r th f IIIiI I l1li I P'AN-KU, the legendary. son of CHAOS and architect of the Chinese universe creating the world, assisted by the Dragon, Tiger, Bird, and Tortoise. Vo I m Ispe Spring u er 1 Advantageo on membeMlup in -the In-tvr..nationai SocJ..uy on Planua.tUmn Educ,a):OM Mn be nJteely 0 b-taA.,ned by wJtLt[ng -to: Mr. Walter Tenschert Thomas Jefferson High School 6560 Braddock Road Alexandria, VA 22312 * * * * * * * * * * * CONTENTS Checklist of Planetary Configurations THE PLANETARIAN is published each March, for 1975 June, September, and December by the Robert C. Victor 4 International Society of Planetarium Planetarium for the Deaf Educators, Inc., under the auspices of Lionel Daniel . • • 7 the Publications Committee. The Third Stage of Planetarium Evolution Max L. Ary . • . • • • 11 To make a change of address, please an The Stars of Primeval China old mailing label, along with the new Julius D.W. Staal 20 address, to: Ronald N. Hartman Planetariums on Parade . 33 Mt. San Antonio College Celestial Navigation Planetarium Harry E. Crull •...•• · • 35 Walnut The History of the Planetarium California 91789 Charles F. Hagar ..••.•••• 42 Please allow 30 days for an address Construction of the Budapest Planetarium change to take effect. Gyula Schalk . • .... • • . 48 Some Thoughts on Planetarium Show Music Tim Clark . • 51 Music in OMSI's Harry C. Kendall EDITOR: Frank Jettner Planetarium Circulation Director: Ron Hartman Dwight Gruber • • 52 Feature Editors: Von Del Chamberlain, Popular Music and Slides in the M. Chartrand, L. DeVries, T. Gates, Planetarium J. Geoghegan, O.R. Norton, G. Reed, R. John Steiffer • • • • . • . • 53 G.L. Verschuur Popular Music Selections for Planetarium ISPE Publications Chairman: John Cotton Programming G. Henry Sultner •• 54 Music of the Asteroids * * * * * * * * * * * June LoGuirato 56 Features thoughts from fcj 2 Letters · • 14 CONTACT 15 Radio Astronomy Notes · • 17 Jane's Corner ••.• • • 33 The Technical Side • . 41 Astronomy Education Resources. 58 THE PLANETARIAN, Vol. 3, Nos. 1 and 2 copyright 1974, International Society of Planetarium Educators. All rights reserved. THE PLANETARIAN, 3&6/74 1 The American Astronomical we compared the results of the TABLE 2: Society has underway a program survey with data taken from to broaden the public under~ CATNAP 11*. As can be seen in standing of astronomy. One Table 1 there is fairly good facet of this program was the correlation between the per­ creation of traveling exhibits centages taken from CATNAP II for planetariums, museums,and and the survey. School 2073 2301 schools. Being project coor­ The vast majority of insti­ dinator for this part of the tutions offered planetarium College 5970 6318 5735 program, I needed input on shows for the public; from two­ such things as: topics, physi­ thirds of all the schools to Museum 34012 38414 38032 cal size, suitable media, over nine-tenths of all of the costs, and problems that have museums (a not unexpected Other 51984 59722 57370 occurred with previous exhibits. result). The number of shows Thus in February of 1974, a offered varied from about 1 "Survey for Planning of per week (for schools) to about Weighted 11683 13074 12606 Traveling Exhibit Program 9 per week (for museums). Average Among North American Planetar­ There was a rather wide range iums" was sent out to 620 in these values ~~ from 2 per planetariums in schools, col­ year for schools with small urns in CATNAP II, we arrive at leges, museums, and other domes to 61 per week for museums a total attendance of over 11 institutions. This editorial with large domes. million. is in response to my promise We noted,too, that on the The amount of display space to all those who kindly replied. average, all the different available for exhibits varied The survey was broken down institutional types had an a great deal -- from 0 to into two parts. The first increase in public attendance 100,000 sq. ft. Most felt part, Background Data, dealt for 1972 compared with 1971, though, that they would be able with type, size, and attendance but a small decrease in public to come up with space for a figures for the various insti­ attendance for 1973 compared traveling exhibit. This ranged tutions. The second part, The with 1972 (see Table 2). from about two-thirds (of the Traveling Exhibit Program, Looking at the last line of schools) to better than four­ dealt with the aforementioned Table 2, we see that there is fifths (of the museums). subjects (topics, physical a large potential for a trave1~ Now dmro to the nitty-gritty-­ size, etc.). The data from ing exhibit program. Extrapo­ Would your institution request the individual questionnaires lating the weighted 1973 the use of an exhibit? This was was punched onto computer average for the 894 p1anetari- divided into four categories, as cards and our Univac 1108 did seen in Table 3. the dirty work of sorting and A general trend can be seen statistical analysis. in all four institutional To see whether the number *CATNAP II is an acronym for types -- as the financial of different institutional "A Catalog of North American obligations increase, the num­ types were represented accur­ Planetaria", Norman Sperling, ber that would use the exhibit ately in the survey returns, ISPE Special Report No.3 (1973). decreases, and the number that ----TABLE 1 Comparison of Number and Type of Responses of AAS Survey with CATNAP II School College Museum Other Total CATNAP II 467 (52.2%) 268 (30.0%) 127 (14.2%) 32 (3.6%) 894 (100.0%) SURVEY 105 (40.1%) 98 (37.4%) 45 (17.2%) 14 (5.3%) 262 (100.0%) 2 THE PLANETARIAN, 3&6/74 wouldn't use it or didn't know principle concern in the and colleges made use of a if they would increases. In planning. traveling exhibit, whereas 4 other words, for the traveling The average amount of time out of 5 of the museums and exhibit program to reach as that the different institutions other institutions made use of many people as possible, it would wish to keep an exhibit one. Most of the exhibits should cost as little as varied from three to eleven (about two-thirds) came from possible. weeks, with four weeks being NASA, the rest coming from When designing the exhibit, the time most often picked. various organizations and com­ consideration should be given The results of the question, panies. There were relatively to wall and floor space. A Have You Ever Used a Traveling few constructive criticisms of little over half of the insti­ Exhibit Before? was interesting. these exhibits that could be tutions felt wall space was a Only a quarter of the schools applied to the proposed AAS program. TABLE 3: Would Your Institution Reguest the Use of a Traveling Exhibit The last question dealt ---- with topic selection that A) If All EXEenses Were Paid? would be useful. Topics most requested were: the moon, school college museum other planets, comets, cosmology, galaxies, and radio astronomy. Yes 77 (78.6%) 79 (86.8%) 40 (95.2%) 12 (85.7%) There were also requests for extraterrestrial life, tools No 5 (5.1%) 2 (2.2%) 1 (2.4%) 1 (7 .1%) of the astronomer, space probes history of astronomy, Skylab Do Not Know 16 (16.3%) 10 (11. 0%) 1 (2.4%) 1 (7.1%) experiments, and stellar characteristics. To incorporate as many of B) If Cartage and Insurance Were the Only ..ExEenses? the dozens of suggested topics as possible -- as well as being school college museum other as versatile as possible -- we proposed to form three of four Yes 43 (45.3%) 57 (64.0%) 37 (88.1%) 9 (69.2%) "families", each composed of some number of modular exhibits No 9 (9.5%) 6 (6.7%) 2 (4.8%) 2 (15.4%) which together describe one aspect of astronomy. An insti­ Do Not Know 43 (45.3%) 26 (29.2%) 3 (7.1%) 2 (15.4%) tution could then use as many modules of a family as it requires. In conclusion, during the C) If A Nominal Rental Fee 2 Cartage 2 and Insurance Were Charged? December 1974 meeting of the school college museum other Council of the American Astro­ nomical Society it was decided Yes 14 (15.6%) 28 (31.5%) 18 (47.4%) 4 (30.8%) not to pursue the Travelling Exhibit Program for an indefin­ No 17 (18.9%) 19 (21. 4%) 5 (13.2%) 3 (23.1%) ite period, the cost factor and the resulting competition for Do Not Know 59 (65.6%) 42 (47.2%) 15 (39.5%) 6 (46.2%) available funds for other Society projects being the primary reasons. Naturally we D) If A Rental Fee at the Self-suEEorting Level Here Charged? were disappointed, and as this issue is put to bed we are school college museum other looking for other potential sponsors. Perhaps this is some­ Yes 4 (4.6%) 8 (9.6%) 6 (16.2%) 2 (16.7%) thing ISPE could try to tackle itself. No 27 (31. 0%) 31 (3704%) 10 (27.0%) 3 (25.0%) Frank C. Jettner and Do Not Know 56 (64.4%) 44 (53.0%) 21 (56.8%) 7 (58.3%) Martin B. Richardson THE PLANETARIAN, 3&6/74 3 Checklist of Planetary Configur , WITH REMARKS ON VISIBILITY AND SUGGESTIONS FOR by Robert C. Victor, Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University The following table of ecliptic. exposures to be safe. The events can be used to check Of special interest will be visibility of Mercury at its the performance of annual the close approach of Mercury various elongation is well motion systems of planetariums to Venus during January; for illustrated by the .:::--=..;;:;,;;....=.:.