portables Slide ma:,laIlg Pre-Christian astronomy Video techmqw~s Astronomy & Space now Making & effects European astronomers Making sundials or other Outreach work instruments Marketing Linking up for the 1999

DISCUSSION PANELS 60-90 minutes long. 3 or 4 panellists offer views, followed by open discussion

The future of large planetaria is in commerce not science (Large = 50ft plus) Fixed or portable - which is the "real" planetarium (Small & medium) Any theme you like Interactive shows are just gimmicks Buying shows is a waste of money Using Digistar II for live shows is difficult Planetarium shows encourage misconceptions Good interactive astronomy exhibits don't exist Can international co-operative ventures ever become reality? Are astronomers, teachers and planetarians too far apart to make links? Non-astronomical shows demean astronomy & confuse the public

Your contribution is more likely to be selected if it fits at least some of the following f'>rl't"'r'l~ • It fits in with themes listed above • It provokes questions and discussion • It presents innovative and practical ideas • It has not before been presented· at an IPS Conference • Your Workshop is practical and clearly "hands-on" for participants • (Discussion Panellists) - you have a strong or unusual viewpoint SHOW KITS AVAILABLE FROM THE

DON'T DUCK, LOOK UP! A fun, friendly and interactive exploration of the sky! Designed especially through 1 st graders, this is an ideal first primary school audiences. Your presenter this program blending live interaction with segments. • 20 minutes / 108 slides / $450

lifE BEYOND EARTH* Consider the possibility of life elsewhere in our galaxy and throughout the universe. • Production Book with annotated script, • 31 minutes / 368 slides / $350 visual list, special effects notes, and educational materials DESTINATION: UNIVERSE, OUR FUTURE IN -".-...... :: • Soundtrack on cassette, Journey into the future from a space station out to the stars. Dolby B, ( or dbx 038 minutes / 321 slides / $350 ~~ • Slides

WORLDS OF WONDER'" Distribution, Davis Planetarium Investigate some of the exciting discoveries made about Maryland Science the worlds in our Solar System. 601 Light Street • 25 minutes / 314 slides / $350 Baltimore,

PARTNER >Ie SHIP * EARTH* Explore our planet from its violent birth to today and see how its wealth of resources make life possible. Find out how we can better preserve and enjoy the future of the world. • 25 minutes / 250 slides / $350

Programs funded by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation

11111 SCIENCE CENTER of Cape Canaveral, and it's to see the (if you don't know launches quite well from this far away. ty sure he'd be When the atmosphere is and other copy of the song 'M) noises have abated, you can even hear the rumble of the rockets. This was one of those liftoffs which in the small hours of the at a time when most sensible folks are fast but my one-year-old, knowing how much I wanted to see this event, contrived to be up at that hour, so it was a simple matter to step outside and look north. The Delta rocket put on a fine show, and I could see the flame-like exhaust tum to a bright yen ow-orange dot: another wan­ dering "star" in the heavens. The rocket's sent it on a great arc toward the east, and as it gradually dimmed, its trajectm"y ried it just above another "Opening the Dome" addresses strategies and Iistar" - the . It was a pretty logistics for conducting active, aggressive one that promised a true to the red real sky observation programs as adjuncts to a half a year later. for smaller facilities. planetarium shows, rve no doubt that many of us took advan­ tage of the Pathfinder mission to talk about Mars in our planetariums. That the NASA At the June 1997 meeting of the South web site registered over a hundred million Eastern Planetarium Association in hits in the first couple of days of the Pensacola, Florida, I conducted the second is proof enough that, contrary to some annual constellation shootout. Twenty par­ media skepticism~ people have an enormous ticipants pointed out dozens of stars, constel­ interest in this planetary neighbor. lations, asterisms and deep-sky objects in this Probably you also had a telescope or two contest. The winner was JaUe Phifer of set up as well, that gave folks a chance to see Morehead Planetarium, (who evidently Mars at the same time that the Pathfinder knows the names of all the stars in Pegasus!); mission was sending back its data. There's second place went to Waylena McCully of nothing like this kind of serendipity, when Sudekum Planetarium; and third place was a people discover that the stuff of good science tie between Dave Maness of Peninsula and bad Hollywood movies is Planetarium and Kris McCall of Sudekum they can see for themselves, from their own Planetarium. My thanks to the International backyard Laser Display association for donating a laser There is a kind of "sky disconnectedness" pointer to the winner, to George Fleenor of that affects our society. No can you Bishop Planetarium, Clint Hatchett and find at least one family member - a father or Wayne Wooten of Pensacola's Space and mother, an aunt, uncle or - who Science Theater, and to Jane Hastings of can point out the brighter luminaries in the Richmond's Jefferson High School sky and help the next generation learn that Planetarium for judging and planetarium planets, stars and galaxies are not make­ operation. believe phenomena. So in the absence of such a family resource, we in the successful star urn community have become the parents," taking on the pointing out the sky and its wonders. July, 1997: As I write this, spectacular Speaking of wonders, Dave Maness, images are just now coming down to us from Astronomy Director at the event. the Pathfinder mission to Mars. Rust-colored, Museum in Newport News, has sent me Now know t>",,,, ... rror,,,,I,, boulder-strewn landscapes reminiscent of, something (which if I am any of the en t, but I would like to out and yet different from, the Viking landing situation) indicates to me that he's sites at and , a you use the local astronomy perhaps one -Bopp telephone can too the of the h".Hy",,,,,,Fi fine, powdery soil carrying the imprints of many. Either that or he's a gifted Sojourner's treads, lots of evidence of deposi­ whose deeds and explOits will be told as leg­ tion by water, indications of volcanism - it's end for centuries to come. But you be the all simply overwhelming, and terribly excit­ judge. Dave has made up new lyrics to the ing. "King Tut" song that comedian Steve Martin I saw Pathfinder's 1aunch late last autumn. created several years ago. It's printed on the I live about an hour-and-a-half's drive south next pae. If you know the tune, then enjoy!

26 Planetarian Vol. more zealous astronomy dub m{~mbeJ~s. Hale-Bapp -a rap to the tune of King Tut have often found this to be the cult when By Dave Maness Ompired by Steve Martin) club. It was started long ago when cave men saw a "hairy star." nature realize that the average It continues to this day and in a place that isn't far. attendance of one of these events than have Once it was a sign for pharaoh, a dead Caesar, or a king, your should be Now they line up here for miles just to view the blasted thing. a short concise answer is not .. u'...... jl;.u. Hale-Bopp, Hale-Bopp! people will ask for more, short concise answer is what a There was a man out in the cold and he wasn't drinking sake, ed and he is 45 minute :lIUAUU'-!U Who found the fuzzy spot that we now call Hyakutake. well, you get the 4) Arrange for handouts. Most PHltnetari- But way out there in space, somewhat closer than the stars, urns will have a amount Lay an object that was coming between Jupiter and Mars. material that astronomy dub HAC;UUl';;;A.l be able to use to their ;I(h,an,t::lp·p_ Discovered as it languished in an obscure part of sky, ing astronomical data and tidbits by two people at the same time with a glass up to their eye. also want to advertise the ...... ".-, .... upcoming events and show times. The stars above attracted Mr. Bopp and Mr. Hale, also put in club information, and And each would use their 'scopes to observe it without fan. body is 5) Make sure someone from the

They gave it both their names 'CliZ they'll never get much dough. charge. with, say nine oel:soJ1alitie's, It was found in Arizona, and in New Mexico. is much more difficult than Hale-Bopp, Hale-Bopp!

It is coming from the Oort cloud which surrounds our solar system. An object must have passed them by so close that it just missed 'em

It's a great big muddy snowball that was formed out in the void The size is smaller than a planet, or even asteroid Hale-Bopp, Hale-Bopp!

Fifty thousands miles an hour is much faster than a snail. When it gets near to the sun the ices melt and form a tail.

When the ices stream out far behind we'll call that thing a , And if I hear much more about it, it just might make me (*&%$#!(vomit!)) Hale-Bopp!

tation you are giving in the planetarium or you are talking about in he planetarium. In what you are hoping the visitors will learn my experiences I have found that astrono­ cates from their time at the telescope. my club members love it when the person And most in1,/'Illr1-nY;ltl" COl)f)erat'l?. nIl;;U.ICU!- 2) Coordinate your activities. If you are coming to the telescope has some clue as to many times these are talking about or presenting an astronomical what is going on in the eyepiece of the mindset to you. also want to educate concept or phenomenon, time it so that they 'scope. people about astronomy. can see in the eyepiece of the telescope what 3) Temper the enthusiasm of some of the

Planetarian Article Wins Skept

John Mosley received the Martin Gardner Award for the 1996 Best Investigative Article for "The Millennium is COlmillg!" nally appeared in the March 1996 issue of the Planetarian as IICosmic Doom in 2000!" and was reprinted in '::ikepttCrIlag;azine with a new title. The award was made at the annual Skeptic Society Conference in May 1997 in Pasadena, California Skeptic is published quarterly by the Skeptics Society, PO Box 338, Altadena, CA 91001; email: [email protected] is a benefit ship in the society and it is also sold at news stands around the country.

A summary of the article is posted at the Planetarian web site at http://www.GriffithObs.org/IPSPlanetarian and the article in its " ... +;,."'~·n posted at the Skeptic web site at http://www.skeptic.com.

Vol. 26, No.3, September 1997 Planetarian A spectacular a crisp,

Shonandai Culture Center

GSS-Helios

The GSS-Helios (GSX) features 25,000 stars reproducing a sky seen only from space. Digital shutters mean .,.,.""","" .... YVl 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 rel)reseJltativ'e find out what your planetarium could be like.

The GI014si offers Space Simulator functions GOTO's exclusive automatic replacement mechanism. No more shows lost to burnout. With the your spare into action with a simple touch of a at the console. fast and efficient. That's a GOTO Planetarium.

GOlD 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] G1014si It wasn't until the chamber became more illuminated that I realized that there were ...... r'l.,"'hl .. hundred and other in the tarium. I hadn't heard one other sound- chuclde wrapper. :\GlrCleIV do I remember the tarium machine on its railed Later, I was told that it moved in and out of a velvet-lined doset. At that time, I didn't even want to take a mechani- inqluts,ithrelook. I was for those usherettes. As we walked out the front door, my eyes not the usherettes but a double brass handrail that undulated down and Row). the set of terraced steps in front of Adler Planetarium. motor mischievous and a veteran I wen re[Jnernl:J~i!r the summer of 1944 while sta­ Ml'llcirplI' •. dit'lIPlI' I seized the and tioned in Chicago, some buddies dimbed aboard and not on my and I visited Adler Planetarium. After a as uprightly as and to mc)rnilng tour of the Halsted Street markets my buddy. and a cursory visit to the Shedd ...... "...... "Give me shove!" our next stop was the Adler Planetarium at He did and down I went with a, 41Wheeee!" the end of the into Lake Since there was no post at the end, I land- Michigan. ed on my feet and was for a rerun until We had walked up the terraced front steps, my buddy cautioned me. through the huge and met a lady uYou'd better not try at a desk who told us that there was 41Whynot?" no admission charge to service men but that "Wait 'til you see the seat of your we had missed the of the Later, I looked and found two-difficult to afternoon show. remove-brass streaks down the seat of my As we turned to walk away an attractive dress Navy bI ues and we never did go back young lady approached, asking if we wanted and look for those two usherettes. to see the show, and invited us to follow her. We would have followed her show or no show. Half way around that mas­ sive corridor, she before a massive My for stars and constellations door and told us to wait a moment and then wasn't whetted until several years later. Even sarmeaf(:~a but in a moment the enthusiasm of Paul the nature with another young lady as attrac- lodge curator at Kahn tive. Scout with his Can-e-tarium(-ia) made The two young ladies ushered us four of number 10 cans with holes the sailors one elbow each and led us thI'OU:gh bottoms to represent co:nsteHations, those massive doors. As the door dosed, we kindled a were plunged into blackness and could It was Professor Everett J. M[lteI1be~rgt:~r, follow only the touch on our elbows. structor of at classroom we and a downward tug or Ohio, that did kindle the ..... ,""A"..tr,,· the set of wooden made us know to be seated I was seated fan it into a flame. around the tp!'Irhincr tool. next to my and I knew it was him because of his aroma and his wtlee;ling. We had come from the sunlight outside and it took a while for our eyes to become adjusted to the darkness as our ears heard the of the lecturer. Our eyes saw the flitting of an arrow in the darkened first issue current issue is sky before they saw the stars. It was fascinat- your web browser to: and I could believe that I was at stars. One half of my mind couldn't pay fun attention and listen to the lecturer because the other half was uU"""'''6 An . ',,",, __ ,,""_J"''''"'' printed also available (see page of about the two usherettes. Before long the eastern became ongnrer and as the stars

Planetarian

lu_,,,"u<.lI,,,hl,, versions, the most common oelrhaps, is known as "Panduit".

channel 1) is a ... ouU'<:U",,",, bottom "V" in cross-section, with a series of cable-breakout slots down both sides, the user to run cables into and out of the channel The channel also has small holes in the bot-

With a little bit of money. a can turn that wiring

tom so you cem screw it down to a cove bot­ tom or emy other similar space where cable and wire will run. You can even get remov­ able lids for the stuff if you like, so your cable ducts can be super-neat and en­ What ha:pJ)(!ns when you add more stuff closed. However, this commercial stuff isn't into a pl,m(;~tal~iulml available at your Radio Shack, nor is You end up with a lot more and it for those on a sh()es"tri.rU~ cables, for one thing. Whether you run a But there is a cheap alternative to com­ souped-up, automated or still run mercial wiring channel-one which is avail- most everything m<:mlLaHy able at most building and home begets more cabling. soon you end up stores: gutter down- with a tangled mess on your hands-one which is difficult to manage and keep neat. But you don't have to live with this mess. With a little bit of money, a few hours and a few basic tools, you can turn that wiring nightmare into the model of neat­ ness. I can stiU remember my first look-see into slot. a projection cove shortly after being hired at Gibbes Planetarium (Columbia, SC) in the early 1980s. Talk about a disorganized mess! The cove, with its huge masses of tangled wires and cables winding around the bottom looked like a in an Indiana movie! In the situation was so bad it was impossible to aim and position projectors in the cove without them up on top of bulging wire Besides incon- spout. This stuff is very affordable-around venient and frustrating, this also was a $7.00 per 3-meter (lO-foot) in the U.s.­ time fire hazard and it is available with a I ATA1_'I'",t-.ArfTUl Probably the best way to eliminate this dark brown exterior as wen as "anything goes" scenario is to in standard white (the dark brown works wen in coves as it reflects very little stray tic gutter downspout comes in two different ",t-"n""'_Y"nA more traditional rihhpr,r-rprtarH!lJ.- lar (which mimics the cross-sectional of conventional metal gutter dOWr:ISDIOUit). and square 2). works better, I think, as its flat sides mate nicely onto surfaces without the distortion encountered when to screw down the ribbed stuff. The square ver­ sion measures about 7Smm (3 inches) on each side. rI.n.un" "r'''''T __ ,,,, it comes

Vol. Planetarian upward, the channel pre­ sents no practical obstruc­ tion. (Projectors aimed with a more level orientation can simply be raised on suitable shims for projection-beam clearance, if needed) On the other hand, coves with rear access should have the chan­ nel mounted at cove-rear, or perhaps on the support waH just below the cove bottom. If you find yourself has­ Figure 4 sling with annoying wire ture of the cove, and also convenient and cable tangles every time cable breakouts in the process. A typical pro­ you install or re-aim a projector, to cut and install this jection-cove channel and cable-routing or worry about the lack of safety in piling arrangement can be seen as an overhead projectors atop a mass of cables, or simpl y in a single view in Figure S. Note that the channel is find that "snakepit" in your planetarium to shown mounted at the front of the cove. be an embarrassing eyesore, then perhaps atec with a Although this may seem counter-intuitive this shoestring wiring channel solution is for cable routed between cove and control to some, such an arrangement makes it easy you. The entire process of cutting the plastic sole-can be outfitted for less than to route and re-route cables without disturb­ gutter downspout goes very quickly, as does truly affordable solution to str.aig.l:1ten ing projectors in a typical front-access cove drilling the screw-holes and the final chan­ classic planet:ari1um pf()bI~~m! setup. Since most projectors are aimed nel mounting. It's possible for a of

N THE

PRODUCE LTI-COLOR I

INPUT SEAM APERTURE: <2.0mm

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32 Planetarian Vol. IPsa

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North America: Minolta Corporation / Planetarium Division 101 Williams Drive Ramsey, N.J. 07446, U.S.A. Tel: ·(1 )-201-934-5347 Fax: (1 )-201-818-0498 Southeast Asia: Minolta Sdn. Bhd. / Planetarium Division No. 12, Jalan SS 8/2, Sungai Way, 47300, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, Tel: (60)-3-7761133,7756541 Fax: (60)-3-7761767 Minolta Planetarium Ltd. 2-30, Toyotsu cho, Suita, 564, Japan Tel: (81 )6-386-2050 Fax: (81 )6-386-2027 ONLY in line with every type of service, to as many Stuaelrus, become more efficient and cost effective. It is OilS answer. No more TArr' ....'[ll11'n difficult - but not impossible - to run a large buses. For a it means facUity and make ends meet, and the drive children on campus. Portables for making ends meet in an increasingly one person and are far less eX'pelnSlve competitive leisure market means that maintain. newer technology, like large format films, Not all school rtH:t'''l,(,T/,rnl laser shows, etc., have become part of the Buffalo. norm for large domes - indeed, new ones are usually planned to serve a wide variety of [email protected] audiences. Because of the need to be commercially Heno. First Qf all, please note my new mail­ Viable, the more traditional night sky and ing and email addresses. I've transplan ted positional astronomy shows tend to take a myself over the water from the UK into the backseat to the edutainment shows (Astron­ relative charms of Buffalo. Nice town, inter­ omy 101 in 20 minutes!) and less time can be and run esting weather! allocated to providing schools programmes, reach program, and there I'd like to apologise for the absence of this as these often have to be done at cost, or at a independent in the area. column in the last issue. I had compiled one, loss, to ensure that schools can afford to In conclusion then, in the US but it got lost in the ether whilst travelling come. is plugging the need created over to John Mosley via the Internet, and I Add to this the rising costs of booking ties and commercial didn't realise this until it was too late. I don't school transport and arranging supply teach­ planetaria. It is not a qw~sn.on want the contributors to feel they had wast­ ers, and you have a situation where the larg­ portable will be the -n I',,,,,,,,,,,, ,rU1Inf1O ed their valuable time writing their er domes are having to cater more and more ence left in schools, it is more a questllon thoughts, so John has kindly allowed me to for the tourist and general public, and less giving schools an affordable add that column to this one to make a dou­ and less for schools. So, one of the reasons which has become necessary over the ble-header. (I'm picking up these American that portables have increased is because the In the UK the situation is terms very quickI y!). larger domes can't afford to run as many The rise of the has been The topiC for discussion was: school shows, and the schools can't always lack of fixed domes and the introduction afford the associated costs of going to the astronomy onto the national ...... '...... "~.,... The economics of running large shows, an ywa y. Large domes are where most With only a few domes at exlcrernes domes grows more difficult with of the public astronomy teaching takes the country, a vast both each passing year. This has lead place. and public, has no to go for astrmlmny to mobiles and sman domes While it is probably true that some large education. The gap has been I-"~'hb"- becoming increasingly more domes will be dosed, there are many new schools by the which far outnllm- important in maintaining a ones springing up in cities, so I feel that the ber the fixed domes, and many planetarium presence in many number of large domes will remain about teur astronomy societies also dties. So, are they the key to the the same. vices with their observatories. future? Are we destined to see However, it has to be remembered that public, the gap has yet to be filled. a fraction of the vast majority of domes are the smaU- to interested members will make the domes open to the middle-sized coUege or school district neys to one of the fixed domes, but public, while the mobiles contin- taria. These are, in the main, mid-sixties part of a day out to that part of the "..n"nt,ru ue to proliferate and spread the installations, or similar, and a great many The future holds several excitement of astronomy? Or were built during the space race to encour­ tacmtles, all under various stages of will the of large to age students to be interested in science and ment, which will service the need small domes remain much the space. Large numbers are not open to the also school services. It is POSSIIDAe same as it is today. public. While these facilities were new and that the introduction of some of these

'It",,,, fashionable, and costs to schools for fixed will lead them were either non-existent or negligible, demise of one or two then these facilities were the mainstay of service the school market If you look at this from the USA point of astronomy teaching. The situation 30+ years areas, but this will the costs view, I think the Forum issue divides into on is, for many of these domes, quite grim. schools, two parts: that of the role of planetaria in Their technology for the most part is still public education and that of formal very old because the colleges and school dis­ new facilities school/college education. The question of tricts do not have the sums available to reno­ between what whether portables will eventually dominate vate and modernise. So, for some domes, to make ends meet, and what has a different answer depending on what when the projector needs an overhaul, the to provide for the schools. angle you approach this from. facility itself is often closed. The school dis­ Alexandra The largest domes are generally found in trict or college is also under pressure to be cities and are tourist attractions and civic efficient and cost effective, and many see amenities. In recent years, many that were these aging domes as a drain. Consequently, previously heavily dependent on donations when the time comes for the to reno­ or a regular fund from a learned institution vate, a portable planetarium, at a fraction of or government body have found themselves, the cost of a new star projector and often *** 34 Planetarian Vol. At the end of a day, suffering from fatigue As one trained as an astronomer, and now and low blood-sugar, it seems like we're aU being an instructor in physics and astrono­ doomed to close. But if you ask earHer in the my, I already accept that there is probably morning, when we're still thinking crea tive­ life out there. In my classes and in the ques­ ly, we'd say, "Probably not." tion period after my presentations, this ques­ People can choose to rent a video tape and tion generally comes up. My response to watch it in the comfort of their own homes. those questions is generally in the affirma­ But movie theaters are still doing a thriving tive, but I also point out the unlikelihood of business by showing the same films on large visitations. The reasons that I list include the screens. There's nothing like being surround­ great distance involved, the energy reCJUlre­ thOIUgtlt of Hfe existirlg eJ.se'\'\rhe:re ed by the action and sound. Look at the ments, the cost of such an undertaking, and our is mind bO~~Hng. increasing sales of large-screen television sys­ the question of return on that investment. I ence fiction creatures from tems in the United States - it's more exciting then conclude with the possibility that as dues from the nn"<:llr~ to experience something up close. "they" are out there, but that they are proba­ I'""n'''''''''' up aU sort of cU'cums;talnC€~S Similarly, the biggest 1I00000hhh!" plane­ bly stuck on their own rock, orbiting their orsHme? tarium audience reaction we get is for the own star, and may even speculate on the The irrefutable confirmation dark, star-filled night sky. Not the jazzy existence of "others", just as we do. restrial life will "'r,"""iirt", video effects (they get some too), but for the I suspect that, initially, when the stars. Urban populations don't get to see the announcement was first made, that I would be? Will it be real sky often. be fielding lots of questions from the general discovery will my plane1:ariurnl's Portable planetariums are fun for kids to public as wen as the local media (based on cation mission very little. The Earth crawl in and out of, and for some agile adults personal experience when other interesting rotate and revolve. Seasons will

as well. The aging demographiCS of America astronomical events have occurred). This fonowed the zodiac. The ,"VA''' ...UM wiB mean older audiences (chronologically could possibly force the direction of shows Hons will remain the same. older, that is). Our older visitors appreciate a produced here to include, in part, the above­ comfortable chair to sit in during the plane­ mentioned evidence. tarium program. Disabled visitors also have I imagine, in the short-term, that programs easier access to our "permanent" dome than that I do live that deal with the planets of to our portable. our solar system and speculate on the exis­ forms, and what we about The "excitement of astronomy" is not lim­ tence of others, would include information them. Interest in astronomy and space will ited to either mobile or stationery planetari­ about the physical evidence. If information be ums. It can flourish or die in either one. about where "they" were exists, I imagine Such a i<:r,(H,,"'rU should be a to Perhaps we need to remind ourselves period­ that I would also be obliged to include the p13,neltari.a which distribute ically that while this is the 97th time I've general location in the sky, or even the par­ given this comet program this week (it ticular star, if visible, along with any infor­ seems) it is the first time the audience has mation as to the distance to that system. seen it. I might be tired of the special effects, How it would affect my presentations and new information in but they're new to the audience. Keeping our would depend on the evidence that was dis­ astronomy. The thrust of own enthusiasm going will bring the "excite­ covered win for several years. HO'!AU'VF'lr ment" to any dome. As to canned/taped presentations, those believe that the interest wiIl be April Whitt that deal with the speculation of life would unless new dramatic information Fernbank Science Center have to be updated. We don't have many of lifeforms continues to be discovered Atlanta, Georgia those, so that would not be much of a chore. Initial excitement would One could add something to the back end than the disi=overv *** going live, for example, or, if pOSSible, edit in comet or total but would fade something during the program, if it is not thereafter.

So, on we go to the second half of the col­ too intrusive. To ... "'IJA ..UU .... on the rH"'rn'"o~''' umn and a new topiC: In the long-term, it is hard to how will need to use resources such a discovery would affect the presenta­ News shows and the Internet are If, in our we should tions I do. It would be, after one our thunder in term ever find irrefutable physical aspect of astronomy. There are other fasci­ satisfaction and patrons up to evidence that every astronomer nating things out there, things that catch the date. ET programs will need to be upclatable, accepts of the existence of anoth­ public's imagination. I would, therefore, be tAr·hn"ir~'Hl and be We er intelli.gent race of beings in remiss to exclude presentations on those top­ our G~laxy, how would it affect ics in favor of concentration on this one information to the your approach to your job as a topiC. If updates on the discovery continue technology to planetarian, and the kind of to be available, I would strive to make those information current shows you would then wish to available to the public in those shows in So, what will the present? which it would be appropriate. But, with the with the new information? Our role diversity in astronomy, I am sure there to use the insatiable Scott MUler is the first to step up to the would be no lack of material on which to information to lure them under eyepiece. base new programs. where we can do what we do stars to educate.

Vol. No.3, September 1997 Planetarian Rod Martin What does this mean for ..... ,'.5 ...... ; When are for brunch, and if they aren't, should I care? We should encourage and discussion, and reac­ mation about the aHens' tion from the public will no doubt be mixed certain, would be the Even in of irrefutable there don't know much about I have gone a of tee.Hn~~s will still be naysayers and doubters aook at er it be. about the idea of evidence of the arguments over UFOs, for Professional astronomers intelligent beings elsewhere in the universe...... ';&U.pH_'. This discovery would adjust and which will be to For most of my Hfe, I have assumed that broaden our but you can IIthey" are out there. Getting confirmation of beat people over the heads with sornetmrlg that would be a but I'm not so sure for so Then, you have to back off that l4every person on the will have and let them make up their own minds. their most basic thoughts about our in After the initial excitement down, I the scheme challenged" think would pretty much go on as have to come into To me the most intriguing both per- usual, unless there were the chance of a We will have sonallyand would be the meaningful exchange with the extraterrestri­ that come from "real, live folks. form in which the "evidence" came. We als. have a chance to what is known could reasonably assume that it will It turns out that such an announcement what we are to the ordinary laws of physics, take the form of may also have some implications within the of the un,dOllbtedly "EM"-anations (radio waves and such) travel- planetarium and museum world, Within cer­ ling at the speed of light conversa- tain science museums, particularly those tion could be a bit slow. planetar- which focus on natural there may be tact" with our new A .....J:,.,UJ\."". ium visitors may need to think about is that an attitude that astronomy isn't a "natural environments will start to wrap interstellar exchange of information may science" and that the is the odd new world, and we11 let their im,agi:nat:iorls necessarily span whole generations of ...... "...... , tolerated because it makes fill in the details. humans. It would behoove us to make each money, While the of this this moment for u ... ,~a"A"''', unit of exchange quite voluminous-like argument speaks for itself, the discovery of to do the when the time comes! sending them the equivalent of an enc:vc:w­ extraterrestrial Hfe would show that not For a time, our new-found friends pedia about us and ask that they return the only does Earth share the same natural atmo­ up our entire consciousness. But after favor. spheric, volcanic, and tectonic processes first realization takes hold, I believe that If we received a message from beings else­ with many other worlds, but that the same where, I think that things could get interest­ "biological" processes are just as universal. ing, not from any dogma Bing Quock but from possible international efforts to Morrison Planetarium assemble some coherent and , CaUfornia mation of our reply that might paint us humans in a shake us aU awake. And then our tive and interesting the in earnest. aliens would be up for discussion and not find us boring conversationalists. Our role as In the 48 hours I have seen planetarians then remains the same as it humankind's intelligence come to on a always has (at least for some of us): planet some 11 light minutes away. As I write to spark interest in astronomy and increase this Forum piece on July 6, the fireworks of the science literacy of our visitors to make Pathfinder's and Sojourner's successes are still for more interesting conversations. ringing in my ears. Here in Hawaii and ** Alan Gould around the world, our audiences, the media, In'UA'I"CU·" of California and our next door neighbors are for sure that the pl,me:taI'imn Lawrence Hall of Science #5200 more and more news from Mars, At Berkeley, CA 94720-5200 moment, many Earthlings are our reason for to toy with the notion of tion of scientific results, ... "If.., ...... wu *** intelligent beings to another amy, for the No would happen to our planetarium programs Of course I would like to prC)QlICe Although we as science communicators if we were to find out that somewhere else, a cm1Ce~m]lng this civiHza tion, would naturally have a responsibility to few thousand light years into the matter how much or how little we explain the issue to our audiences as rational­ Way, "they" were already there? that time, that ...... u ..... F. ly as possible, I don't think that such an Here at Bishop Museum, we are obtained. No announcement would, in the long run, fun­ ning our new Explorers Project, which will as damentally change the kind of shows that attempt to revolutionize planetarium pro­ plalnetaI'iUln manager, of we present. Our job is to bring astronomy gram creation, in part evaluating the into this business down to Earth, and there's an awful lot of needs and reactions of our audience in new into in the first material to cover; extraterrestrialHfe is just ways. If a SETI-Hke program were to discover interest in life otherwhere in the "niu",""A part of it. There are that another civilization in our I believe The focus of the discussion will beg answers: wm a dialog occur? What can that our audiences' expectations would The but not my 3PlprClaCln. we learn? Do we have anything to fear? change drastically, and we would have to

36 Planetarian Most at least here are the In ternet connection. Alan already convinced that there is life out there, could have as easily in either from a UFO point of view or because aU of science where think that science has already it, readily accessible. a corporate Mars meteorites and an. Our main effort dien t took their guests to the of would probably be to convince people that Everest from Dome via the now we know (not just believe) that some­ Internet thing is out there - i.e., we have to ten people After seeing Alan's presentation I can ten of the process of science, not just the results. you what the Calgary Science Centre will be No change there. doing three after contact with an There are many wcm(ler:tul Ole j. Knudsen extraterrestrial civilization. We will have the n01:hirlg more wonderful Planetarium Manager community's best science commentators Museum and scien !ists using Discovery Dome to University of interpret the news for this community. We will be facilitating the contact and between scientists and the larger communi­ *** ty; a forum for the exchange of information that people need to develop thoughtful, con­ My view is that the planetarium commu­ structive viewpoints about the news. nity should be reassessing its role now - not If, today, a science communicator's pro­ as the result of some amazing cosmic discov­ grams and the supporting theater and tech­ and ... u ...ul'o ...... ery. Planetarium professionals have tradi­ nologies aren't engaging the community in Universe as it is discovered tionaHy asked, "How can I best use the tools the larger dialog about issues within life, sci­ at my disposal to ten space and astronomy ence, the universe and culture that stories?" The questions should be, "What are or affect us personally, will the cmnITlunity False facts are the (larger) community's science informa­ tum to them as a resource when extraterres­ tion needs and wants?" Having asked and trial life or some other amazing is answered that question, the questions then made? Not a chance! It is time to demolish becomes, "What programs - and what tools the planetarium as a diorama of space and do I reqUire - to fulfill those wants and astronomy and reinvent it as a forum for needs?" community interaction and dialog, a forum When we asked those last two questions that will involve people with all the sci­ The great obstacle to ...... r.. n1l"<><'<' in Calgary we came up with the answer that ences, induding space and astronomy, more 19nor(illce, but the illusion Calgarians didn't need or want a planetari­ deeply than a planetarium as currently con­ um. They needed and wanted a versatile the­ ceived ever could ater that could teU stories about any science Bill Peters He who rules moral as easily as it could tell stores about space Calgary Science Cen tre Pole which remains and astronomy, a theatre that could also be all the lesser stars do hOIna~~e used for arts and culture, breaking the trou­ bling isolation of science from the everyday cultural context, a theatre that could re­ I'd like to thank Rob Landis for sU$l~ge!;tinlg spond to late breaking events as easily as it the I've chosen for the next issue, could present productions months in the which is as fonows: making. As a result of these inquires we undertook For aU its achievements the most extensive rebuild ever done on an built up over almost 40 years of existing planetarium, demolishing the NASA stin continues Calgary Centennial Planetarium during 1995 to have its traditional in order to know vA1i'.aH~~ .. and 1996, and opening our multi-media sci­ tance to it as he has been told or ence theatre, the Discovery Dome, on June I, 1996. Since opening we have presented high­ education space tech multi-media shows, low-tech lectures .-n"", .. ", it's because, century and demos, corporate events, large-format at are not educators films and, with great success, live science but scientists and tgnlor,mc:::e is the most delilghtful drama incorporating the high-tech A\ V. What steps can the pliElnet~tlrjiuJ:n Last night, July 7, just three days after the take to shake the labor or and

Mars landing, AJan Dyer gave a stunning, '" nr"1ITlI"-"T out of this and presentation about Mars Pathfinder and wake them up to the realities of Sojourner to a packed house in Discovery a world about to enter the 21st Dome. The audience thrilled to Alan's ideas h",.,."".,.._,07 than AU astronomers go and viewpoints, and to the forty-foot wide about the when die so that data-grade images of Mars, seamless]y universe we inhabit with Universe without the intlerft~rellce integrated from still digital files, video and inlr'1"d".I'lI~:inO' awe?

Vol. Planetarian Full Color Laser Projectors with ADAT Playback words and kindness shown to tears and sent the book offers

have much time for his two sons. If Einstein's mind understancjir:ag of the cosmos, luck. The traditional stories are rcv'A.,,,,1-arl like how he asked himself what it would be like to ride on a beam of But he never After a hectic year of comets went into great detail on his discoveries. across the sky and rovers across While much is told about Einstein's influ­ the red planet, take a break with a good ences and his Hfe's situation his book. Choose one of the fine offerings here, work, Einstein never liked or let us know your latest new favorite. and never elaborated on Many thanks to our reviewers. it! taken the time to read a book or two, and more time to write a review. We appreciate it! Thanks to: Bob Bonadurer, Christopher G. De Pree, Kelleher, Pam Eastlick/John Mosley, Steve

Einstein: A Life, Denis Brian, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York, NY, ISBN 0-471- 11459-6, $30.00.

Reviewed by Bob Bonadurer, MinnealJolis Planetarium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Einstein-arguably the greatest scientist to date-was also a great human This new biography offers of views." back up this claim. Einstein was a who could laugh at himself, nizing the need for humor in such a rn,,<"+,"rL ous universe. One example of this occurred when a baby took one look at EinsteL"rl and started crying. Einstein smiled and "You're the first person in years who has told me what you realI y think of me." Brian's book puts Einstein on a as a very kind and caring person first, and a superb physicist second. The constant, inces­ sant demands on his time were handled with patience and charm. Interviewers forever wanting his relativity theories in a sentence, received straight answers from the unshakable Einstein. The sentence? "Time terms with not and space and gravitation have no separate world

existence from matter." These short Dv,"I" .... "_ lions bothered Einstein in they left too much out. But he was a nice guy and gave the reporters what they want­ ed. While Einstein was tied to his Arizona Press, 1993 work, he gave much of his time to others. On

his 50th birthday, an laborer Reviewed A'I. ... JLA ...... Research- sent him a small package of tobacco with a er, Yerkes Centennial message, "there is relatively little tobacco Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA but it comes from a good field" The on Vol. Planetarian tragedy. The reader will feel heads butting Newton's Clock: Chaos in the and will share in the after­ Solar System, Ivars W. taste of ruined careers. H. Freeman &: Company, New

Pauper and Prince takes a Iino holds barred" York, 1993, ISBN 0-7167-2396-4, look at two historical characters of early $15.95. twentieth century astronomy who were both destined for greatness. But at some Reviewed by Christopher G. De Pree, Bradley point in their relationship, Hale turned on Observatory, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, and said he had become "simply Georgia, USA. "true breadth" of Newton's laws of unJ'uv.", unbearable and had to be put overboard." and in the shift from ...... ".. ".... /<0 This is a story of pathos, of men who accom­ "Philosophy is written in that great book­ order in the solar system to ..... ,J ...... plished remarkable feats in science and I mean the universe-that forever stands chaos. served their country wen in peace and in open before our eyes, but you cannot read it After several ch,mt:ers wartime. But this is also the story of defeat, until you have first learned to understand view, Peterson of a man who became a an ""ll'\_T',':>"_ the language and recognize the symbols in text de~;cribinlg son" in America, and who could find respect which it is written. It is written in the lan­ tion of chaotic motions in only in solitude. But which one was it-the guage of mathematics and its symbols are tri­ system. the author wanders pauper or the angles, circles, and other geometrical figures into some serious mathematical without which one does not understand a space and differen Hal Pluto, Robert 1995, word, without which one wanders through a Hons), the book remains readable throUl~h- Franklin Watts, P. O. Box dark labyrinth in vain." -from The Assayer, out His and accessible de5;criotil)ns Danbury, cr 06813, USA, ISBN Galileo GalUei of these very are the 0-531-20166-X, $13.51, The Sun, Ivars Peterson's beautifully written text, historical context that is Robert Daily, 1995, Franklin Newton's Clock, illuminates this labyrinth as miSSing in Watts, P. O. Box 1333, Danbury, it examines the major turning points in the Peterson makes the CT 06813, USA, ISBN 0-531- very human quest to understand the nature 20105-8, $13.51. of our solar system Peterson, who quotes the above passage near the end of his text, seems Reviewed by Bob Bonadurer, Minneapolis to have taken Galilee's opinion to heart as he Planetarium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA carefully traces the developments in obser­ vational astronomy, physics, mathematics the solar system like a watermelon seed. These children's books did not come rec­ and computing that have led to our current fact, while long term simulations show that ommended for a specific age, but grades 4-8 understanding of the solar system. Far from the gravitational interaction of the would be in the ball park. The books are the majestic and predictable astronomical do result in chaotic patterns, the solar straightforward with a slight writing flair by clock it was long thought to be, our solar sys- appears stable over the the author that suggests a more relaxed con­ versational tone. There are pictures at least "Peterson makes the point that despite its reputation, chaos every other page with many excellent artist's not always be catastrophic." draWings. While the books concentrate on their respective worlds, they do relay comparative tern appears to be a fundamentany unpre­ simulations carried out so far (aX:1prIQxilm,ltely information and a personal favorite of dictable place. 20% of the age of the solar mine-history. For example, the Pluto book For thousands of years the heavens were advent of gives the origins of its name and the story of synonymous with constancy and pre­ its discovery by Clyde . The Sun dictability. Even after the wrenching realiza­ book mentions the works of Aristarchus, tions that the earth is not at the center of the Hipparchus, Copernicus and Galileo, plus solar system, and that even the Celestial talks about great monuments aligned to the Sphere is full of change, astronomers sun like Medicine Wheel by the Native believed that the motions of the planets Americans and the pyramids by the ancient were at least predictable. Newton and his Mathematical Egyptians. predecessors visualized the solar system as a sels, Jean Meeus. Willmann-Bell, The key question about children's books grand piece of machinery, set in motion a Inc., PO Box 35025, Richmond, that are about one world and not the entire creator, with orbits that would be orderly V A 23235, 1997, ISBN 0-943396- solar system is cost. Other individual books until the end of time. 378 pages ..... ,...... on the other planets are listed in the back. The detailed motions of our nearest neigh­ $24.95. They are part of the "First Books About the bor, the moon, gave astronomers their first Solar System" series. The entire set would be taste of how difficult accurate mathematical Reviewed John Mosley, Griffith Obser- pricey, but at 60 pages each, these books con­ prediction of the motion of gravitationally vatory, , California, USA tain plenty of information on each specific bound objects might be. The careful observa­ world that is often lost in more general tions of Tycho Brahe, for example, showed We're all asked how often the books. that the inclination of the moon's orbit was align. I often resort to analogy when not a constant five degrees (as proposed by to answer, but Chapter 31 of this super Ptolemy). It appeared that the gravitational book gives a "precise" number: once every interactions of all of the bodies in the solar X 1017 years. That is how often,

40 Planetarian Vol. assumptions, all nine who need to know the u7nrlrj-n

Polaris be closest to the North Celestial 1-' ..... ,<4.> ...... to and how distant will it be (27' 37" in Febru­ ary 2102). Meeus answers these questions, but more for weird importantly (and not to those them, I think I know what is adventures. who know him) takes us through the math- in the Bermuda what

"Jean Meeus must have been asked this question and it so many times that he finally collected his answers in book

ematical steps to show how the answer was Daniken's motives and whether or not derived. Readers familiar with his other etary can be used to behav­ books will know what depth to expect. ior. I know the histories of fallacies and Meeus does not provide short answers to scams and the secrets of the lives of the the questions he poses, but digresses and pur­ perpetrators. But the greatest mystery of all is sues additional interesting and often unex­ rarely treated in do pected avenues of We see the mind and even believe such of a clever person at work doing what he nonsense? That is what Michael .)W:;:fIIH::r loves and does out details of book is about. how the sky moves. Five pages, for eX,lml~je, In my naive youth I th()U5!mt are devoted to answering "when is Polaris pIe were simply pn!seJnte~d closest to the pole," and these pages include information about such two tables and three graphs. after chapter (chapters are short) delves into an understanding of the shapes of light. It's not so easy, as the Air Force and unexpected eclipse pelrlOQH:ltIles. discovered when "closed the you know that there are more total solar the Roswell saucer crash. eclipses in the Northern Hemisphere than believe weird things for lack of information. the Southern? (It has to do with the earth They have their reasons. being at aphelion during the Northern I've also learned the value of ""r,...-n,,,th,,

Hemisphere summer.) Even if you think you when '-U':4"~... F. understand eclipses pretty well (taking do not appreciate eclipses as an example), Meeus opinions trashed by a know-it-all expert. explores, and explains surprising complexi­ Wisdom and the Uttle ties. I've makes me more to This book joins Meeus' Astronomical the confused Oess so to hucksters and Tables of the Sun, Moon, and Planets and charlatans). Shermer is very unaelrst,illcHng, Astronomical Formulae for Calculators, both partially from been there A~""""'''''U_, previously published by Willmann-Ben, as but largely because he cares about another essential reference for the planetari­ Hence the value of this book It attempts to an's library. I immediately sat down and understand why have strange beliefs, Reviewed spent two hours non-stop going through my and without this understanding we are pow­ copy upon its arrivaL It's a must-have for erless to confront them. The book is a must

Vol. Planetarian teUs of their colllal)Se dwarf

no hair"),

Then it's on to naked .HU,F. ...".,u.u, .... wonder-fUled com- with instructions on how to avoid spalghetttucatilon' and the USA star at we on a whirlwind tour of wormholes and time travel. The book ends with a firm IH()uIHtinsr in current CO!'imOH)gllcaA mC:JW:Ulllg the mind,-b()gjlmrlg concept that a black hole

wonderful book The Guide someone else's universe! the This is one the easiest we're introduced to cQ5;m()Jo:gie

one who ever won­ dered about holes. It does an of eXTJ!almr;lg the un­ explainable. and Hen­ best have ed another winner that should be in and low

Planetarian Vol. who entered astronomy between 1860 and 1899, the od of rationalization and entrance of the observatories. This was marked the tensions between astrono- who adhered to the

those who astronomy spectroscopy and Dhot~JrnletrYJ group entered astronomy between 1900 and when comfortable mix old and new astronomers co-existed. Each group is examined sodo-historic factors. This examination is a methodical in\res1:ig2Lticlfl of character­ as: level of education, de:~n;~e-~~rantimg institution, and the of institutional on the first economic status and mentors career advancement; the effects of patronage, spon- institutional and research publishing on in societies and access the reward system; and, the influence of the economic system the tendencies of certain types of ",,,t ..r.r,h,,,";r;.,t,, The second area of American AstrOllmny evaluates the above criteria and each scientist in Elite career or among the Rank-and-File. A of the above factors reveals that certain career Reviewed Steve choices favored in an Elite New York, group of astronomers easier access to of power and influence as wen as to the rewards which the astronomi- cal such Acaal~mv of Sciences. The on the reward system is examination of how a val ue their ealUCiHlCJn, their The effect

cant number in the women in astronomy, very distinct patterns and bias reveals. it not ,,, ...... ,.;.,;.,,,0:

observatories. of the reward system reveals the centers of power and influence, and the absence of women from career that them toward either the centers of influence

has been a stationary dome have a chance to see the director and also worked with Starlab for action. over sixteen years and he has been an astron­ omy professor for eleven years. Under his guidance, the RVCC Planetarium has grown to an annual attendance of more than 20,000. Through a grant from the Merck Institute for Science Education, RVCC owns Brought to you by and of interest to: two Starlabs and has trained 200 teachers in Powerful Interactive Planetarium Systems hands-on astronomy. These teachers then rent Starlab, for a nominal fee, to use in their schools. In the last two years, since the pro­ gram's inception, over 26,000 chHdren have Susan Reynolds received a planetarium experience taught by Onondaga -Cortland­ their teacher and attendance at the station­ ary planetarium increased. Madison Jerry will present Starlab lessons to Italian _.II. .. J. Planetarium students who have studied English. These Box 4754 lessons are designed to help the students domes are learn astronomy concepts and lis­ a greater un,oeI"Stanomg York 13221 tening to and speaking English. Jerry will cost and miniaturized technOic)gy 315-433-2671 also make presentations to the general public of Brescia and demonstrations for Italian 315-432-4523 fax planetarians. There will also be time for [email protected] Sightseeing in nearby Verona, , , or Florence. was of ..... <>,"hr·11 ",,. This contest is generously supported idea of leisure education was Ninth PIPS Meeting Learning Technologies Inc. and Serafino Zani Professor Ruskin B. Astronomical Observatory. Last year Fifteen planetarians met at Oswego Bishop was the winner of this contest and College in New York State on 20 June 1997 she is preparing an illustrated article about for a workshop designed to help educators the trip for the Planetarian. This is an ongo­ who use portable and small stationary plane­ ing contest and the application has been tariums. Some participants brought lessons updated. and techniques to share while others If you would like to appl y for a chance to brought questions and and this have this wonderful experience write or e­ translated into a very intensely productive mail Susan Reynolds at the above address for meeting. the 1998 application forms.

New Phone Biennial Meeting European Steve Tidy (Apt. 90 Small and Mobile Planetarium Buffalo, New York 14226 USA). You wm notice the extremely different address! Steve in the entertainment The next European meeting has been called to let me know he is now in the more entertained if their brain is en$~ageru scheduled for 31 October and 1-2 November States and is enjoying working with Thrill rides 1997. We will meet in Nice, France at the tarians in the Buffalo and Rochester areas, Hotel Campanile. We look forward to a large Hopefully, since he is so dose now, he will turn out and an exciting time of sharing attend some future PIPS meetings and share skills. techniques and curriculum For further his expertise! information contact Jean Michel Auzias at Calls are still coming in about 0033 4 92 09 09 24. people starting or thinking about starting a business with a portable. This seems to be a American Planetarian in Italy growing population and might provide an After much deliberation the committee is interesting shift in the way portables are cur­ pleased to announce that they have chosen rently being used and the auxiliary another highly qualified applicant to win a ment that develops. With the new super trip to Northern Italy. Jerry Vinski, Raritan domes the space for extra equipment is avail­ Valley Community College (RVCC) able. These may become virtual reality Planetarium director, will travel to Brescia rooms in ways never thought of before. France to this Fall to work with Loris Rampont Jerry Those attending the Great Lakes Plane­ Have a great 1997-98 school tarium Association meeting in October will now - in touch!

Vol. No.3, September 1997 Planetarian A company dedicated to

Now "THE ULTIMA TJE PiLANOEX1PERlIE1\;fCJE" Direct 14

46 Planetarian Pathfinder animation as understand (800 km) it (and also created, I believe, the different Pathfinder animation that ran on NASA TV the and the

H .. A.U .... I'l,/p has created a 19-minute video under another ]PL contract entitled "Mars 1;:" .."'.0" ...... '98," a excellent review of the orbiter and lander missions launch in late 1998 and 1999 and arrive

in late 1999 to continue the Mars C;:iU"UP1lTnr

program. The company is .... AA""AJ" .....~A Multimedia Inc., 800 Old Roswell Lakes P"Y'VUT':>" Suite 100, 30076 tel€~ph()ne +1 770 993 8384, fax +1 770 WeB, it bounced-it bounced good. But it E-mail web site didn't land on any rocks! And so Mars Pathfinder and its diminutive I've obtained a copy of the new video, and rock-caressing rover Sojourner have been on it's every bit as as the with several Mars for a mere two weeks as I write-and minutes of overview and then the anima­ splendidly so far. And while the scien­ tions-of the orbiter which arrives then tists salivate over streams of data and crinkle of the lander which settles down (more con­ their brains up with clever names verltionally and than Pathfinder) for rocks, we in the planetarium realm sali­ among the sClllnted. vate over thoughts of new 3-D Mars pans in our theaters and crinkle our brains thinking of ways to work them into our shows. missions and assorted astroJnomlca! And even as you read, Mars Global Sur­ space an has gone well-is reaching live got copy and it's fun Mars, bent wing and all, skimming There's a whole detailed section n,.,~"ir1i..-"Y through the upper atmosphere to slowly all sorts of information Mars Pat:htincler, reengineer its orbit before it begins a set of a studies that should make scientists-and planetarians-salivate some more. We're all seeing red these days-as in Red Planet. Even the general public seems, for the most part, genuinely excited-which is good news. And so it seems almost obliga­ tory to begin this issue's col umn with some news on Mars-related items. sian.

In the months before Pathfinder's lIone small bounce for spacecraft, a giant leap for NASA TV ratings," our facility had the good fortune to get a copy (through our university connections) of the Jet Pro­ pulsion Laboratory-distributed video on the Mars Global Surveyor and Pathfinder missions-an excellent 14-minute presenta­ tion featuring some first-rate computer animation. Especially notable was the Pathfinder segment, recounting the craft's now-historic exploits from launch through cruise, through atmospheric entry shows. In the meantime, a and the bouncy night landing, to the flow­ able. er-like deployment of the lander and the first putterings of in the terrain. We've used these animations a and in cur- rent-event programs for the wonderful preview they provided Now the company that created that

Vol. ...:"' .... "",...... ,..,. .. 1997 Planetarian 1996 column. Back then, I hadn't seen program elements, but had with the Nessies at their web to the show tape and location, or video elements of the visualization. their new location at P.o. Box 1159, The program in year 2018 on Groton, Massachusetts 01450 USA teJ,epil0fle the verge of the manned mission to +15084483666, fax +1 508 448'3799 or e- Mars. There is a brief narrated mail [email protected]. ' fascination with the Red Planet, of and later reconnaissance missions (with even some animated Pathfinder i-"",~+~'~~ While Mars has it's way in), and of attractive for in its own what we advance for the manned pro- learn of Mars can also us to better The of the program then recounts understand the Earth. And if you want a voyage earth-science reference for what we of the know now about the home you check out a CD-ROM caBed "Earth Quest," described on its as the 41u1timate interactive guide to the forces and and then forms of our The is "''''II-JAU'lUA~ the Dao Vallis distributed DK Multimedia, 95 Madison of Hfe (a n",~ .. "':~- Avenue, New New York 10016 dust storm hits. Even ...... ,.,,"""- +1 212213 4800, fax +1 212 213 as the six-month iA.' ...... ~·· 5240, web site the next crew the I reviewed a similar from the Earth. same source called At about 50 minutes, the show feels and the Universe" in the March 1997 ~VA''''l:'''' but there's lots of useful informa­ issue. And this is a tion on what it be like to mount a indeed, characterized as manned mission to Mars. The video anima- tions of the and This is a "cross CD-ROM for and surface operalticms either Windows or Macintosh are good, and much clever use is made of old tions, and upon you find in when surface views are need- the lobby of a museum that's a cave carved ed out of rock somewhere below with Spitz is the program for $200 the sound of water dripping in a dank subter­ U.S. the cost of and handling. ranean vault-a nice touch. With a little The show kit ind udes laser disk with video and some from the sequences, 100 slides in "Pako" mounts, and you soon find your way script with program notes. The laser disk about the main cavern, the "Earth alone is available for as is the slide set. If where there are classified of rocks, you want additional disk or slide set with minerals, and gems the wall among the show add $100. In there the about which much can rna y be teacher be learned with clicks of the materials available from NASA, but details mouse-driven hand icon data, were not known at the time of this openilnsz: drawers ' and so on. files are available for facili- Three side passages lead into with ties Sumners at the control which show video of Houston Museum of Natural Science earth history and describe how vari­ Hermann Circle Drive, Houston, Texas 77030 ous landforms are made; USA, +1 713 639 4632, fax +1 713 and sites of recent and vol- 639 4635, e-mail [email protected]. ~an~c on a world map, and let you To or order, contact mfllct your own and volcanic Inc., Box Director John Schran on tableaux 198, Chadds 19317 USA, the conditions; and teU you about U~H~pnone +1 610 459 S200, fax +1 610 459 while the world-wide distribution 3830, e-mail jps(:hr;an~iN(Jlicenet.cOJm. of such Earth valuables as metals, gemstones, Another Mars show still out there Loch and fossil fuels. Each of the has an Ness Productions' "The Mars Show" nalrra1ted active and appr()pr'iat:e <:"""t"tilnn·_+h~ "Violent Star Trek's Patrick Stewart in 1995. It offers views of ' science and show na,cJGHYf' Back in the main the cavern is dominated by the "Earth Builder" a device in

48 Planetarian Vol. sium in dhal, Assistant As~;oc:iate Aanlirlis1:ra:tor Education and Outreach for NASA's Office Science (OSS), Iln'{lPiipri for the ff'''''''''''''''''''''''''

or national Thus, the basic anOf()(lc:h plrolDo~;ed task force was to "create traHzed 'eODSv'stf"m' ties." Got The foundation of

and disseminators of eQiuc.Hi()n:al .... ~~r>, •• ~ .. ~ and a set of brokers/faciHtators would serve as "matchmakers" of sort. These matchmakers would to arrange <4uuun.. I:';:> h.",i-H,rOQ,'" ~,_' __ L'_'_ educators to grams into educational .... ".r'rI"'~ ..~ be distributed na1:iorlal! The Im1P!ementaltioln

Vol. 1, 1998, for the articles which best "' ...... 'Y'O"'IrY\l11Yl1/""<:l

pages and a maximum

Jl..JAAJ;;'AAI,)I.U, ~'JUV."V I,)I~.I"""'V~. and accompanied by a least two finished, camera-ready ink diagrams,

VUlJAA\,.,""AVAA. must be included. The author's name

..., ...... , ...... "IJI..'''-'u..a. only on a cover and not on the pages of the ~rT1Ir'IP the awards are $ First Prize $ 350.00 Second Prize

$ "-'.JV.vv Third Prize $ 200.00 Fourth Prize $ Honorable Mention postmarked by December contest is to

Observatory and Boeing employees "-'A\","'UI\.\.<\.I~6 •

..... u ...... :-., articles become property of the Griffith Observatory. Griffith Observer.

1J .... 'U'.u.,.J .... ""~ articles will not be accepted. articles may be submitted to the contest by one one will be awarded to a winning author. Judging will at the Griffith Observatory, and Each is judged anonymously so that the author's ...... "".Il ...... ,,' judges. Address all articles to Awards Committee clo Observatory 2800 East Observatory Road Angeles, California 90027 Awards are made on basis of clear and interesting the subject, correct grammar and syntax, originality in presentation neatness. to meet requirements on length, appearance, and disqualify an consideration.

50 Planetarian Vol. going to start the next in-house show. AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!Ull!!" ib sorted out in relation Our ther few years to bund, Of the ... to aU who knew and mourn about 6 miUion is left JeJtlZ4m(), long-time Director at Morehead Planetarium in Chapel HUl, North Carolina Tony passed away last March. He was the Christine manager/director for 30 years and retired in Dorrance Planetarium 1981 He guided the through its growing and maturing years and initiated an Arizona Science Center astronaut training program that saw every E. Washington St. Mercury, Gemini, and aU but one astronaut visit Morehead. ... to Barbara Baber (Morgan Jones Plan­ 602-716-2078 etarium, Abilene Texas), who lost her step­ 602-716-2099 fax mother in May. to [email protected] People on Wilgus (formerly of Science Place 2 Planetarium, Dallas, Texas) has the I hope that everyone is having a great falli Director's position at the Garland Plane­ I'm looking forward to a time when it is not tarium in Texas. That position was vacated over lOS· F outside. Things are going great when Harold Van Schaik retired have news here at the Dorrance Planetarium; we have Jenny Pon (from Abrams Planetarium at the TiLE-conference three wonderful console operators and our East Lansing, Michigan) is now at Buhl Planetarium, Bozeman Montana) average show attendance is 80% capacity. Planetarium in , as had a dose encounter with a robot called their new Digistar System Mzma:ger. SICO. Jim ended up ...... '" Congratulations Former Abilene, Texan Planetarian York with "it" in the ... to Steve Balog (St. Marks Planetarium, Qamann and his wife have moved to Austin Presiden t some nice Dallas Texas)-he and his wife may have had Texas, where they will be closer to children tures of that incident will be stored in the IPS twins by the time you read this! and grandchildren. York will be a science Files and shown at ... to Don Asquin (Gates Planetarium, consultant for text publisher Scott Foresman London ... Colorado) who's daughter, Hailey Addison Wesley, and will remain the Richardson ISD Planetarian (Dallas, Ann Asquin, was born last Mother's Day! newsletter editor for SWAP. Donna husband Jim was ... to Tom Hocldng (Moderator, Dome-L; After 11 years with Laser Inter- fine but that Indianapolis, IN) who has been chosen Secre­ national, Mike Lutz (former Vice-President tary of the Indiana Educators' Aerospace of Theater Operations) has a Education Association for 1997-98. Tom has tion at MacGillivray Freeman Films. He been busy doing a little freelance work for his family have moved to Beach in Planetarians world-wide were Bowen Productions, teaching for an Astro California, and although he p>nirnlP>11 past with the Pathfinder. Several Camp at the CMI, and also participating in years at Laser Fantasy, Mike says he "looks Know'leclsre. a national- an online workshop from the Harvard­ forward to many rewarding years •• 'W' ..", ...... Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The with museums and theaters pn~SeI1tirlg to scientific frontiers/l workshop involves designing activities for cationally stimulating and de~;i${Ilea to introduce young the MicroObservatory Internet controlled breathtaking large format films to the the excitement of about the network of telescopes. Hc." Laser Fantasy has moved Scott HtJgg:iru addition to the latest ... to Jim Hughes (at BuhI Planetarium in (former Operations Manager at the Fels Pittsburgh) who was recently promoted to Planetarium in , and later LFI's the position of Planetarium Producer. Jim Technical Director for Theater '-'~'-''''''~''~I interactive format of the live telecasts has been at Buhl for 14 years; he and Jenny to the position of Director of Theater allowed to hear scientific Pon (see "People on the Move" below) Hons. 0u1s Seale, who was Mike's assistant as nations about the of Mars and together are covering the responsibilities Theater Operations Coordinator, is now of the Pathfinder data once covered by John French, who moved to Assistant Director of Theater lnC:.Iuawisr Pathfinder the new planetarium in Corsicana, Texas . They wiU be splitting all of Mike's .... "IJ~ ..·~. ... to Aaron Guzman (Don Harrington bUities. Discovery Center, Amarillo, Texas) for being named the new Planetarium Coordinator. Did know Aaron's had much success with his latest The National Space Science Centre in show, Who's Scared of the Dark?,-having over , UK has been awarded a grant of 23 Science Center, Baltimore), 3,000 attend the show in June alone. Aaron million pounds sterling from the (Gates Planetarium, Denver Museum of says that the only negative aspect is that Millennium Commission. This is about half Natural and Neil LJ'~VM.«<~ "everybody is now asking me when I'm

Vol. Planetarian

twelve times since it was initiated 1978. The 1997 MAPS Uistin~~uis,hed Award was Dn~Selt1ted

tees, most on Review Committee. He for MAPS as an President, member, and committee chair. He also MAPS Conferences.

Fessant, Richardson. The new officers took the 1997 MAPS Conference PA. The new President is (Southworth Ol"'n""t-".·l",...... n.q;:'lU.lHU Roundup column oelDerlOS on contributions that I receive from IPS Affiliate Associations an over the world Room, Please continue to contribute as you have Treasurer: Dennis Kurtz (Half done before. In order to be sure that your School Planetarium, 1..11""0+'''''''''''''' text will make it into the ",,""J'U.,l4U. Sam Storch (Hubble NY). Planetarian deadline month, preferabl y e- Besides mail: send regular text, The MAPS is some chalIlg,es deadlines for contributions to No. 4/97 is other At next thus 1 October, and for No. 1198 still to be determined at this Thanks to Kevin Conod, Laura Deines, Jon John Hare, Mike and Chris- tine Shupla for contributing to the ..... '-l"'.vu ..... £'0" ..... "" ... Column this time. You are wel­ more smaller facilities face come back with new reports, and I look for­ of limited resources and I-'V,;>"AIUU;; ward to reports from other Associations as MAPS feels it is impm'tar'lt well. Please remember that a short note is basics" our cOIlfe:rences also appreciated! manner. Please continue to

The final translation into of the United Nations book Planetarium: A Educators has been reviewed and a set of SO will be by Centro Cultural Plan- etarium, with a color cover Cultural Alfa Planetarium. Upcoming 1998 AMPAC will be held in mid of 1998, at the Plane- tario de , second in October 1998 at Cultural Center to coin- cide with PP A's m(~ting Word has been received from Gabriel Munoz, Director of Planetario de stating he has been reelected as President for IPDC next term 1997-1999. LongI'attllat:iOIls! Munoz is also for the IPS 2002 meet- to be held in !VIU1IICll,(l, Mexico. (Garden State Planetarium Resource Associ­ ation)

Don er, may then increase due to the increase of Mexico. Here's the latest from the alien The Internet slides. This will be discussed at the PP A meet­ tal of the world. In for the role in the .... u.""u,."' •• '" ing in Hutchinson. """"'"'UI'',''' of tourists about to swarm on Roswell the first week of and the remainder of summer, Bess Amaral says have renovated the Robert Goddard under a committee Planetarium console area. Joe elect Gates Planetarium, Denver Colorado. Don Enl~ineering Oe5;igTlOO and custom installed a Asquin reports are in a consortium to create the program Where in area the Universe is Carmen Other RMP A automation, wen as a new members involved indude Salt Lake trol system for their Utah and the show is writ- ten Bm Gutsch. The hosted Dr. Alan Hale to three sold-out lectures dur­ ing Hale time. 6 was part of the in which for Live From Mars, with other have some fun with a cute alien who pa:rtlc:lpatl.ng institutions American Mu­ surprises two stargazers and then share infor­ seum, COSI,JPL, and the PI~ln~t~H'" mation about how to observe unusual visual Hansen Planetarium, Salt Lake where there After its association with Salt Lake what the Commissioners are at Roswell in 1947, and where ne;goltlat1ng over whether the issue. there have been discoveries in our should go or become part of the Anew solar Induded is University of Utah's Museum of Natural tion on and of History. meteod te from Mars. Taylor Planetarium, Bozeman, Montana. facilities The second feature is a custom An called has Rusk \An''''>'4uH'~1 show JHE with a Far Out ""Y"'I .. ,;ina since late Written in 1995 (Fort Worth) with theme to go with the UFO festival. by then-intern Kevin Scott, the show considers an this UFO madness as a demonstrates how has greatly way to capture audiences under the dome influenced our of the universe. Don Garland announced that astroJ10Inv and how far it is to The show was narrated Lein of was not induded in the K thl:OUlgh d~ant oould~ Star Trek VoyagerTV music was scored TEKS (Texas Essential Kn4DWJleOlZe Hfe or two by Mark Petersen, and the show was funded by NASA Another NASA-funded pro­ sighti,ngs. It's a gram, The Dinosaur Chronicles, was rel)ri~;ec1 have fun and correct misinformation because of the Museum of the Rockies' new our universe, Amaral says. ex,amining evidence Rex was a tor or scavenger. The also put on NASA-TV broadcasts of the Mars Path­ finder mission over the summer. SEPA held its annual conference,June 10- El Paso Independent School District Plane­ tarium, E1 Paso, Texas. Peterson reports the facility was dosed over the summer for some equipment renovation and new conference activities "inventions". John served as The Astronomer ties of the beachfront location of during the 21-31 March Seabourn Pride Cruise ence hotel. The Paul W ...... u.ul-"u ...... relJIOv.rsnilp through the Gulf of Mexico and the Eastern Award, was awarded to Jane A Aa,;'LUAjl:,'> Caribbean. Seabourn is one of the most James Hooks for their and dedicated Ve-e'(D~enSnre cruise lines in the vice to SEPA The award named after the World Coming Soon: The ultimate student Paul W. was established this control device; a new interactive exhibit: Seats that shake when pelrsOjOne.l urrwl.i'in,a in the asteroid (may have) killed the dinosaurs. Fiske Planetarium, of Colorado The 1998 SEP A Conference will be hosted at Boulder. Geoff Skelton says they are cur­ the Planetarium in Vir- rently in production on Searching For Distant Conference dates are June 9 thl:Olll2:h Worlds which wiU open in November. It will June 13. to Greenbank Radio Obser­ information and vatory in West is part of ...... u ...... F.' ... " of the escalat- the SEP A will hold its 1999 confer- ing search for extrasolar ence in Florida. ,:~,~~; .. ;~ dates Goddard Planetarium, Roswell, New will ~ announced later.

54 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 pancing- album (RCA)

At what times and 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 show's 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 hometown PBS holM can I_It where I 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 will air it and remind them that it is. available free of charge. Is It necessary to get speciaj permission to use HUSTlER' for astronomy dub meetings, teaching in the on mU(Afll-A\'A dassroan, science nuam a pIanetarU'n use? ANSWER: No. In fact, many astronomy clubs, teacMrs, science museums and planetariums have been taping 'STAR HUSTLER' off Of• •• one ofthe few writers who can the air and it regularly as a way to reach their public. translate sOIJPhistlCa'ted dis(~iDlines QUESTION: Is there way I can get 'STAR HUSTLER' other than PBS station? ANSWER: Yes. A month's worth of 'STAR HUSTLER' episodes are fed to a satellite from which all PBS stations take it for "... knows how to come down from the make ::J_d,rnnf'lfflV 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) Ask for Mrs. Harper or Mr. Dishong. I am a teacher planning nTf aJrricuIum and woutIlike several 'STAR HUSTlER' episodes In but I do ..... 1 never miss it. As someone not haw access to a satellite dish. Is there involved in science I'm enthralled can obtain 'STAR HUSTLER'? with Jack Horkheimer's science 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 Lorain County Joint Vocational School; 15181 Route 58 South; OH.44074.

Produced in with Miami Museum of Science & Transit Planetarium '""'v •. J...... :,..::.... ".,...... :!! to:

home

56 Planetarian Vol. Many of you, in planetariums worldwide, it is to incorporate a STARLAB into programs. Because of its versatility, portability, cost-effectiveness, the STARLAB is ~~.~~.r.~~,~r< exciting multicultural tool for education. conjunction with a fixed planetarium for:

• school outreach • '-'Vl. .l.U.Jl.LU1.. U • training programs • multicultural education

It workshops

411 special events

LAllfIIIl'llIliill'lll1fli Tecli1n'O.Cl~aies" hIlC .. , 40 Cameron Ave .. , MA Phone 800.. 537 ... 8703 or 617 ... 628 .. 1459,. Fax: 617",628 ... 8606 .. • Next Acker and her staff invit- cia! environments. I ed the council for a tour of Strasbourg Obser- The netw

the of the for the from Warner Bros, 4J ...... '"'U.. 4AA~ Solar on August 11th 1999 in Entertainment and others. We Contact Prof. Acker for details. nating insights in the strategy and

Greetings. Are you still counting Sols-or are you already on your way to the Lord of the Rings? Summer'97-we aU lived on Mars for weeks with "Rock'n Rover Roll" M. the Pathfinder Mission may go down in as the "Biggest Rock Festival in Space and Cyberspace". We an are very grateful to the folks at 1PL and to their collaborators around Members of IPS Coundl at ~tralSOO~w:g Orn;ervato:ry the globe. If we were for an example about "Learning in the 21st Century"-trus is During the TiLE meeting, those of us who phy of these creative minds. it! Like 1PL did so briUiantly-we planetarians could stay on had the opportunity to learn After the me~eu]ng, can take our visitors to the frontiers of sci­ about the many new projects happening in Rust, the German market leader in ence and make them Ilvirtual co-investiga­ Europe-man y associated or inspired by the Parks, invited TiLE for tors" who look across the shoulders of scien­ new Millennium.: EXPO'98 in , special ride-on the installed tists into newly discovered territories and EXPO/2000 in Hannover, Volcano, Space and innovative EuroMIR. This Ride is cosmic landscapes. For the first time, adapt­ Ocean Parks-and new themed Shopping combination of an Russian ing and using all the new online- and visual- Centers-like the Blue Water Project near with an innovative roHer­ ization/VR-techno}ogies in our we ~~'''-'-'.8 which are impressive also because coaster, which features ro1:atiing p!altWlrmls. can show the universe as as it they a Jot of astronomical fea­ The full-size MIR is a wonderful walk­ is! The key to success will indeed be our abili­ tures in the architecture. through area and even includes ty to incorporate and transport along with Several major companies presented their computer-screens displaying among others the content the emotional, the human latest developments in touch of science and making peo­ Virtual Reality and simula­ ple feel joy, excitement and fun-showing tion technology. them that scientists behave like real people. The excellent talk and If we manage this vital ingredient of emo­ the workshop of Prof. tion well, as it was exemplified by the Path­ Ruskin about "Leisure Edu­ finder team, then I think a bright future for cation" will surely find a planetariums lies ahead-onwards and continuation-maybe even upwards with to Saturn and beyond! at the next IPS conference? Our IPS Panel "Edutain­ IPS Council at ment in a Group Immer­ "Emotion Management" may indeed be sive Environment-Status the best phrase to characterize the work of and Trends in the World of people in the leisure and entertainment Planetariums" was well industry. TiLE-Trends in Leisure and Enter­ attended and I think we tainment, a world-class meeting of experts presented quite well the and leading exponents of the industry met experiences we made in in Strasbourg, France, on June 24-26 this year. planetariums with differ­ IPS Council met just one day before at the ent mixtures of entertain­ same Palais de The organizers of ment and education in TiLE gave a warm welcome to the council both public and com mer- The Robot SICO at TiLE members.

58 Planetarian Vol. :MIR and EuroMIR the current orbital po:siUon of the station-a Chabot nice of edutainment in a location Oakland (California, USA) where you not expect it! 2002 aU of these lns1:itUtiOl1S thanks to Richard Curtis and his exc:itirlg new or COflSlG,erab.iY up~~ra(l00 Hies and must confess that I go to all of these

WeB D is affiliate reps should have packages with all the ne(:ess;ary int()rm.aUcm

I think we mana~~ed Herculean task of Planetarian - very wen. In my current message from each poltenUa! cOlltererlce some of the dis,clli;sinlg--otJheI'S, like the approv- "v·o,"'.,,> you the minutes, which will via our IPS Executive

Museum of '-'&A,,""'''''''' ence in 2004 In less than one year we aU wiH meet in The year 2004 will the London for IPS'98. Details about this confer­ and by ence are our host Undine have not one but three p12metarlmn aters each with varied p[()gr,amlmi,ng! Concannon elsewhere in this ISSll1C--flIICa!SC the decision for 2004 wiH check it out! Folks, we can look forward to the before the IPS 2000 cm1teI'cnc:e new Millennium! Council did accept four and so we may have some COlm~)etlmg excellent bids for IPS 2002: then but we feel ored to have this invitation American Museum of Natura] Hi,~t-n .. " __ lanletcl::'itlm, New York ou1tsta,nding institution like The Adler. USA) Y!anetarmrn, (Hawaii, Centro de Convenciones de MoreHa­ Some more "Headline News": Planetarium MoreHa, Morella (Mich., of the Science Mexico) new

Vol. [email protected] IPS Outreach Committee aters. Please contact your regional Affiliate Representative on the IPS council 4) Under the gUidance of the Publications The new chair of Outreach is Bill Gutsch. or your IPS officers if you have questimlS Chair and with the oversight of the officers, Martin Ratcliffe, who stepped down, will about that service. they will work with webmaster Tom however stay on the committee and will Your IPS officers are in discussion with Hocking and Alan Gould to improve struc­ continue to help with his expertise. both NASA and ESA to find the best and ture and design of our homepages on the The first result of the committee's work is most cost-effective way to distribute also www. What a great team! presented in this issue: UAstronomy Link", a video-releases (videos and computer anima­ list of experts which you can consult. Please tions)-probably in a more centralized IPS language Committee find the details in Past-President jim approach, for which IPS will leads. Marie Radbo, chair of the revived Lang­ Meaning's article. Thank you Jim for making We believe that sending bits and of uage Committee, did pull together a strong this idea work so qUick1 y. video will be too expensive \""""VAILa team. She is however still looking for a Another project which our long-term for­ tion/conversion and mailing costs for many French speaking person for the committee­ mer president Bill Gutsch will work on next, tapes). Hence it seems more effective to col­ any volunteers? is an idea he tried to get cooking when he lect these bits and pieces and release and dis­ As a first step, the IPS info brochure will be was President namely, putting together a list tribute them on just one tape or disk. NTSC­ updated in cooperation with the Publica­ .of astronomers who are good public speakers Laser/Videodisks are likely to be most effec­ tions Committee and published in several (along with the areas they specialize in). tive for using/accessing a multitude of these languages (including Chinese). Same will Some planetariums (, Berlin, sequences via just one video source. But since happen with basic info on our web site (pos­ , Chicago, , , many school planetariums (at least in the Sibly mirror sites in foreign languages will be and many others) have regular US) still seem to use NTSC-VHS-Video set up). Please contact Marie and/or your speaker series and they can be very popular. recorders instead, we may also have to sup­ local member on the committee if you have By pooling our experience, we can put pI y copies on tape. In addition, the rnn-IPV'PI suggestions or need help with language relat­ together a good list of people and share it planetariums should have access (at cost) to ed issues. Look them up on the IPS Web site with our IPS colleagues encouraging them to copies from the Digi-Betacam Masters. As an or in the following list: create regular lecture series. By putting important step towards this "three-fold­ together a good list and cooperating with way", we first need to evaluate the expected Marie Radbo, Sweden (Chair) local universities and astronomical institu­ user base-for the different formats and [email protected] tions in covering the expenses, we can en­ norms of video in planetariums around the Tel: +46 31 772 31 40 courage more ties between our communities, globe. It is surprising-but we do not have Fax: +46 3181 20 89 compensate the participating astronomers much info beyond the star projector in our for their time and efforts and build personal database/directory. I think it is about time to Alexander Serber, Russia relationships between planetarium person­ fix this-video (and laser-see below) along [email protected] nel and particular astronomers so that those with all-skys and pans play quite an Tel: +7 8312 342151 planetarium people can feel free to call that tant role in our work and IPS will be the nat­ Fax: +7 8312 356480 astronomer with a question in the future ural framework to do this for your benefit it and know that they are calling a friend. If will pave the way for our service. Your sup­ Tatsuyuki Arai,japan you can contribute-please contact Bill via port is required in this process. We also like [email protected] email [email protected]. to explore how we can cooperate with ven­ Tel: +81 338381101 Furthermore, the Outreach Committee dors in this field. (The L-H-S- Level Fax: +81 3 5680 0849 will work on establishing closer links cation of Planetarium Capabilities pr(~se:nt(;~d between IPS and other organizations like at IPS'90 in BorIange by Loch Ness Produc· Donna Pierce, USA IAU and ASP. I do hope that as a result we tions,Joe Hopkins Engineering and ....n'.'.r"'" [email protected] may have jOint conferences, colloqUia and is also an interesting field for discussions.) Tel: +1214 5231836 workshops in the future and like to thank If you are online-please check the IPS Fax: +1214 522 4515 everybody on the committee for their work web site for upcoming info. With the assis­ outside the spotlights. tance of the IPS Technology Committee, we Jon Elvert, USA (also for German) will survey the existing video-equipment in [email protected] IPS Media Service-steps towards planetarium theaters-watch out for the Tel: +15034618227 distributing videos forms you will receive with your member­ Fax: +1503 688 4015 The slide distribution service set up ship renewal by the end of the year! through a system of IPS Media Reps (one per Meanwhile, you will already have the Javier Armentia, affiliate organization) seems to work fine opportunity to receive VHS-tapes from the [email protected] and hence an IPS members who subscribed European Space Agency (ESA). Tel:+34 48260004 to that service should, as a benefit of mem­ After my talks with ESA officials in Paris, I Fax:+34 48261919 bership, continuously receive copies of the am pleased to report that ESA is very inter­ latest slides from Hubble (STScI) and Mars ested in supporting planetariums with visu­ Cui Shi-Zhi, Pathfinder (JPL)-with the likely addition of als-however, ESA does not release any slides, Planetarium slides from the Galileo and Cassini missions but videos instead. As a brand new feature, 138 Xizhimenwai street in the future. Once more we like to thank you should now be able to access via Inter­ Beijing, 100044 the folks from NASA at both STScI in Balti­ net ESA-Videos and (after your selection) China more and at JPL in Pasadena-and the many either download them or order them direct­ +8610 68353003 (Tel and Fax) helpful hands within the regions who allow ly. ESA will mail these tapes to your planetar­ us to present the latest images in our the- ium. The new ESA-web site is www.esa.int

60 PJanetarian Vol. 26, No.3, September 1997 attention to this area. Thus it was my Dunn ILDA to a new Ad-hoc Committee there be devoted to the use of lasers in plane1tariumts. With Dunn as chair of that commit- tee we found a weB- known in the laser After more planetarians. The purpose of the you may think committee will be to survey the use of laser that there in planetariums, develop relationships with of nlanel:arium nrolec1:ors. ILDA, make recommendations for security issues and standards, encourage the ex­

change and cooperation between !-I ..." ..... ,'u .. urns in the field of laser graphics, and to pre­ pare panel discussions on "Lasers in Planetar­ iums" as an ongOing forum for the IPS con­ ferences and for ILDA. Definitely there will be close with our Tech Commit­ tee on technical issues. But there is a wider focus here-the artistic and creative side of using lasers in planetariums. I encourage aU of you who do use a in a tarium to start communicating with Jack and to help him put a database on lasers in worldwide before IPS'98.

IPS Committee "Lasers in Planetariums" Jack A. Dunn Ralph Mueller Planetarium University of Nebraska 213 Morrill Hall Tower in Pads Lincoln, NE 68588-0375 USA Fax: +1402 475 8899 Oook for IISpecial Features"). We will in addi­ [email protected] tion arrange for a distribution for material in broadcast quality on Beta SP tapes and may Jack will have a perfect launch of this pro­ want to include it on an upcoming laserdisk. ject, because he is hosting the 1997 Confer­ ence for ILDA (International Laser Association) in his phme~tar'iUJn--N4JV(~mber 15-18th. If you are interested in Lasers-don't Lasers have been used in DJ(m(~talr1Ums miss this event. For details contact largely to create some addi tional reven ues through laser shows with rock music. In addition there is a growing number etariums who use lasers as an attractive and important visual ele­ ment in all types of plan­ etarium shows-even in educational programs. The technology is there to make lasers work in perfect register wi th the starfield and with other visual elements. Hence I felt that IPS members would benefit from an improved ex­ of ideas and should devote more

Vol. q: ....."''!-'''', ...... '''' .. 1997 Planetarian Me (suddenly realizing that he was serious as plane1:anum and going into my "explainer-of-complicat­ ed-things-in-simple-Ianguage" mode): "That's caned Digistar. It's a computer program that places dots on a computer screen in such a way that you can create images, which will then change as you change the elements of the computer program. That's the first thing that happens. Then, the Digistar folks have figured out a way to project the images from at this cOJlterer:lce, the computer screen onto the dome. I don't was a 44first-timer" and know how they do it, but they do." about his needs and concerns. He: " H-m-m" taken "under his Me: "Is this your first planetarium confer­ has discovered that he ence?" Planetarians are mentors to other f)U,me'l.al'·I­ I belong to the regional planetarium group He: "Yes, and I'm beginning to feel like I'm an~ caned the Southeastern Planetarium Associ­ in the wrong place." ation (SEP A). The SEP A region consists of 11 As the audio came back up, too loud to Mr. "X" did not show up in states in the southeastern United States, and talk comfortably, I said: "Listen, tell you plallletaI'lUlm for lunch. In he was it meets annually. While looking at a list of what: let's have lunch together today at the seen at the conference at all after all planetarians in our region recently, I end of this morning session. Meet me for session in the a t each familiar name from the pages. lunch in front of the planetarium. Please knows who he is. He Suddenly, I realized something: there's lots of believe me, you are not in the wrong will become one of those names people on this list who have corne to our 111 prove it to you when we meet. Is that a list annual conferences, but there's lots of plane­ deal?" It's too bad you 1;:C;)\_"'p"'''', tarians on this list who haven't. He:" Well, yeah, thanks, OK!" could fulfm my Someone must know that their facilities The Digistar images morphed you exist because their names are on this list, but and impressively in front of my eyes. "X", who work in the why don't they corne to a conference, at were great effects presented by very creative business have so many skills and least once in awhile? people; planetarians were at work. These wear so many hats, that have no one tens them about regional planetarianswere computer geniuses. vent a word to describe themselves; activities. It's a tricky situation: from an orga­ Obviously Digistar had overwhelmed Mr. word will do. The word: nizational standpOint, do you keep everyone 41X", sitting beside me. But I had promised to in the informed or just the members make him realize that he was in the who show up at the previous conference? place! While giant images glided ov{~rhc~aa. I'm sure all the regional planetarium associa­ ...'i .... rl'in ..... down from Comet t1

62 Planetarian Vol. A planetarium is a spectacle, an event, but above all a tool which provides amusement in the service of knowledge. To meet all these needs, RS AUTOMATION INDUSTRIE, thanks to its specialization in automation, has developed a complete range of planetariums, all designed to provide a specific and immediately operational solution.

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