Live action in fulldome . . . Page 6€¦ · [email protected] IPS Planetarium Development Group Ken Wilson, Chair Ethyl Universe Planetarium Science Museum of Virginia 2500 West Broad

March 2007Vol. 36, No. 1

Journal of the International Planetarium Society

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The Planetarian (ISN 0090-3213) is published quarterly bythe International Planetarium Society. ©2007, InternationalPlanetarium Society, Inc., all rights reserved. Opinions expres-sed by authors are personal opinions and are not necessarilythe opinions of the International Planetarium Society, its officers, or agents. Acceptance of advertise-ments, announcements, or other material does not imply endorsement by the InternationalPlanetarium Society, its officers or agents. The Editor welcomes items for consideration for publica-tion. Please consult "Guidelines for Contributors" at http://www.ips-planetarium.org/planetarian/guidelines.html. The Editor reserves the right to edit any manuscript to suit this publication’s needs.

Index of Advertisersallsky.de...................................................................................................................................17Astro-Tec Mfg., Inc. ...........................................................................................................26 Calgary Science Centre ....................................................................................................62Clark Planetarium .............................................................................................................. 76Evans & Sutherland ........................................................................... outside back coverGOTO INC ........................................................................................................................... 65 Konica Minolta Planetarium Co. Ltd. ........................................................................... 20Learning Technologies, Inc. ..............................................................................................71 R.S.A. Cosmos ........................................................................................ inside back coverSEOS ........................................................................................................................................ 5Sky-Skan, Inc. ........................................................................................ centerfold, 59, 85Spitz, Inc. ............................................................................................................................. 25 Zeiss, Inc. ................................................................................................ inside front cover

Executive EditorSharon Shanks

Ward Beecher PlanetariumYoungstown State University

One University PlazaYoungstown, Ohio 44555 USA

(1) 330-941-3619 daytime [email protected]

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15893 Ashville LaneGranger, Indiana 46530 USA

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maintained by the Treasurer/MembershipChairman; contact information is on next page

IndexA cumulative index of major articles that have

appeared in the Planetarian from the first issuethrough the current issue is available online athttp://www.ips-planetarium.org/planetarian/

planetarian_index.pdf

Final DeadlinesMarch: January 21

JJuunnee:: AApprriill 2211September: July 21December: October 21

IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall PPllaanneettaarriiuumm SSoocciieettyy hhoommee ppaaggee::www.ips-planetarium.org

PPllaanneettaarriiaann jjoouurrnnaall hhoommee ppaaggee::http://www.ips-planetarium.org/planetarian

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March 2007 Vol. 36 No.1 Articles6 Live Action Film Footage in an Astronomy Fulldome Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ka Chun Yu, Matthew Brownell, Joslyn Schoemer, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Daniel Neafus, Thomas Lucas, Zachary Zager

18 Bakersfield College: A first person adventure in planetarium upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Strobel

21 The Planetariums in Taiwan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chilong Lin23 What’s SLOOH With You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michael J. Narlock

SSppeecciiaall IIPPSS SSeeccttiioonn27 2007 IPS/Eugenides Foundation Scriptwriting Competition . .Steve Tidey28 In Touch With Ancient Observatory and Modern Planetarium in Beijing:

IPS 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jin Zhu31 IPS 2010: Back to Alexandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Omar Fikry, Mona El Madany34 The Place of Planetariums in the Cultural Policies of Our Cities: Saint-

Etienne for IPS 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacques Cuarinos, Robert Karulak38 IPS Publications Archive Now Digitized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dale W. Smith39 Minutes of the IPS Council Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee Ann Henning

55 A Week in Italy: Final Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carolyn R. Kaichi58 A Simply Scintillating Demonstration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Russell D. Sampson91 Helmut K. Wimmer: 1925-2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kenneth L. Franklin

Columns4 In Front of the Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sharon Shanks46 Forum: Can slides and digital coexist? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Tidey54 Mobile News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan Reynolds Button60 Digital Frontiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Lantz63 NASA News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Anita M. Sohus66 Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April S. Whitt69 General Counsel: The Disabilities Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christopher S. Reed72 President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan Reynolds Button74 Past President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Martin George77 International News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lars Broman87 Planetarian’s Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Loris Ramponi88 Gibbous Gazette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Hughes92 Last Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April S. Whitt

CCoovveerr:: Astrophysicist Andrea Ghez on the summitof Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The Sun and lens flares add tothe complexity of shooting live action for a fulldomeenvironment. © DMNS, used with permission. Flags ofthe three countries seeking to host the 2010 IPSConference; from iStockphoto.com.

22 PPllaanneettaarriiaann MMaarrcchh 22000077

AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff DDuuttcchh SSppeeaakkiinnggPPllaanneettaarriiuummss

André MilisPlanetarium of the Royal

Observatory of BelgiumBoechoutlaan 101020 Brussels, Belgium+32 2 474 70 60+32 2 478 30 26 [email protected]

AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff FFrreenncchh--SSppeeaakkiinnggPPllaanneettaarriiuummss

Agnès AckerObservatoire de Strasbourg11, rue de l'université67000 Strasbourg France+03 90 24 24 67+03 90 24 24 17 [email protected]@astro.u-strasbg.fr

AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff MMeexxiiccaann PPllaanneettaarriiuummssIgnacio Castro PinalTorres de Mixcoac, A6-702C.P. 01490, México D.F. México+52 (55) 55 24 51 50+52 (55) 55 24 01 40 [email protected]

AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff SSppaanniisshh PPllaanneettaarriiuummssJavier ArmentiaPlanetario de PamplonaSancho Ramirez, 2E-31008 Pamplona Navarra Spain+34 948 260 004+34 948 260 056+34 948 261 919 [email protected]@pamplonetario.infonego-

cio.com

AAuussttrraallaassiiaann PPllaanneettaarriiuumm SSoocciieettyyMartin BushMelbourne Planetarium2 Booker StreetSpotswood 3015Victoria, Australia+61 3 [email protected]

BBrriittiisshh AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff PPllaanneettaarriiaaTom MasonArmagh PlanetariumCollege HillArmagh BT61 9DB Northern IrelandUnited Kingdom+44 (0)2837 524725+44 (0)2837 526187 fax+44 (0)771 0013453 [email protected]

CCaannaaddiiaann AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff SScciieenncceeCCeennttrreess

Ian C. McLennan#404 - 1275 Haro StreetVancouver, British ColumbiaV6E 1G1Canada+1 604-681-4790 phone + fax+1 604-240-0938 [email protected]@gmail.comwww.ianmclennan.com

CCoouunncciill ooff GGeerrmmaann PPllaanneettaarriiuummssThomas W. Kraupe, IPS contact

personPlanetarium HamburgHindenburgstraße 1 bD-22303 HamburgDeutschland+49 40 - 428 86 52-21+49 40 - 428 86 52-99 fax+49 40 - 4279 24-850 e-fax+49 40 - 172-40 86 133thomas.kraupe@planetarium-ham-

burg.dewww.rdp-planetrium.de

EEuurrooppeeaann//MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann PPllaanneettaarr--iiuumm AAssssoocciiaattiioonn

Dennis SimopoulosEugenides PlanetariumSyngrou Avenue-AmfitheaAthens Greece+30 1 941 1181+30 1 941 7372 [email protected]@eugenfound.edu.gr

GGrreeaatt LLaakkeess PPllaanneettaarriiuumm AAssssoocciiaattiioonnDave WeinrichMinnesota State University-

Moorhead1104 7th Avenue SouthMoorhead, Minnesota 56563 USA(1) [email protected]

GGrreeaatt PPllaaiinnss PPllaanneettaarriiuumm AAssssoocciiaattiioonnJack DunnRalph Mueller PlanetariumUniversity of Nebraska- Lincoln210 Morrill HallLincoln, Nebraska 68588-0375 USA(1) 402-472-2641(1) 402-475-8899 [email protected]/gppa

IIttaalliiaann PPllaanneettaarriiaa’’ss FFrriieennddssAAssssoocciiaattiioonn

Loris RamponiNational Archive of Planetariac/o Centro Studi e Ricerche Serafino

Zanivia Bosca 24, C.P. 104I 25066 Lumezzane (Brescia) Italy+39 30 872 164+39 30 872 545 [email protected]@serafinozani.itwww.planetaritaliani.it

JJaappaann PPllaanneettaarriiuumm SSoocciieettyyShoichi ItohChief of Physics and Astronomy

InstructionSuginami Science Education Center3-3-13 Shimizu, Suginami-kuTokyo 167-0033 Japan+81 3-3396-4391+81 3-3396-4393 [email protected]@[email protected]

MMiiddddllee AAttllaannttiicc PPllaanneettaarriiuumm SSoocciieettyyPatty SeatonH. B. Owens Science Center9601 Greenbelt RoadLanham-Seabrook, Maryland 20706

USA(1) 301-918-8750(1) 301-918-8753 [email protected]

NNoorrddiicc PPllaanneettaarriiuumm AAssssoocciiaattiioonnLars BromanDalarna UniversitySE 791 88 Falun Sweden+46 2310 177+46 23 10 137 [email protected]/npa

PPaacciiffiicc PPllaanneettaarriiuumm AAssssoocciiaattiioonnGail ChaidIndependence Planetarium1776 Educational Park DriveSan Jose, California 95133 USA(1) 408-928-9604(1) 408-926-9515 [email protected]@rsuhsd.org

PPllaanneettaarriiuumm SSoocciieettyy ooff IInnddiiaaProfessor Gopinath SubramanianDirector-AstronomerDepartment of ScienceRatchaborikanukroh SchoolAmper Muang,Ratchaburi- 70000 Thailand

+66 32 326156+66 90 [email protected] [email protected]

RRoocckkyy MMoouunnttaaiinn PPllaanneettaarriiuummAAssssoocciiaattiioonn

Kevin ScottEvans & Sutherland600 Komas DriveSalt Lake City, Utah USA(1) [email protected]

RRuussssiiaann PPllaanneettaarriiuummss AAssssoocciiaattiioonnZinaida P. SitkovaNizhny Novgorod Planetarium

Revolutsionnja Street, 20603002 Nizhny Novgorod Russia+7 831 2 30 51 51+7 831 2 30 51 66 [email protected][email protected]

SSoouutthheeaasstteerrnn PPllaanneettaarriiuummAAssssoocciiaattiioonn

John Hare Ash Enterprises3602 23rd Avenue WestBradenton, Florida 34205 USA(1) 941-746-3522(1) 941-750-9497 [email protected]

SSoouutthhwweesstteerrnn AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooffPPllaanneettaarriiuummss

Tony ButterfieldHouston Museum of Natural ScienceOne Hermann CircleHouston, Texas 77581 USA(1) 713 639-4637(1) 713 639-4681 [email protected]

UUkkrraanniiaann PPllaanneettaarriiuummss AAssssoocciiaattiioonnLydmila RybkoKiev Republican Planetarium57/3 Velyka Vasyikivska Street03150 Kiev Ukraine+380 442 27 27 81+380 442 27 37 43 [email protected]

I. P. S. Officers

I. P. S. Affiliate Representatives

PPrreessiiddeenntt Susan Reynolds ButtonQuarks to Clusters8793 Horseshoe LaneChittenango, New York 13037 USA(1) 315-687-5371(1) 315-432-4523 [email protected]

PPaasstt--PPrreessiiddeennttMartin GeorgeLaunceston PlanetariumQueen Victoria MuseumWellington StreetLaunceston, Tasmania 7250 Australia+61 3 6323 3777+61 3 6323 3776 fax

[email protected]

PPrreessiiddeenntt--EElleeccttDr. Tom Mason, DirectorArmagh PlanetariumCollege HillArmagh BT61 9DB Northern IrelandUnited Kingdom+44 (0)2837 524725+44 (0)2837 526187 fax+44 (0)771 0013453 [email protected]

EExxeeccuuttiivvee SSeeccrreettaarryy Lee Ann HennigPlanetarium

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

6560 Braddock RoadAlexandria, Virginia 22312 USA(1) 703-750-8380(1) 703-750-5010 [email protected]

TTrreeaassuurreerr aanndd MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp CChhaaiirrShawn LaatschImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii600 Imiloa PlaceHilo, Hawaii 96720 USA(1) 808-969-9735(1) 808-969-9748 [email protected]


AArrmmaanndd SSppiittzz PPllaanneettaarriiuumm EEdduuccaattiioonn FFuunnddFinance Committee

IIPPSS EEdduuccaattiioonn CCoommmmiitttteeeeVacant

IIPPSS FFuullll--DDoommee VViiddeeoo CCoommmmiitttteeeeRyan Wyatt, ChairRose Center for Earth & SpaceAmerican Museum of Natural History79th Street & Central Park WestNew York, New York, 10024 USA(1) [email protected]

IIPPSS HHiissttoorryy CCoommmmiitttteeeeJohn Hare, IPS HistorianAsh Enterprises3602 23rd Avenue WestBradenton, Florida 34205 USA(1) 941-746-3522(1) 941-750-9497 [email protected]

IIPPSS IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall RReellaattiioonnss CCoommmmiitttteeeeMartin George, ChairLaunceston PlanetariumQueen Victoria MuseumWellington StreetLaunceston, Tasmania 7250 Australia+61 3 6323 3777+61 3 6323 3776 [email protected]

IIPPSS JJoobb IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn SSeerrvviiccee SSuubbccoommmmiitttteeee(Professional Services Committee)

Steve Fentress, ChairStrasenburgh PlanetariumRochester Museum & Science Center657 East AvenueRochester, New York 14607 USA(1) 585-271-4552 ext. 409(1 )585-271-7146 [email protected]

IIPPSS MMeeddiiaa DDiissttrriibbuuttiioonn CCoommmmiitttteeeeThomas W. Kraupe, IPS contact personPlanetarium HamburgHindenburgstraße 1 bD-22303 HamburgDeutschland+49 40 - 428 86 52-21+49 40 - 428 86 52-99 fax+49 40 - 4279 24-850 e-fax+49 40 - 172-40 86 [email protected]

IIPPSS OOuuttrreeaacchh CCoommmmiitttteeeeJon W. Elvert, ChairIrene W. Pennington PlanetariumLouisiana Art & Science Museum100 South River RoadBaton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 USA(1) 225-344-5272(1) 225-214-4027 [email protected]

IIPPSS PPllaanneettaarriiuumm DDeevveellooppmmeenntt GGrroouuppKen Wilson, ChairEthyl Universe PlanetariumScience Museum of Virginia2500 West Broad StreetRichmond, Virginia 23220 USA(1) 804-864-1429(1) 804-864-1560 [email protected]@compuserve.com

IIPPSS PPoorrttaabbllee PPllaanneettaarriiuumm CCoommmmiitttteeeeSusan Reynolds Button, ChairQuarks to Clusters8793 Horseshoe LaneChittenango, NY 13037(1) [email protected]

IIPPSS PPrrooffeessssiioonnaall SSeerrvviicceess CCoommmmiitttteeeeMike Murray, ChairClark Planetarium110 South 400 WestSalt Lake City, Utah 84101 USA(1) 801-456-4949(1) 801-456-4928 [email protected]

IIPPSS SSccrriipptt CCoonntteesstt CCoommmmiitttteeeeSteve Tidey, Coordinator58 Prince AvenueSouthend, Essex, SS2 6NN EnglandUnited [email protected]

IIPPSS SSttrraatteeggiicc PPllaannnniinngg CCoommmmiitttteeeeBBrriittiisshh AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff PPllaanneettaarriiaaTom Mason, ChairArmagh PlanetariumCollege HillArmagh BT61 9DB Northern IrelandUnited Kingdom+44 (0)2837 524725+44 (0)2837 526187 fax+44 (0)771 0013453 [email protected]

IIPPSS TTeecchhnnoollooggyy CCoommmmiitttteeeeVacant

IIPPSS WWeebb CCoommmmiitttteeeeAlan Gould, ChairHolt PlanetariumLawrence Hall of ScienceUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeley, California 94720-5200 USA(1) 510-643-5082(1) 510-642-1055 [email protected]

I. P. S. Standing Committees

I. P. S. AD HOC Committees

IIPPSS AAwwaarrddss CCoommmmiitttteeeeJon Bell, ChairHallstrom PlanetariumIndian River Community College3209 Virginia AvenueFort Pierce, Florida 34981 USA(1) [email protected]

IIPPSS CCoonnffeerreennccee CCoommmmiitttteeeeSusan Reynolds ButtonQuarks to Clusters8793 Horseshoe LaneChittenango, New York 13037 USA(1) 315-687-5371(1) 315-432-4523 [email protected]

IIPPSS CCoonnffeerreennccee HHoosstt--22000088Dr. Paul Knappenberger, PresidentAdler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum1300 South Lake Shore DriveChicago, Illinois 60605 USA(1) 312-922-7827 reception(1) 312-322-2257 [email protected]

IIPPSS EElleeccttiioonnss CCoommmmiitttteeeeSteve Mitch, ChairBenedum PlanetariumOglebay ParkWheeling, West Virginia 26003 USA(1) 304-243-4034(1) 304-243-4110 [email protected]

IIPPSS FFiinnaannccee CCoommmmiitttteeee - President, Past-President, President-Elect, Treasurer,Secretary

IIPPSS MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp CCoommmmiitttteeeeShawn Laatsch, ChairImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii600 Imiloa PlaceHilo, Hawaii 96720 USA(1) 808-969-9735(1) 808-969-9748 [email protected]

IIPPSS PPuubblliiccaattiioonnss CCoommmmiitttteeeeDr. Dale W. Smith, chairBGSU Planetarium, 104 Overman HallPhysics &Astronomy Dept.Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green, Ohio 43403 USA(1) 419-372-8666(1) 419-372-9938 [email protected]

Please notify the EEddiittoorr of any changeson these two pages.

Contact the TTrreeaassuurreerr//MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp CChhaaiirrfor individual member address changes and

general circulation and billing questions.

IIPPSS PPeerrmmaanneenntt MMaaiilliinngg AAddddrreessssInternational Planetarium Society

c/o Shawn LaatschIPS Treasurer/Membership Chair

Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii600 Imiloa Place

Hilo, Hawaii 96720 USA

IIPPSS WWeebb SSiitteewww.ips-planetarium.org

As you can see, I couldn’t put it off anylonger. Yes, the photo above is the 50-year-old me, the person who isn’t afraid to come

out in front of the console but who hateshaving her picture taken. I owe a hundredthanks to Carl Leet, the very patient andvery talented photographer in YoungstownState University’s media department forputting up with me and my futile attemptsto be imaged. He’s the one who got me tosmile.

I won’t give you a lot to read this timearound. You have enough to keep you busyin this issue. Between articles and our regularcolumnists, the IPS Council Meeting minutesfrom the 2006 Conference, and tantilizing

descriptions of beautiful cities and excitingsites, this issue of the Planetarian sets a newrecord for size. I have already apologized tothe trees and thanked the for their sacrifice.

This issue’s cover story—about the lessonslearned in taking live action from the flatscreen to the dome—is another peerreviewed article, and it deserves this treat-ment. Once you read it you’ll see how muchnew ground was broken and how muchtime and effort will be saved by othersthanks to the work of the team at the GatesPlanetarium.

Because of the size of this issue I couldn’tjustify including an article from theAstronomy Education Review. Be sure tocheck out the latest issue online, however,especially “Teaching What a Planet Is: ARoundtable on the Educational Implicationsof the New Definition of a Planet” conduct-ed by Andrew Fraknoi. The url isaer.noao.edu.

Now, as I get ready to put another issue(and myself) to bed, I gratefully give the restof my space to Gary Likert. Gary respondedto my plea for more star stories and this wasthe only space I had left to run his submis-sion. After all those requests for material, theleast I could do actually print what I get! �


In Front of the ConsoleSharon Shanks

Ward Beecher PlanetariumYoungstown State

UniversityYoungstown, OH 44555

[email protected]

In Defense of Leo MinorGary LikertThe Home Planetarium AssociationGallatin, Tennessee usawww.planetariumsathome.com

Ever notice how certain constellations get more press than oth-ers? Maybe I spend far too much time beneath my own dome look-ing at my own stars, but the constellations above my head begin totell me things after awhile.

True, I build my own planetariums, so perhaps I have a bit morevested interest and right to call them “my stars,” and maybe theconstellations talk to me in the privacy of my own dome more thanthey would, say, in a more public dome. They tend to be shyer then,I think, and perhaps a bit more resentful that cable TV, DVDs, andglowing screens that have largely replace them as an evening’sentertainment. But they talk to me, and they are concerned that cer-tain of their ... umm ... members get far more press than the others.

I had to admit it was true, that even I tend to look at the sameconstellations over and over and ignore the rest. The big boys andgirls, I need not mention them, with their swords and belts and sis-ters and sea monsters threatening, their heroes and myths. I listen tothe gripes of constellations that were overlooked but admittedlystill famous, and it’s time to name some names. Aquarius lamentednobody sings about him any more and Capricorn butted me in a vainattempt to get some attention. And on and on it went. Finally I con-templated the twins of the skies, and realized there were more thanI thought.

I heard a tiny voice crying from my sky overhead. It was LeoMinor. “What about me?” he cried.

He had a point. The two bears get all the attention, and those

Centaurs. True enough. The dogs ... they were bright and in fullglory, couldn't argue there. Gemini even represented the original“two for one” sale idea.

“I represent the little guy,” Leo Minor argued, “the lesser of thecelestial pairs, that forgotten brother or sister who gets shunted offto the corner.”

“Got any examples?” I asked him bravely. I'd never even identifiedhim in the shadow of his big Lion King bro, and even now I was hardpressed to see where his voice was coming from.

He warmed to his subject. “Take horses. The big horse with thewing thing is famous, but who can find Equuleus? There’s a big snakehogging tons of sky, but what about Hydras? Is he the jiltedboyfriend? Doesn't he need some attention too? Who looks at thesouthern stuff? The triangle, the crown? “

“Wait,” I argued. The southern fish is brighter than the Pieces.“Exceptions. exceptions,” he continued. Serpens may be in twoparts, but he gets more looks that Lacerta or Chamaeleon!?”

Leo Minor had made his point, I suppose, so I conceded that some-one needed to put in a word for those lesser twins, those forgottensisters and brothers and objects up there in the sky that deserve atleast passing mention. As I headed for the dome of my home-built15ft theater, I already heard Aquila and Cygnus trying to make upwith Pavo and Phoenix. Grus was crying in the corner. The last thing Isaw before flipping on the lights was Leo Minor curling up with theLynx and going to sleep. �

SSkkyy SSttoorriieess


Lights!Lights!Cameras!Cameras!Render to the Dome!Render to the Dome!

Live Action Film Footage in anLive Action Film Footage in anAstronomy Fulldome ShowAstronomy Fulldome Show

Ka Chun YuKa Chun Yu11, Matthew Brownell, Matthew Brownell 11, Joslyn Schoemer, Joslyn Schoemer11, Daniel Neafus, Daniel Neafus11,,Thomas LucasThomas Lucas22, & Zachary Zager, & Zachary Zager11

1 Denver Museum of Nature & Science2001 Colorado BoulevardDenver, Colorado 80205 USA

2 Thomas Lucas Productions, Inc.23-25 Spring StreetOssining, New York 10562 USA Submitted for publication 10/20/06; accepted for publication 11/28/06


Abstract: The majority of modern fulldome productions have relied almostexclusively on computer generated imagery and animation. However, theDenver Museum of Nature & Science’s Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinityincludes live action footage from both 35 mm film and HD video, which cumu-latively accounts for just under 9% of the film’s total running time. Thedemands of creating content for an immersive display—including resolutionneeds, composition, pacing, and the need to preview in a domed environ-ment—are compounded by technical demands from using short lenses whenacquiring footage from a live shoot. This paper will discuss some of the pre-production tests and experiments, the on-location shoots, and challenges fromthe extensive post-production. The solutions developed over time by the DMNSstaff can be used to form a prototypical “best practice” for future live actionfulldome producers.

FFiigguurree 11:: FFiisshheeyyee DDiissttaannccee TTeessttssFisheye images taken with a consumer-grade Nikon Coolpix camera and a FC-E8 0.21x lens, tilted up at 45°. The figure (height of 178 cm/5 ft 10 in) is at dis-tances of 1 meter, 2 meters, and 3 meters. For the top row, the camera was held 60 cm above the ground; for the bottom row, the camera was held 120 cm

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FFiigguurree 22:: FFuullll--ffrraammee vvss.. CCiirrccuullaarr FFiisshheeyyee SShhoottss;; TTiillttiinngg tthhee FFiisshheeyyee CCaammeerraa1: A single 35 mm frame showing footage shot with a Nikkor 8 mm lens. The size of the film negative means that the circular image is cropped at the top andbottom. Unless otherwise indicated, all images in this article courtesy of and ©DMNS.2: A single exposure from a Canon EOS 5D camera with a 6 mm lens showing the circular framing of the entire fisheye image. Note that scanning in a full-frame image can result in as much as a third more pixels horizontally then the equivalent from a circularly framed one. Courtesy and ©Greg Downing.3: A fisheye image taken with FC-E8 8 mm lens attached to a Nikon Coolpix camera tilted up at 45°, and with the image masked out to approximate the imagethat an 8 mm lens would project onto 35 mm film. 4: For the Gates Planetarium dome tilted at 25° (represented by the white grid), the fisheye image can be tilted down so that the cropped bottom of theframe is no longer apparent, while the cropped top of the frame appears at the back of the dome.

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The 23-minute fulldome planetar-ium show Black Holes: The Other Side ofInfinity (2006; dir. Thomas Lucas), producedat the Denver Museum of Nature & Science(DMNS), was funded in part by the NationalScience Foundation’s Informal ScienceEducation program along with seed moneyprovided by NASA’s Gamma-ray Large AreaSpace Telescope. Partnered with DMNS inthe collaborative effort were Thomas LucasProductions, Andrew Hamilton at theUniversity of Colorado at Boulder, a scientif-ic visualization team at the National Centerfor Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) ledby Donna Cox, and Spitz Inc. as the show dis-tributor. The visuals created for the planetar-ium show were also used for the companionNOVA documentary “Monster of the MilkyWay,” directed and produced by Lucas.

The majority of the scenes in the showwere created using traditional computer ani-mation techniques, visualizations of numeri-cal simulations, model reconstructions basedon observational data, and Hamilton’s real-time general relativistic flight simulator.However, Black Holes: The Other Side ofInfinity (henceforth, BH) also utilized livefootage shot on high-definition (HD) videoand 35 mm film, totaling 112 seconds in thefinal film. This is a dramatic departure frommost other fulldome productions that haverelied almost exclusively on computer gen-erated imagery (CGI) and animation.1

Although live action has been done spar-ingly in past fulldome productions, therewere several reasons why it was chosen forBH. The first suggestion of live action camefrom front-end surveys of visitor opinion atDMNS (Heil et al., 1999). The survey revealedthat our audiences were not just interested inviewing computer-generated graphics for afulldome planetarium show; instead, theywanted to see actual scientists and hear theirstories, as opposed to watching a narrative

that was constructed completely from artifi-cially-generated content and environments.One of us (director Lucas) also felt that thefulldome medium called out for experimen-tation at a level that was missing from previ-ous fulldome programs that he had viewed.Live action footage would expand the con-tent options available to the filmmaker.

Once the decision was made to couple theproduction of the fulldome program with aparallel hour-long NOVA documentary, itwas clear that the two programs would shareresources, visualizations, and documentaryfootage. Since most NOVA television pro-grams focus on scientists at work on aresearch problem, it was expected that thisproduction would highlight the personali-ties as well as the science. This meant thatthere would have to be live footage to coverthe scientists for the fulldome show.

Fulldome vs. Flat FilmmakingThere have been previous considerations

and discussions of production guidelines forshooting fulldome video as opposed to tradi-tional “flat” filmmaking (e.g., Elumens 2001,as well as the ongoing debates at the full-dome mailing list on yahoogroups.com).What follows are the challenges of fulldomefilmmaking that we considered during thepre-production of BH.

•• DDoommee mmaasstteerrss nneeeedd ttoo bbee vveerryy llaarrggee.. Thelarge fulldome theaters have display resolu-tions that require dome masters2 with a min-imum resolution of 2000 pixels (2k) across.To be safe, some animators may choose toover-render their scenes to 4k dome masters,to allow for all possible display resolutions(based on current dome deployments). Evena minimal 2048 x 2048 dome master hasmore than 13 times the pixel count of a tele-vision (NTSC) frame, and twice that of a fullHD frame. For BH, the production team set-tled on a dome master resolution of 4096 x4096. The sheer size of the individual frames

requires increased data storage space andmore overhead time to accommodate imageprocessing. Even routine tasks like file trans-fers become more laborious.

•• FFuullllddoommee vviiddeeoo iiss mmeeaanntt ttoo bbee sseeeenniinnssiiddee aann iimmmmeerrssiivvee hheemmiisspphheerriiccaall ddiissppllaayy..Whether previewing live or CGI footage,compositional problems are not easy to dis-cern when a frame is viewed on a flat moni-tor display. Because straight lines are curvedand warped inside a dome master, it may notbe clear where the horizon should lay, espe-cially if the dome master is meant to be dis-played in a tilted dome. And since domemasters can be quite large, visual minutiaewill only become globally visible at full reso-lution. It is only when the footage is showninside a fulldome theater that image compo-sition and fine detail issues become apparent.Similarly, the pacing of a sequence, the num-ber of cuts, and the camera motion may lookfine on a monitor for a desktop video editor;but once the same footage is blown up to thedome, the large format may mean a dizzyingexperience for the viewer. Only after actual-ly seeing their films in a dome can animatorsand filmmakers begin to gain the experienceof how to film for this medium.

Aside from artistic questions, proper coor-dination of the facility also becomesparamount. Because DMNS has only a singlefulldome theater, previews of dailies had tobe done when the Gates Planetarium wasnot being used for other programming.Usually this meant that to avoid disruptingpublic programming, most of the work hadto be done after hours. And since so muchmore computer and projection equipmentwere required to run the Gates Planetariumthan for offline work on a desktop machine,use of the venue itself added to the expenseof the production.

•• FFiillmmmmaakkiinngg ffoorr ddoommeess ccaann bbee ddiiffffeerreenntt..Ben Shedd was one of the first to codify the

differences between filmmaking for tradi-tional cinema and for large-format film likeIMAX (Shedd 1997). Because large-formatfilms (and, by extension, fulldome produc-tions) fill a viewer’s field of view, the cine-matic grammar available to a directorchanges. He suggested that cuts need to bereduced to avoid confusing the audiencewith instantaneous jumps to new perspec-tives or environments. Camera motions likepans and tracks also need to be minimized,or at least slowed down, to avoid creatingmotion sickness. The overall pacing of thefilm needs to be restrained if there is moresurrounding visual content for the audienceto see.

One of us (Lucas) felt that this philosophyresulted in a very conservative approach toprevious fulldome filmmaking. As an alter-native, he wanted to get away from anapproach that consisted entirely of slowcamera movements and no cuts. Instead, hewanted to make use of all of the normaltechniques of cinema, including pans, tracks,varying camera angles, and vibrant editing.It has long been known that specific aesthet-ic choices by filmmakers can alter a viewer’sperception and can lead to a greater emo-tional experience based on the predictableways in which audiences respond to stimuli(e.g., Zettl 1999). Thus, using the array ofoptions from ordinary filmmaking couldlead to a greater potential impact on audi-ences. However, the filmmaker does have towork harder to keep audiences oriented sothat they can follow the flow of images (foran example, see the end of the section onoptimizing filmmaking).

Live Footage for a FulldomeThe use of live video and film footage pre-

sented unique challenges to a medium thatis already difficult to create content for. Hereare further issues.

•• TThhee ccoommmmoonnllyy aavvaaiillaabbllee vviiddeeoo ffoorrmmaattssddoo nnoott hhaavvee hhiigghh eennoouugghh rreessoolluuttiioonnss.. Whiledome masters created for large-theater full-dome productions require high pixel counts,the video formats in wide use do not comeclose to matching the necessary resolutions.NTSC video has a viewable image with a res-olution of 640 x 480. Full resolution HDTVframes have 1920 x 1080 pixels. Even with afisheye lens, the maximum resolution of thecircular dome master within the 16:9 HDfield is 1080 lines. Although 4k HD videocameras are being developed, it will be someyears before they become inexpensiveenough for widespread use. In addition, thewidescreen aspect ratios of HD camerasmeans that circularly framed images will stillbe at 2k resolution.

Because of the inability of current HD

video to meet theresolution demands,the BH productionteam decided to use35 mm film foracquiring most ofthe live action. Thecurrent micro-finegrain Kodak EXR50D Film 5245 stockhas roughly 14 mil-lion high qualitygrains per frame.Even given con-straints from cameramovement andfocusing and theparts of the framenot imaged by thefisheye, 35 mm filmhad the best poten-tial for being blownup in the Gates the-ater without com-promising imagequality.

•• FFiisshheeyyee lleennsseessccaann mmaakkee ssuubbjjeeccttssllooookk ddiissttoorrtteedd..Because fisheye lens-es have extremelyshort focal lengths(16 mm or less), sub-jects can be pho-tographed extreme-ly close to the lensand still remain infocus. However,wide angle lensestend to distort suchnearby subjects formost audiencemembers in a full-dome theater.Although such dis-tortion can appearacceptable on avideo monitor or inthe context of skate-boarding videos (e.g.,Kavanaugh 2004),they can be distract-ing when shown fully magnified in a full-dome setting.

To determine what levels of distortionwere unacceptable, tests with a fisheye lensattached to a digital camera were used tophotograph a human figure. Even at a dis-tance of only 1 meter away, the subjectlooms in the field, and thus would covermuch of the forward half of the tilted domedisplay (Figure 1). Only at a distance of 2meters does the figure have a vertical span of

roughly 45°. Based on such tests, it was sug-gested that minimal limits should be set forhow close the camera would approachhuman subjects.

•• TThheerree iiss aa ttrraaddee--ooffff bbeettwweeeenn iimmaaggee rreessoo--lluuttiioonn aanndd ccrrooppppiinngg.. Tests showed that a lenswith the Nikon Nikkor 8 mm T 2.8-22 result-ed in an image that matched the curvatureof the dome with a 180° field of view. TheSuper 35 mm frame, however, is not large


FFiigguurree 33:: SSmmaallll EEnncclloosseedd SSppaaccee iinn aa LLaarrggee DDoommeeThe interior corridors of St. Basil’s Cathedral (Red Square, Moscow) are lit-tle more than a meter across. When projected onto the Gates Planetarium’s16.9 meter dome, an audience member will feel that the projected environ-ment is enormous, while she has shrunk down in size. Panorama photo cour-tesy and ©Greg Downing.

FFiigguurree 44:: GGaatteess PPllaanneettaarriiuumm DDoommee EEvvaalluuaattiioonn CChhaarrttAn evaluation grid for filmmaking for the Gates Planetarium dome at DMNS,rendered as a dome master with dot spacing of 1°. Subjective judgmentswere used to determine the range of acceptable horizon lines on the domeso that audiences did not feel like they were looking angled up or down.

enough to show the 8 mm image without cropping 18° from thetop and bottom of the frame (or 8% of the circular radius; seeFigure 2:1 and 2:2). Switching to the Nikon 6 mm lens resulted ina slightly wider shot (220°), while the circular image was smalleron the negative. There is, therefore, a trade-off between the reso-lution of the scanned film frame versus the completeness of theimage. Maximizing resolution was felt to be a higher prioritythan the clipped framing, so the 8 mm lens was chosen.

In order to maximize the image that would be seen in thedome, at what angle should the camera be held? The croppingof the circular fisheye image removes 18° from the top and bot-tom of the frame. Since the Gates Planetarium is tilted down by25°, the camera should be tilted up by 18°+25°=43° from the hori-zontal. A camera pointing up by 45°, then, will give a fisheyeimage that can be tilted down to obscure the truncation at thebottom of the frame and allow the horizon to look correct.However, there is a considerable wedge of image—36°=18°+18°—missing in the back of the fisheye image (Figure 2:3 and 2:4).

•• TThhee ddiissttoorrttiioonn ffrroomm wwiiddee lleennsseess ccaann lleeaadd ttoo vviieewwffiinnddiinnggpprroobblleemmss.. Content in the forward direction, for shots intendedfor tilted domes, will tend to be concentrated near the edge ofthe dome master, which, when projected, will be close to thehorizon or edge of the physical dome. Subjects at the edge of thecircular dome master will be horizontally stretched by a factorof π/2 ≈1.6 compared to those in the center of the frame.Through the viewfinder, the fisheye field will look distortedalong its perimeter. If the camera has to be tilted to match a tilt-ed dome, then keeping a subject in the “front forward” directionmeans keeping the subject not at the undistorted center of theframe (which is where the framing would occur in traditionalcamera work), but near the lower edge of the frame.

Keeping this non-traditional framing consistent may not be aserious concern for static content or if a moving subject is fol-lowed by a camera on a tripod mount. However, if a tripod ordolly is not available and a hand-held shot is required to track amoving subject, the camera operator will then have a difficulttime keeping the subject centered properly, or even keeping astable horizon line. Hand holding a camera angled up at 45° ormore is not only awkward, but is counter-intuitive for a tradi-tional camera operator.

•• SShhoooottiinngg iinn eenncclloosseedd ssppaacceess ccaann lleeaadd ttoo uunneexxppeecctteedd eeffffeeccttss..If the size of the enclosed room is physically smaller then thefulldome theater that the footage is shown in, the audienceviewing the footage will feel psychologically that they haveshrunk by a factor proportional to the ratio of the two scales(Figure 3). Unless the fulldome theater is extremely large, thereare still subtle perceptual cues that let audience members knowthat they are viewing a projected image on a screen at a fixed(not infinitely far) distance away. Thus, if the dome theater is 20meters in diameter and the filmmakers shot footage from insidea closet 2 meters across, to the audience the 2-meter room hasnow expanded by a factor of 10 to appear as if it was really 20meters in size.

This perceptual effect exists at a much less noticeable level forother types of cinema. However, the immersive nature of thefulldome theater accentuates it by creating a visual field thatsurrounds the viewers, which solidifies the illusion that theyhave been physically transported to another place being depict-ed on screen. The filmmaker should be aware that the psycho-logical effect—and possibly the emotional content—of shots canvary depending on the size of the dome display used to presentthe film.


FFiigguurree 55:: TThhee MMiillkkyy WWaayy1: Frame 1000; half of the dome master showing the band of the Milky Way arch-ing almost directly overhead. The camera is flying towards a point to the leftand below the Galactic bulge. 2: Frame 1250; the emergence of a red supergiant star, to the right of the vanish-ing point. Because of the strong contrast of its color and expanding size, theaudience’s attention is reoriented toward it. 3 and 4: Frames 1330 and 1500; the red supergiant goes supernova. The flash andthe subsequent remnant continue to dominate the viewer’s focus to the end ofthe shot. Although the voiceover also serves to emphasize the point, the visualredirection is so strong that even without the narration, the audience will bedrawn to looking at the star before it explodes. Courtesy of DMNS; @Universityof Illinois

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Optimizing Filmmaking for aDome

Because these points (as well as the poten-tial for other unidentified issues) were recog-nized early on in the pre-production process,it was deemed important that test trials beperformed to ensure the final filmed footagewould be acceptable. The main goal wouldbe to determine the parameters for effectivefilmmaking that would be optimized forDMNS’ Gates Planetarium. One set of testslooked at the acceptable range of renderedstellar diameters for the space flightsequences for different dome master resolu-tions. Another set of experiments providedby Spitz Inc. explored the placement of cred-its and title cards, as well as title safe areaswithin the dome master frame.

A final set of evaluations utilized angulargrid patterns projected onto the dome,which were used as a guide to determinehorizon lines, visual “sweet spots,” and safeareas. Again, these were optimized for theseating in the Gates Planetarium, which isinfluenced in part by not just the dome tilt,but also the angle of the seats, how far backthe chairs lean, and the exact location ofeach chair with respect to the dome surface.These evaluation grids, therefore, wouldhave only limited applicability for anotherdome theater, even for one with the sametilt. The locations of these regions could beshown on a diagram of the dome masterfield, which would be distributed to the ani-mators and visualizers as a guide for com-positing their shots (Figure 4).

It was discovered that horizons could vary

by 25° and still appear reasonable. Horizonsinside this range still appear like natural hori-zon lines, while horizons outside wouldmake the viewer feel that he was either look-ing angled up or down instead of in a level,forward direction. This was an importantdiscovery since viewers in the dome wouldsee an increasingly skewed horizon depend-ing on how far their seats were from the cen-ter seat in each row. This also gave the post-production crew more latitude re-tilting thefisheye images for the dome, especially forhand-held shots which tended to wandermore.

The visual sweet spots for content weredetermined from three different seats insidethe planetarium: the front row center seat,middle row center seat, and back row centerseat. These sweet spots were locations on thedome where material could be placed thatrequired the least amount of head-turningfor an audience member to still see.Although the immersive display nature offulldome theaters allows for imagery to beshown at large angles away from the forwardfront direction, it was felt that a careful film-maker would not want to constantly resortto neck-turning camera and object move-ments. Such a spot in the dome master wherea viewer could naturally gravitate would bethe default location to focus attention, andcontent placed there would reduce audiencephysical fatigue by minimizing head turnsunless it was artistically necessary. The loca-tions of the sweet spots on the dome masterwere a function of the location of the seat aswell as the maximum angle that a person

could lean back for that seat.Finally, “safe areas” within the dome mas-

ter were also found from the three test seatsin the dome. These are similar to the actionsafe and title safe areas used in television pro-duction for marking screen locations wherethe image should be visible for any televi-sion set. The fulldome safe areas weredefined as those regions of the dome thatwould be visible to audience members wholook straight ahead and do not turn theirheads from side-to-side, crane their necks, orroll their eyes to look around. The safe areasfor dome masters are another way to showdiagrammatically where points of attentioncould be placed in the dome while minimiz-ing audience physical fatigue.

On the other hand, there is no rule thatcontent could not be found outside of thesafe areas. However, by placing visual com-ponents inside these zones most of the time,a director can maximize the impact on anaudience whenever the point of attentionveers out of the safe area, e.g., when a largeobject flies prominently overhead. This cre-ates a contrast in the visual experience, lead-ing to greater intensity and dynamicism tothe shot (Block 2001). The safe areas areanother guide to compositing for the domeand allow the careful filmmaker to createsurprise and drama within the narrative.

Even inside these safe areas, audienceshave a viewing area with an enormous fieldof view (in excess of 600 square degrees).How attention is drawn to any one locationwill depend on the director’s skill at guidingthe viewer’s eye to specific areas during a


FFiigguurree 661: Original 35 mm frame of fisheye shot; the nearly full-frame shot shows the top, bottom, and right edges of the fisheye image truncated. 2: Fisheye shot on dome master; the full-frame shot has been placed onto the dome master, and then tilted down to hide the gap in the image at the bottomof the frame. Note the arm and the top of the head of the cameraman at the top left corner of the shot, as well as the power line that runs off the top edge. 3: Repainting the dome master; The extraneous elements that could not be filled in, such as the cameraman and the power line, are now being painted out andreplaced with blue sky. The clouds at the upper right edge are also being cloned to extend the image to the edge of the dome master. The Sun in this casewas not close enough to the edge of the fisheye image that replicating any part of the starburst pattern was necessary. @DMNS and Thomas LucasProductions

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FFiigguurree 77:: OOrriiggiinnaall FFrraammeess ffoorr tthhee RRooaadd ttoo tthhee MMaauunnaa KKeeaa SSuummmmiittThree of the original fisheye frames from the shot showing Ghez driving up the dirt road to the summit of Mauna Kea. The horizon and the car passes justbelow the center of the frame, meaning the camera was not tilted high enough for the Gates dome. @DMNS and Thomas Lucas Productions

shot. This is done with a conspicuous objector contrasting element in the visual, thedominant contrast. Any sort of a visual ele-ment can play the role of compelling focus.Research shows that when experimentalsubjects are allowed to freely observe pic-tures containing human figures, they areoften fixated by faces (Yarbus 1967) .Attention also can be drawn by motion, alighting effect, a strong contrasting color, avisual pattern, or a sudden change in thevisual field. Exploiting such cues becomesimportant in fulldome filmmaking, wherethe large displays make it inherently easierfor an audience member’s attention to wan-der. (For more information on dominantcontrast in film, see Giannetti 2005.)

An example of how the viewer’s attentioncan be directed appears in the very first shotof BH. The camera does a slow pan across thedisk of the galaxy, until the band of theMilky Way arches in front of and over theaudience (but not crossing the zenith). Thecamera then begins translating forwardtowards a point below the disk. The numer-ous stars flying past the viewer leads imme-diately to a dominant contrast in the formof the vanishing point, where the opticalflow of stars is streaming from. This point isjust below and to the left of the galactic cen-ter (Figure 5:1). The bright galactic core itselfis placed too high in the dome to easily cap-ture interest. A subsidiary contrast soonappears in the form of a red star to the rightof the vanishing point. It is easy to spotbecause it is the only red star in the field. Itgrows in importance and becomes the domi-nant focus as the star balloons into a redsupergiant. An audience member who didnot notice the star when it first appeared is

bound to see its stellar disc expand largereven as its sharp color contrast also drawsawareness to it (Figure 5:2). Finally, a flash ofa supernova explosion and the subsequentexpanding remnant seals the attention ofthe audience to the end of the shot (Figure5:2 and 3).

Even without the voiceover narration(which also clues the audience into lookingfor additional contrasting elements amidstthe stars), the construction of the visualsalone has pulled the viewer’s awareness fromone part of the dome to another. This wasdone not as a visual gimmick, but as a serviceto the story being told. In fact, the final shotwas modified from an earlier version wherethe red supergiant was not as apparent. Thecamera flew at an angle that was almostdirectly into the galactic disk and the super-nova progenitor itself was located in theband of the disk. The greater number of starsspeeding past plus the stellar density of thegalactic disk served to obscure the red super-giant from the audience until the actualsupernova explosion.

In addition to aiding the design of anima-tions and flightpaths, the dome evaluationtest grids proved to be very useful for post-production work as well. Most of the com-positing and animation work involvedeither the use or production of dome masterson desktop systems, which were separateand offline from the dome display comput-ers. Referencing these test grids, for instance,allowed the production staff to rotate imagesto move horizons around until they wereinside the acceptable range, without havingto see their work on the dome.

Knowing when objects became visuallynoticeable for audience members was also

important, not only from the animation andvisualization standpoints, but also for musicscoring. Richard Fiocca, the composer for BH,did not live in Colorado and could notattend any screenings of the film inside theGates Planetarium. Therefore he had to relyon seeing the movie through dome mastersequences played back from a DVD.

The Location ShootsThere were two location shoots for BH.

The first was a trip up to the peak of MaunaKea in Hawaii in May 2004 to follow astro-physicist Andrea Ghez, whose team wasusing the Keck Observatory to determine theorbital parameters of stars around the MilkyWay’s central supermassive black hole. Thesecond was at the launch of the NASA Swiftsatellite from Cape Canaveral Air ForceStation on November 20, 2004. The cameracrew followed a group of the instrument sci-entists to the launch viewing grounds andfilmed their reactions to the ascent of theSwift satellite aboard the Boeing Delta IIrocket.

Many of the 35 mm fisheye shots weredone with a hand-held camera—an Arri 435in Hawaii and an Aaton 35-III in Florida—tocapture the emotions from the crowd, aswell as to add a sense of kineticism andaction that we felt was missing from manyother previous fulldome shows. In order todo this for the Swift launch, reaction shotsfrom the assembled onlookers would haveto be quickly filmed during the few criticalmoments during take-off. As a result, most ofthe launch footage was shot with camerawork that was in the traditional sense of“flat” filmmaking. This footage showed thesubjects very close to the camera, while the


horizon varied constantly (although it wasblocked for the most part by the foregroundfigures).

For the Mauna Kea shoot, the camera wasmounted for many shots, including a dollyused to follow Ghez walking on the summit.The filmmakers also were able to plan theirHawaii shots more carefully, and not have toshoot amidst a crowd of excited launchattendees. Hence shot stability and move-ment became less of a hassle (although itnever disappeared because of the unforgiv-ing nature of the dome in magnifying cam-era shake). There also remained footagetaken with the camera tilted at an incorrectangle for the 25° Gates dome, and even theshots that were correctly tilted had gaps inthe back of the dome (cf. Figure 2). Thus allof the shots would require some form ofadjustment in post-production.

Film Post-productionThe first task for the post-production

work was scanning the 35 mm film footage.G.W. Hannaway and Associates (Boulder,Colorado, USA) provided the 4k scans of thefilm negative. Next was conversion of the 24frames per second film frame rate to a 30 fpsdigital video rate. The standard Adobe AfterEffects in-betweening algorithm was foundto be inadequate for this task. Artifacts, con-sisting of jumpiness in the content, appeared.Further testing showed that this was theresult of the interpolation algorithm failingto sample enough frames both ahead of andbehind the current set of frames.Unfortunately, this problem was not detect-ed on the offline After Effects workstation,but was visible only during playback in thedome. Eventually RE:Vision Effects’ Twixtor

4.5 (see below) was found to correctly inter-polate the frames without introducing newartifacts. All of the 35 mm footage had to bere-processed with this tool.

•• TTiillttiinngg aanndd PPaaiinnttiinngg tthhee SSwwiifftt LLaauunncchhOne significant task was taking the Swift

launch footage and making it look visuallyappealing in the dome. Because the fisheyeframes were nearly full-frame, the imageswere cropped at both the bottom (front ofthe dome) and at the top (back of the dome;Figure 6: 1). In order to create a dome masterwith content that covered the dome, eachframe had to be tilted down to fill in the bot-tom truncation (Figure 2). In-dome previewsof the tilting and re-scaling was done withremapper, a real-time timeline-based full-dome formatting tool created by NebulusDesign’s Nigel Jenkins. The software ran offof our SGI Onyx 3800 multi-channel visual-ization supercomputer system running theIrix operating system.

Although remapper was the fastest toolavailable for making quick previews in thedome and was used for the initial re-rendersof the dome masters, the production eventu-ally switched to offline batch processes usingreblend, a command-line tool written for useon both our Linux and Irix systems byNCSA’s Stuart Levy. Then, depending on theparticular shot, each frame was re-scaled tostretch its boundaries until it matched theedge of the dome master using either AfterEffects or Adobe Photoshop (Figure 6:2).

The final step required replacing the con-tent that was truncated at the top of theframe. Although this would appear in theback of the dome, normally not be visible toaudiences unless they made the effort to

turn around, the production staff felt thatonly fulldome masters should be created.This meant that the remaining gap in eachframe had to be filled in. In some of theshots, a phantom limb motioning to thecrowd as well as the cropped head of thecameraman appeared just inside the frame.These elements also had to be excised.

For the crowd launch footage, the task ofcompleting the background and paintingout extraneous objects was made easier bythe blue sky background (Figure 6:3). A num-ber of other elements made individual shotsmore difficult, if not impossible, to workwith. Most of the footage consisted of medi-um shots toward the front of the crowd,with the Sun behind the camera. Power linesabove and behind the crowd were often visi-ble and most of these were rotoscoped out ofthe frames. In other instances, when the sizeof the gap was small, it made more sense toextend the power lines into the truncatedpart of the frame. A first pass at painting outextraneous objects was done by G.W.Hannaway. The majority of the paint work,however, was performed by one of us(Brownell) using After Effects.

A number of the Swift launch shots weretaken from behind the onlookers, with therocket plume centered in the frame and offin the distance. In this case, the Sun wasclearly visible within the shot, which meantthat lens flares and starbursts were also veryapparent. In many shots, the presence of lensflares made it impossible to paint or fill inthe gaps in the frames.

One shot that we were worried would notwork in the dome showed the rocket plumein the distance bracketed by people in theforeground (again, Figures 6:1-3). The figure

FFiigguurree 88:: PPrroocceessssiinngg aa FFrraammee ffoorr tthhee RRooaadd ttoo tthhee MMaauunnaa KKeeaa SSuummmmiittThe middle frame from Figure 6 is reprocessed. Left: First the frame is repositioned and warped so that the car and horizon will look correct when it is tilted.Center: The warped image is placed back onto the dome master, then tilted and scaled to a size to fill up the dome master. Right: The dome master is com-plete once the gap in the image at the top of the frame (or back of the dome) is painted in. @DMNS and Thomas Lucas Productions


FFiigguurree 99:: IInnssiiddee tthhee CCaarr UUpp MMaauunnaa KKeeaa aanndd aatt tthhee SSuummmmiitt1: An original scanned frame from inside the car being driven by Ghez up Mauna Kea. 2: A final dome master frame, after tilting, re-scaling, removing camerashake, and re-painting. 3: A finished fulldome frame showing the summit of Mauna Kea, with the Sun in the sky. The brightness has been boosted as much aspossible to show Ghez’s facial details without making the red sweater look unrealistically bright. @DMNS and Thomas Lucas Productions

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in the white t-shirt on the far left was soclose to the camera lens that he looms overthe scene in the original framing. After plac-ing the frames into dome masters and re-scal-ing, the left figure becomes even more domi-nating. However, the shot works well in thetilted dome, which surprised the productionteam. What makes it work even for someonelooking to the left-rear of the dome mighthave to do with the orientation of the figure:looking up at the trunk of the body toward apartially extended arm does not give manyvisual cues that are “obviously” wrong. Itslocation also helps to hide the figure fromviewers who would normally be focused onthe dominant object in view: the ascendingrocket in the forward direction.

The Swift footage of the onlookers wasslowed by interpolating to double theframes in the footage using Twixtor 4.5, run-ning them at normal speed, and then mak-ing a stabilization pass with Twixtor again.This was done so that the shot could lingeron the action, and show the emotions devel-oping on the faces of the onlookers. Theslower shot also was a better match with theapparent motion of the rocket as it lifted off.As an added benefit, the considerable camerajitter was lessened by the post processedslow-motion.

There was also an unexpected benefitfrom the nearly full-frame fisheye images.Because the fisheye shot stretched across thenegative from side-to-side, the resolution ofthe resultant frames was maximized by athird if compared to a circularly-framed fish-eye shot. The increase in the number of pix-els horizontally across the frame helped togive additional clarity to the human faces,which was especially important for showing

their responses to the launch.

• WWaarrppiinngg aanndd SSttaabbiilliizziinngg tthhee DDrriivvee UUppMMaauunnaa KKeeaa

There were four different shots from theMauna Kea footage that were used in thefinal show. Two showed Andrea Ghez driv-ing up the road to the observatory summit:one taken from the side of the road and thesecond a close-up shot of Ghez from insidethe car. The last two shots were taken fromthe summit. One showed a long shot of Ghezwalking with the camera ahead of her, andended with Ghez stopping and looking up atthe Sun in the sky. The camera then fol-lowed with a tilt up to the Sun as well. (Thesecond summit shot, which we will not dis-cuss, was a time-lapse shot of clouds movingover the summit at sunset from a locked-offcamera.)

The first shot of the car driving up thesummit road was done with the wrong cam-era angle. In fact, the camera was pointednearly horizontally, as in a traditional shotintended for a flat screen with a minimalcamera tilt. The shot consisted of the car atfar frame right moving to far left with a panto follow it as it drove by the camera’s posi-tion. Because the car passed close to the cen-ter of the fisheye frame, when seen on thetilted Gates dome the car started on the farright side and then proceeded to arc almostdirectly overhead before receding to the farleft side of the dome (Figure7).

To re-center the car for the tilted dome, allof the frames were tilted down using reblend.There was still a distortion in the motion ofthe vehicle because objects near the edge ofthe dome master are represented by morepixels—their appearances look stretched—

when compared to objects at the center ofthe dome master. This stretching resultednot only in a curved horizon, but also a vehi-cle that appeared to change size or moveradially to and away from the camera as itcrossed the frame. reblend was able to re-warp the frame to mimic the increasedstretch, thereby making the image andmotion much more natural looking. Oncethis re-warping was done, the frames wereplaced back into dome masters, with theproper tilt and scaling to fill out the bottomof the frame. The remaining gap in theimage at the top of the frame were filled bypainting in the sky and replicating cloudsfrom elsewhere in the frame (Figure 8).

The shot taken from inside the car washand-held, and thus contained not only anenormous close-up of Ghez, but also consid-erable camera shake from the gravel-filledroad (Figure 9). It was feared that because thecamera was so close to the subject, the shotwould not work at all in the dome (see dis-cussion above and Figure 1). Surprisingly, it iseffective in the dome and does not jump outas looking wrong. Although the brevity ofthe shot and the attempt at removing cam-era shake probably helped, the predominantreason is that the camera, even though it wasjust a few feet away, was still far awayenough to avoid distortion. Like a tradition-al close-up, the subject’s head is seen in full,but the body is cut-off just below the shoul-ders. The only visible point of comparisonfor the viewer is the head, which spansroughly 45°, an angular size that does notlook distorted on the dome.

One of us (Lucas) did not wish for all ofthe camera shake to be eliminated, since it fitthe action shown, that of a drive up a


bumpy road. However, staff from DMNS didfeel the need to reduce some of the higherfrequency rattle. 2D3’s SteadyMove Pro, aplugin available for After Effects, was firstused to stabilize the footage. Unfortunately,this tool turned out to create new problems.Image stabilization required that relativecamera movement from one frame to thenext be determined by locking onto objectson the horizon. Because the horizons in thefisheye shots were never straight lines, thesoftware often locked onto nearby objectswithin the frame. This meant a foregroundobject was used as the reference, and thefinal jitter correction resulted in small rota-tions about the inaccurate reference point.

Eventually RE:Vision Effects’ Twixtor 4.5was found to be able to properly track thenon-standard horizon within the shot.Because the software calculates motion vec-tors for each pixel, Twixtor can be used topinpoint and quickly track arbitrary collec-tions of pixels. By using such user-definedreference points, the camera shake withinthe shot was minimized or eliminated with-out introducing any new problems. Thepixel tracking in Twixtor also made it a supe-rior tool for telecining the film-to-videoframe rate from 24 fps to 30 fps, as well asany slow-motion and fast-motion effects.

• RRee--bbaallaanncciinngg tthhee CCoolloorr aatt tthhee SSuummmmiittThe third Mauna Kea shot of Ghez walk-

ing on the summit with the pan up to theSun turned out to be one of the most diffi-cult ones for post-production processing.The camera aperture was necessarily iriseddown because the Sun was always visiblewithin the shot. As a result, such foreground

detail as facial features were underexposedand lost in the higher contrast shadows.Although the contrast and colors can nor-mally be pushed up in post-production, thisparticular shot was more difficult because itinvolved a human subject wearing a brightred sweater. Exaggerating colors and contrastfor most CGI content is not a problem, butcare had to be taken when working withrealistic materials or flesh tones. In this shot,it was easy to make the sweater look garishand glow neon-like if the settings werepushed too far.

Filmmakers shooting for IMAX(Omnimax) have long known that there is atrade off between a bright but washed outimage versus a darker but higher dynamicrange image (Lantz 1995). The reflectivecross-bounce inside a hemispherical displayenvironment meant that both the dome sur-face reflectivity and the overall light level ofa shot had to be reduced to avoid complete-ly washing out the image. Video fulldomeproducers have a slightly different set of con-cerns. Although cross-bounce is still a worry,the video projection used in modern full-dome theaters cannot provide the samedynamic range and color depth that filmprovides. As a result, higher contrast imagescan look worse when shown with video pro-jectors compared with film projection.

Thus, how a sequence looks will dependon not just the brightness, contrast, andcolor fidelity of the original shot, but alsopartially on the display environment. ForBH, the DMNS production team naturallydecided to create shots that looked ideal inthe Gates dome while aware that their choic-es might have a negative impact for other

facilities. Because the Gates Planetarium hasBarco Galaxy DLP projectors that are rela-tively bright (peaking at 5000 lumens) whencompared to most other installed systems,the show would look considerably differentat another facility. In the Mauna Kea summitshot, the reds were boosted until the redsweater that Ghez was wearing was just shyof looking neon-like, while only a hint ofpink appeared in her face and cheeks. For aCRT-based video fulldome, not only is thebrightness attenuated (with typical projectorluminous flux of 500-600 lumens), but thered light output is always weaker than theblue or green guns. The same sequence willlook desaturated, with barely any color inthe flesh tones, and the red sweater lookingnondescript. Further experimentation withthe image parameters (which we did nothave the time or budget for) will be requiredin future fulldome films to better balancethem for theaters using other display tech-nologies.

• DDuusstt--BBuussttiinnggA new set of artifacts that were introduced

from the film scanning was dust thatshowed up within each frame. G.W.Hannaway did a first manual pass at remov-ing dust using Autodesk’s Flame package.However, because of the size of the full reso-lution frames, most defects—some as small as1-2 pixels across—were not noticed when theframes were worked on with After Effects ona desktop monitor and only became visiblewhen the frames were transfered and dis-played at full resolution inside the dome.Because new defects would be noticed witheach iteration of a “cleaned” clip shown in

FFiigguurree 1100:: HHDD IImmaaggee ooff tthhee DDeellttaa IIII CCaarrrryyiinngg SSwwiifftt1: An original frame from the HD NASA footage showing the launch of Swift. Note that the tower gantry and vegetation is cut off by the frame on the top aswell as both sides. Courtesy of NASA 2: The HD frame properly placed and oriented within the 4096 4096 dome master. 3: The dome master with the HDframe filled in, using material cloned from within the frame (the sky and vegetation) as well as from subsequent frames in the shot (the tope of the gantry).

1

2 3


the dome, DMNS staff spentconsiderable time paintingframes for each live footagesequence, usually with mul-tiple (up to four) passes.

HD Video Post-pro-duction

Additional footage fromthe Swift sequence wastaken from official NASAHD shots of the launch.This telephoto lens footageshowed the rocket on thepad prior to launch, and subsequently fol-lowed it up into the sky after it lifted off. Itshowed the launch from as close of a van-tage point as was possible that day. (The BHcamera crew was sequestered with the otherguest observers several miles away.)However, the truncated framing of the HDshot (Figure 16) resulted in new difficultiesfor the production staff.

The preliminary shot of the Delta II rocketon the ground was troublesome because thegantry was cut off at the top of the frameand vegetation was clipped at the sides. Therest of the gantry was not revealed until thecamera panned up to follow the ascent. Notonly were there considerable missing ortruncated features that would have to bereplaced to complete the dome master, thesedetails changed from frame to frame. Evenre-painting the sky would be burdensome,because the quality of the light changedquickly in the early morning period imme-diately after sunrise. It became clear that fill-ing in features in the single flat HD shotwould be much more difficult than paintingin sky in any of the 35 mm fisheye footage.

The final Swift launch sequence containshalf a dozen shots, lasting 56.7 seconds, withintercutting between the NASA HD footageand the 35 mm shots of the reaction fromthe scientists. The original edit, however, wasconsiderably longer and had twice as manycuts. Because the rough cut of this scene feltlong within the context of the overall show,the total number of shots was trimmeddown to those essential to tell the story ofthe launch.

The first daytime establishing shot of therocket on the ground was reduced themost—down to a single frame—because noneof the action within the shot was deemed tobe critical. This decision saved the produc-tion staff from the task of stabilizing and re-painting multiple dome masters. The loneframe was used to recreate a 3-second shot.The frame was first placed into the domemaster using a reblend feature that properlycomposited the 2D shot so that it looked cor-rect inside the dome. Vegetation off to theside was cloned in Photoshop from the exist-

ing plants. The rest of the launch gantry wascopied from later frames in the sequenceduring the ascent (Figure 10: 2 and 3). To helphide the fact that this was a single frame thatwas repeated, the image sequence was rip-pled in After Effects to mimic the mirage-likeeffect of heat in the intervening air.

Issues for a Multi-Channel DomeThe Gates Planetarium operates with 11

Barco Galaxy DLP projectors whose individ-ual graphics channels are tiled together tocreate a single image on the dome. To getvideo content that is sourced from domemasters to appear on the dome, the individu-al dome masters have to be split up into 11component channels. Each stream is thenconverted into a movie file (using a propri-etary wavelet compression routine), anduploaded to the 11 QuVIS Qubit playerswhich playback to each of the projectors.The file splitting, movie file conversion, andsubsequent upload all increased the over-head for creating and seeing shots on thedome.

For instance, the amount of After Effectswork for the approximately 6000 frames oflive action that was processed totaled 461hours. Splitting the dome masters into 11 sep-arate channels involved two separate sets ofmachines (our SGI Onyx 3800 with 30 pro-cessors and an army of 13 Linux worksta-tions with 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 CPUs) requir-ing an aggregate total time of 351 hours.Creating (“qubifying”) the movie filestotaled 7.8 hours, while actual upload to theplayback units required 75 hours. Therefore,the additional time required to merely viewthe footage in the dome (434 hours) was justshy of the offline time processing the images!

Of course much of this work was done off-hours. In fact, the uploads were almostalways done off-hours since the QuVIS unitswere used for show playback during the day.However, the sheer size of the original domemaster files (4096 x 4096), the size of thecomponent files meant for the individualchannels (1280 x 1024), and the large framecount meant that careful time managementwas necessary to keep the production ontrack. This lesson is true not just for the live

footage, but for the CG con-tent as well, which made upthe bulk of the shots in thefinal show.

Lessons Learned forFuture Shows

Was the effort to incor-porate live action footageinto a fulldome planetari-um show worth it? Howdid audiences respond tofilm footage intermixedwith the CG content? No

final summative evaluations were devotedto that question, but audiences brought infor two formative evaluations during theproduction were asked to give their impres-sions of the existing rough cut. Their view-points on the show were generally very posi-tive, but there were divided opinions aboutthe live footage.

Those who felt positively about the filmfootage liked it very much, and their opin-ions were similar to the responses from thefront-end evaluations: they appreciated thishumanizing element that contrasted withthe rest of the CGI in the show. At the otherextreme, those who did not like the livefootage were taken aback by the size of thehuman figures in the dome, and complainedabout the camera getting too close to them(Donelan 2005). To some DMNS staff, therewas also a marked contrast between the livefootage compared to the rest of the show.Despite being scanned from a 35 mm filmprint, the lower resolution of the livefootage—especially after re-scaling—stoodout from the scientific visualizations.

These comments suggest changes forfuture use of live footage. In some cases, the35 mm footage did not have sufficient reso-lution when blown up and re-scaled from 4kdome masters and shown inside the GatesPlanetarium. For a future fulldome produc-tion, 70 mm film footage would be able tomatch the visual quality between the CGand live footage. The larger format alsomeans that fisheye shots should be imagedas circular frames within the negative, there-fore removing the need for paint work toreplace truncated areas of the image.

There are downsides to a 70 mm shoot,most obviously in the cost increase in equip-ment rentals, film stock, and development.Because the cameras are larger and bulkier,the shots are often not as mobile and flexibleas can be achieved with a 35 mm camera.Along with a larger production budget, theremay also be less willingness to experiment,resulting in more conservative shot choicesgiven the larger stakes involved.

Additional training may be useful for thecamera operator. The cameraman for BH had

Those who felt positively about the film footage likedit very much, and their opinions were similar to theresponses from the front-end evaluations: they appre-ciated this humanizing element that contrasted withthe rest of the CGI in the show. At the other extreme,those who did not like the live footage were takenaback by the size of the human figures in the dome,and complained about the camera getting too close tothem .


two preparatory sessions to become familiarwith the camera and lens, during which heshot short test sequences. This was notenough, since for certain shots he resortedback to the camera techniques that he wasfamiliar with. This is not unexpected, sincefew cameramen are expected to have anyexperience with fisheye lenses and there isno great need for fisheye shots in currentfilm or videography, or even for fulldomeproductions.

Furthermore, holding the camera forhand-held shots is extraordinarily awkward.Getting the horizon to look right is difficult,given that the camera has to be tilted uphigh to pull the horizon to the bottom ofthe frame. Getting the right shot is madeeven harder if conditions are dynamic andchanging. Until a fundamental re-design ismade that allows a 35 mm or HD camera tobe carried on one’s shoulder with the cameraaxis pointed up, any hand-held shot willrequire post-production fixes.

Although this paper has so far focused oncomplications involving live footage, whatof the general production pipeline? Whatare the lessons learned from this process, and

how can it be improved for future fulldomeshow production at DMNS?

• DDaaiilliieessBecause of the considerable work required

to view dome master sequences on the GatesPlanetarium dome, the process of reviewingdailies required considerable offline effort bythe production staff, regardless of whetherlive or CG content was being previewed. Thesteps included splitting the dome mastersinto 11 separate file sequences, which tookthe longest time, followed by conversioninto the QuVIS file format, and then upload-ing to the playback units. Because of the sizeof the 4096 x 4096 full-resolution dome mas-ters, many fine details were difficult to seeon a desktop monitor and were only noticedwhen they were up on the dome. The size ofthe full resolution dome masters meant thatthe 4k files took 5-30 seconds to load perframe into After Effects. This precluded thefull-resolution images from being playedback at full motion speeds from the AfterEffects workstation. Only the dome displaycould be used to see the full resolution filmat normal speed.

For a future fulldome production, watch-ing dailies would be far easier if the same setof machines were used to process the files asthe ones used as image generators for theprojectors. Although there would still be aneed for converting the frames to a com-pressed media file, this would not be a multi-step operation involving networkedmachines. A prototypical solution would bea hardware rack like the SEOS Media Serverthat can play back pre-rendered movies aswell as be configured to provide real-timeimage generation.

An even more important advance wouldbe the ability to watch dailies offline on asingle workstation. This would be used tojudge overall composition and timing andnot to look at fine detail, which wouldrequire the full resolution dome masters. Insuch cases, the ability to know where con-tent will appear in the real dome is impera-tive. Thus a dome master previewer with ascrubbable timeline should also have theability to overlay the dome evaluation grids.At the time of production for BH, it was notpossible to view large 1024 x 1024 uncom-

(Please see LLiivvee AAccttiioonn on page 86)

The installation of seats by AmericanSeating at the end of May 2006 marked thecompletion of the long-awaited remodel ofthe William M. Thomas Planetarium atBakersfield College, part of the KernCommunity College District in Bakersfield,California USA. We went from a 7.3 m (24 ft)planetarium that had served Kern Countyfor over 40 years to an expanded and mod-ernized 11 m (36 ft) planetarium that willserve for many moreyears to come.

Planning for a newplanetarium begansoon after I came toBakersfield College in1996. At first I investi-gated simply refurbish-ing the Spitz A3P thathad been installed in1962 and adding somesort of automation toit. In 2000, however, Ibegan having lunchmeetings with profes-sors in my departmentand the Math Department who wanted tobuild a science center. One of the professorsmentioned the idea to the college president.Sometime during that year the college presi-dent’s spouse visited the DowningPlanetarium a couple of hours north of us inFresno and came home really excited, so ourproject moved up the college priority list.

The Science Center DreamThe college’s recently-hired director of

Institutional Development began meetingwith our group in late 2000. Our dream wasto build a science center on campus with anew planetarium as the centerpiece andearth science exhibits surrounding it. Onemember of the Bakersfield Board of Trusteeshad been chief assistant to our long-timecongressional representative, Bill Thomas,and approached Thomas about getting a

state earmark for the project.In January 2002, while still on winter

break at my parents’ place in Oregon, Ireceived a phone call from my excited deanwith news of a congressional earmark to thetune of $1 million for the project. Well, thatwas very good news to share with my fami-ly! That also put the science center planninginto a higher gear. We visited other planetar-iums and science centers to find out what

worked well and what did not. We wereplanning to use the congressional earmark asa starting point for a nearly $9 million sci-ence center that was still at least five years(and probably closer to ten years) into thefuture.

In the meantime, something would needto be done with the current planetariumbecause some systems would need to bereplaced before then, and we also wanted togive the public a hint of what was possiblewith a newer facility. In late 2002 the teamdecided to use approximately $55,000 of theearmark to change the Spitz lumiline covelighting to an LED system and add an audiosystem and A3P automation, all from EastCoast Control Systems. The lighting andaudio (with some augmentation) could betransferred to the new planetarium.

A science center brochure and video were

created and plans were underway for the hir-ing of a science center director. I wrote awhite paper on why a science center wasneeded in Kern County, for both economicand educational benefits.

The Dream ChangesBy the summer of 2003, however, the col-

lege’s budget situation was pretty grimbecause of the sour California economy and

the college administra-tion pulled back on thescience center. We wereinformed of this deci-sion at the beginning ofthe fall semester. Whata blow! It was decidedthat the rest of the ear-mark would be used toupgrade the currentplanetarium—approxi-mately $750,000remained after otherexpenses were paid. Therest of the faculty onthe science center team

pulled out of the project because now it wasjust a planetarium job. For the next year I gotquotes from a number of vendors as I tried tofigure out how I would upgrade the old plan-etarium with the remaining funds.Fortunately, I wouldn’t have to use the ear-mark funds for building demolition and con-struction; that would come from a localbond issue recently passed by in KernCounty. However, I would still have to comeup with some idea of how to modify the cur-rent space to give the architect something towork with. By late May 2004 I had devel-oped the specifications list that would beused in calls for bids on the equipment.

I wanted an opticalmechanical star projec-tor for a beautiful, crisp star field, and an all-dome video system using a single projectorfor a seamless image. For the opticalmechani-cal star projector, I went with the Chronos


Bakersfield College:A first-person adventure in planetarium upgrades

Nick StrobelWilliam M. Thomas Planetarium

Bakersfield CollegeKern Community College District

1801 Panorama DriveBakersfield, California USA [email protected]

Abstract: The Bakersfield CollegePlanetarium upgrade project was fin-ished at the end of May 2006. Thisarticle describes the history of theproject and the reasoning for the deci-sion to go with a GOTO Chronos andSpitz SciDome.

Nick Strobel

from GOTO. I first saw the Chronos at IPS2002 in Wichita, but I wanted to see it inaction so I visited Young Harris College inGeorgia, where Kent Montgomery washappy to show off his year-old machine.

I also considered the Zeiss ZKP-3 projectorand took a trip down to Victor ValleyCollege before Scott Bryan retired in 2001.Both projectors are very nice machines andboth Kent and Scott were pleased with theirprojectors.

The Factors in the EndThere were two factors that favored the

Chronos over the ZKP-3 in the end. The firstsignificant factor was the Chronos’ digitalcontrol of the planets that was tried and truein a real installation. At the time of the bid-ding (end of June 2004), the Zeiss ZKP-4 withdigital planet control had not come out orwould not be ready to install at the timegiven in our original timeline. The secondsignificant factor was that the cost of theChronos was lower than the Zeiss ZKP-3/4with the features we wanted. An extra bonusis that the star field from the Chronos wasjust as crisp as from the ZKP-3 as star mea-surements on the dome at several installa-tions showed, but star sizes was not a criteri-on in picking one machine over the other.

For the all-dome video system, I wanted asingle projector system that would work fora 36-ft dome. The system had to enable view-ers to fly through the solar system, galaxy,and beyond using a simple input device likea computer mouse or joystick. While themulti-projector all-dome video systems arequite impressive, they are also beyond thebudget of a small planetarium to purchaseand hire qualified staff to maintain the hard-ware. I also have been to major planetariumswith huge budgets and staff running multi-projector all-dome video systems and I couldsee unevenness in the dome image—one pro-jector would have a grayer black than theone next to it, for example, or the planetimage would shift as the planet moved fromone projector to the next. If the “big guys”could not get that right, I had no hope ofbeing able to do it right with a single personworking only 20% of his job at the planetari-um and no training in aligning projectors,edge-blending, etc.

The two single-projector systems that Ihad seen in action were the Evans andSutherland Digistar 3 Junior (now “3SP”) andthe Spitz SciDome. The Digistar 3 Junior isfor domes up to 9.1 m (30 ft), so that left theSpitz SciDome as the system that could pro-ject a bright enough image for domes up to12.2 m (40 ft). The SciDome uses a special ver-sion of Imaginova’s Starry Night for displayonto a hemispherical surface (instead of aflat 4x3 aspect ratio computer screen). StarryNight Dome has a very intuitive interfacethat mimes the computer desktop versionwith some special manual star projector con-trols. When the SciDome is being used, Ilower the Chronos into the pit.

I decided to get the Spitz ATM4 automa-tion system to control the Chronos,SciDome, cove lights and audio system,despite the hefty fee for the integration ofthe Chronos with ATM4. In conjunctionwith ATM4, I also opted to get the SpitzNomad remote control unit so I could con-trol most of the show from up front.

That left the seating. I wanted individual,unidirectional seats all comfortably underthe dome so even the people on the outeredge would have a good view. I went withthe American Seating Company, primarilybecause they have a special pricing arrange-ment with the state of California, andbecause they are comfortable.

The Project: Too Small?The remodeling of the surrounding build-

ing took longer than originally planned. Weeventually went out for bid in May of 2005,a year after the equipment bids. Ironically,the main reason for the delay was the super-charged housing construction boom inCalifornia. The size of our project was toosmall for contractors to put up with themany regulations required of a Californiaeducational institution project. We mighthave had an easier time if the project was atleast $10 million, but at less than $1 million,the extra cost of compliance and verificationwould be too great a percentage of the totalcost. It’s a strange sort of economic logic, butthere you have it!

The final bid for the building remodelcame in at around $1.2 million. Yes, “bid” issingular. The administration decided to go

with the single bid because it was unlikelythat the situation would be better a yearlater and it would probably cost even morethen. Demolition and asbestos abatementbegan the first week of June 2005 andenough was finished by mid-March 2006 forthe installation of the Spitz 11 m (36 ft) pow-der-coated premium-seam dome.

In our new floorplan, people enterthrough double doors at the northeast cor-ner (the front of the room is to the south).The doors lock automatically so the consoleoperator does not have to worry about strag-glers barging in and ruining everyone else’sdark adaptation. The console operator, at theback, is not directly under the dome, but canstill see the front sufficiently well to work onthe shows from there.

Showing Constellation OutlinesSomething that is unconventional is how

I display the constellations as part of myoverall show. Instead of superimposing a pic-ture of the character or object on the appro-priate stars on the dome, I display the pictureon large monitors just below the springlinewhile I slowly outline where the picturewould be among the stars. I do this because itprovides a more realistic “star-gazing experi-ence”—the pictures do not actually appear inthe sky and one has to make a mental trans-fer from a picture to the sky; and because thepictures that came with both the Chronosand Starry Night Dome are the classical,ornate images. I have a hard time distin-guishing the parts of some, and an evenharder time getting the picture to match thestar patterns. In constellation tours I haveexperienced at other planetariums, the audi-ence oohs and aahs when the picture appearson the dome’s stars, but I believe that’s it. Inmy constellation tour, I think a more perma-nent mental connection is made for theaudience because they have to make a men-tal effort to place the picture onto the sky.People seem to be very willing to make theeffort! More often than not, I will have peo-ple exclaim out loud “Oh, now I see it!” Ofcourse, even better would be to distributestarcharts with red flashlights and allow theaudience to go on their own tour of the sky.That would work if I had a lot more timewith the sky tour and it was the entire show.


A panoramic view of the Bakersfield Planetarium showing the new Chronos projector and SciDome in the center. All photos by the author.



The first planetarium in Taiwan appearedon the stage in 1957 (NTSM 1957). It was aSpitz A-1 (8m) donated by the TsinghuaAlumni Association of North America andinstalled at the National Taiwan ScienceMuseum (now called the National TaiwanScience Education Center, NTSEC) in Taipei.Soon after its installation, the ROC NavalAcademy also installed a Spitz A-2 for astron-avigation training in 1958 (Lin 2006).

Just like many allied countries of theUnited States during the Cold War, thedevelopment of planetariums in Taiwan fol-lowed a similar post-Sputnik trajectory. After

the launch of the Soviet Sputniksatellite on 4 October 1957, the USwas seriously embarrassed and soondecided to reform the nation’s sci-ence education. Many planetariumswere founded in the next few years(Marche’ 2001) . Within about adecade, the number of planetariumsin the US grew, almost 10 times morein the early 1970s than in the late1950s (Herrman 1992). Taiwan fol-lowed the US and soon installed thefirst two Spitz planetariums.

Rapid Growth Since 1980sThe number of planetariums in

Taiwan has grown rapidly since the1980s. The increasing of the educa-tion budget is an indication of theprogressing economic situation andthe education policy of Taiwan.Many school-owned planetariums inTaiwan were established in this way.In 1978, the Lo-Tung Primary School

built a 6m dome for a GOTO GE-6. It was thefirst planetarium installed in a primaryschool. It was donated by parents of theschool kids and local sponsors from neigh-boring communities. In 1980, the TaipeiMunicipal Yuan-San Observatory installed a16m GOTO GM. It was the first mid-sizedplanetarium in Taiwan and was retired in2000. In 1986, a 23m GOTO GSS-I wasinstalled at the National Museum of NaturalScience (NMNS), Taichung. It’s the first largeplanetarium in Taiwan and is still underoperation; we plan to keep it working for atleast one more decade.

The largest planetarium in Taiwan now isthe 25m Zeiss VI-TD installed at TaipeiAstronomical Museum (TAM) when it waselevated from the Yuan-San Observatoryand moved to a new site in 1997. In 2003, theTaipei Municipal Nan-Hu ElementarySchool installed a Minolta Mediaglobe intheir 5m dome and started the digital era ofplanetariums in Taiwan.

Fundamental InformationIn the past few years, we have done a sur-

vey for the planetariums in Taiwan. The dataof 76 planetariums were collected and wefound 71 of them are still in use and five areretired. A directory of the 71 existing plane-tariums has been submitted to the IPSDirectory of the World's Planetariums.

Among the 71 existing planetariums, twoof them are larger than 18m, 44 of them arebetween 5-9m and 25 are less than 5m. Mostof them are managed by public museums,culture centers, and schools. Only one ofthem is built and managed by a privateschool.

Among the 71 planetariums, 48 are “pin-hole” projectors with dome diameter D<6m,20 of them are optomechanical projectorswith D>5m, and 3 are digital projectors withD≤5m. But I figure that the digital or the “tra-ditional + digital” planetariums will increaserapidly in the near future. For planetariumswith D≥5m, the digital projector could betreated as an attached multimedia equip-ment to show dynamic sky or animationprograms. While for planetariums with D<5m, the digital projector could play all rolesitself without the need of any traditional,

The Planetariums inTaiwan

Chilong LinNational Museum of Natural Science

1, Kuan Chien RD, Taichung, 404 Taiwan (ROC)[email protected]

The “dumbbell shape of the distribution of planetariumsin Taiwan. All graphics by the author.


optomechanical, or pin-hole planetariums.So I expect it will follow the fast progressingof computer technology and be appliedwidely and rapidly. Maybe it will take overthe market of all pin-hole planetariumssoon.

Distribution I learned from our survey that Taiwan’s

planetariums distribute like a “dumbbell,”which indicates that most of the planetari-ums are distributed in northern (27) andsouthern (22) Taiwan. Furthermore, 24 outof the 27 planetariums in northern Taiwanare concentrated in Taipei city and county.This indicates a serious bias of the allotmentof Taiwan’s education resource. However,there is a large and public planetarium inmid-Taiwan, the 23m GSS-I of NMNS, whichmay make up for the disadvantage of thequantity.

In southern Taiwan, all planetariums areD< 9m and none of them are fully open tothe public. Thus a large—or at least a mid-sized, public planetarium—seems to be ingreat demand for southern Taiwan. Besides,unlike the concentration in northernTaiwan, the planetariums in southernTaiwan are spread quite equally in severalcities. The readers may see it from Figure 5.

I also tried to analyze the resource allot-ment problem in some other ways: thePopulation/Planetarium (P/P) ratio or thePopulation/m2 (P/m2) ratio. The P/P ratiodivides the local population by the numberof planetariums in that area directly, whichmeans “how many people share one plane-tarium.” In Figure 6, we can see that almost440k people share one planetarium in mid-Taiwan, while it is only about 58k people perone for the islands.

Nevertheless, the P/P ratio may not pre-sent the problem properly since we can notread the information of the size of planetari-ums from it. That’s why I would also suggestthe P/m2 ratio to present the other face. Themeaning of P/m2 ratio is “how many peopleshare one square meter area of the planetari-ums.” Combining figures 6 and 7, it is easy tofind out that southern Taiwan needs largepublic planetariums, while mid-Taiwanneeds some more small planetariums. I hope

this analysis will be helpful to the futureresource allotment.

The ManufacturesIn our survey, we also noticed an interest-

ing phenomenon: that 87.3% of Taiwan’splanetariums are using the products ofGOTO Optical Corporation of Japan. Totally,95.8% of Taiwan’s planetariums are usingJapanese products. Such a large market occu-pation rate may due to three major factors:the “distance” factor, the “language” factorand the “agent” factor.

1. The distance between Taiwan and Japan ismuch shorter than between Taiwan andthe United States or Germany. Thisreduces a lot not only the traveling timebut also the cost. When needed, Japantechnicians can fly to Taiwan, completethe emergency maintenance, and then flyback within 24 hours. In the meanwhile,US or German technicians may still be ontheir flight to Taiwan.

2. Since Taiwan was occupied by Japanbetween 1895 and 1945, many senior per-sons in Taiwan can speak and readJapanese very well. Since the beginning of1980s, Taiwan built many public and edu-cational planetariums. Those persons whowere in charge of these projects more orless have accepted Japanese education.They can communicate with the techni-cians and read the documents in Japaneseeasily. That’s why they tended to chooseJapanese products instead of others.

3. Regarding to the “agent” factor, it is inter-esting to know that only the agent ofGOTO is active in Taiwan. The potentialcustomers can easily contact with GOTO’slocal agency and communicate with thesales representatives face to face in suchlocal languages as Mandarin or Taiwanese.While for the other manufactures, eitherin US or Germany, the customers here feeluneasy since they have to deal with themanufactures directly without any assis-tance. This brings the 87.3% occupationrate of GOTO products in Taiwan. Duringour survey, the Nick Entertainment Co.,

GOTO’s agent in Taiwan, provided us a listof their customers. It includes almost 60planetariums among the 71 existing ones.That is the most helpful information wehave got.

Conclusion and DiscussionsSurveying the planetariums and collecting

Abstract: It has been 50 years since the establishment ofTaiwan’s first planetarium. In this report, I would like toreview the development of Taiwan’s planetariums in thesepast 50 years and introduce the status of them.In the pastfew years we have done a survey for the planetariums inTaiwan and the fundamental information of 76 planetari-ums, 71 of them still in use, was collected. Their status willbe analyzed in this article.

(Please see TTaaiiwwaann on page 24)


Disclaimer: Before I delve into the nicetiesof using SLOOH in the planetarium, I feelcompelled to mention that I have an on-going relationship with the company. I’ll getto the nature of that relationship a bit later.

SLOOH: An Online ExperienceSLOOH, which gets its name from a play

on the word “slew,” currently operates twotelescopes at the Observatory of Teide (OT)on the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands, aterritory of Spain, are located in the EasternAtlantic, 100 miles off the coast of Morocco.The island of Tenerife hosts a dormant vol-cano named Teide, the peak of which is thehighest point on any island in the AtlanticOcean. OT is located on a foothill of Teideand is run by the Institute of Astrophysics ofthe Canary Islands (IAC), a consortium ofgovernments led by Spain. The OT compris-es over 40 major telescopes and is Europe’sleading observatory site. Numerousadvanced astronomical research projects usedata gathered at OT. At an altitude of 2340meters, the site is photometrically clearapproximately 90% of the time in the sum-mer and 50% in the winter; seeing is usuallybetter than 2 arc-seconds. The site also hasthe benefit of being dark 4 to 8 hours aheadof North America, timing that is ideal forplanetariums here.

The fully robotic SLOOH Observatory is

housed in two 10-foot diameter fiberglassdomes. Each dome contains a BisqueParamount ME mount, a Celestron C-14 SCT,and a piggybacked refractor. On each C-14 isa SBIG ST-10 CCD camera, and on eachrefractor is a SBIG ST-2000 ABG CCD camera.The piggybacking allows for concurrentobservations of any object at different scales.Each of the four instruments includes an

LRGB filter wheel and electronic focuser. Inaddition, there is an all-sky camera betweenthe domes that provides nighttime views ofthe weather.

The observatory software performs auto-mated image processing. SLOOH is the firstand only system that automatically process-es color deep-sky images in near real time.The image processor handles frame align-ment, color combination, contrast adjust-

ment, and other steps. The raw image dataproduced by the cameras is in FITS format.The image processing can produce FITS, butJPEG format is used to encode end-user-readyimages that transmit quickly over band-width-limited connections.

The CCD chips used by SLOOH producemonochrome data. The first exposure pro-duced in each mission is rendered as a

grayscale image that is quickly transmittedto users. Then more images are gatheredusing color filters and a color image can betransmitted, followed by luminance imagesand more detailed color images. All theobservatory control and image generationhappens in real time within the span of each5-minute mission. According to the folks atSLOOH, no other system in the world can dothis.

What’s SLOOH With You?Michael J. Narlock

Head of Astronomy/Web CoordinatorCranbrook Institute of Science Planetarium

39221 Woodward AvenueBloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304 USA

[email protected]

Abstract: What is SLOOH? It is the only internet provider ofnear-real-time deep sky observation. It observes the Moon,planets, galaxies, nebulae, clusters, comets, minor planets,and more. It was designed to serve individuals, families, andschools. It requires no astronomical knowledge to use, but itstill appeals to experienced observers and has an obviousapplication in the planetarium field. That’s SLOOH.

Left: Jupiter and some of its moons; Above:The Pleiades in full color; and Right: TheWhirlpool galaxy in high detail are examplesof the image processing done with SLOOH. Allimages provided by author and courtesy ofwww.slooh.com.


And Internet RadioEach night at 1:00 UT, SLOOH hosts one of

several in-housed produced, astronomy-themed internet radio programs. An mp3-quality stream broadcasts from theastronomers to users. The astronomers, likeDavid Levy, Phil Harrington and BobBerman, describe the events of each missionand answer questions submitted in a dedicat-ed online chat area. And here’s where I comein: every Friday evening I co-host The EventHorizon with NASA/JPL Solar SystemAmbassador M. Scott Foerster. Unlike theother programs, our show is less formal andrelies more on open debate than the imageson SLOOH while also featuring a call-in seg-ment using Skype.

The Cranbrook Planetarium recentlyupgraded to a Digistar 3 and adding contentis incredibly simple. Rudimentary knowl-edge of Photoshop and a connection to theinternet are really all that is needed to adddazzling, awe-inspiring content. In the earlygoing, we decided to add an element of dis-tinctiveness by employing SLOOH imageryin our live sky shows. So far we’ve usedSLOOH in two particular modes. The first isto capture images from SLOOH ahead oftime and simply “plug” them into the showlater on. The second method, I think, is moreinteresting as it utilizes the live nature ofSLOOH by scheduling “missions” that areviewed, in real-time, during each program.Each mission observes a specified target, likethe Pleiades

At the beginning of each mission, the

mount slews to the tar-get. Then the cameras,focusers, and filterwheels are used to pro-duce a sequence ofimages. By carefullyscheduling missionsahead of time, ourplanetarium can aug-ment each show withreal-time images asthey’re being taken.

SLOOH in thePlanetarium

You may wonder ifthis means that theentire world is subjectto the whims of thestaff at Cranbrook.That would be nice, wouldn’t it? Sadly, itisn’t so. Each night one of SLOOH’s twodomes is assigned to an “Editor Channel”and the other dome is assigned to a “MemberChannel.” On the “Editor Channel,” SLOOHautomatically schedules missions from duskuntil dawn (typically over 100 missions pernight). The missions are selected from a set of250 popular astronomical objects in thedatabase. The scheduling software basicallyfollows a “Messier Marathon” strategy ofobserving progressively up from the westernhorizon after sunset, then progressivelydown towards the eastern horizon nearingdawn. On the “Member Channel,” the user isable to block out time to view specific tar-

gets, either based on name or rightangle/declination.

SLOOH is obviously not restricted for useby digital planetariums. In fact, any planetar-ium capable of connecting a PC to the inter-net and projecting onto their dome canmake use of this resource. Additionally, youcan save any of the images you take for uselater! Is this a replacement for those stunningHST images that are so readily available?Hardly. But SLOOH does give live-sky showsan interesting new element and also givesthe planetarium show producer a newresource for generating show content.

If interested, anyone can sign up for a freeseven-day trial at www.slooh.com. �

their information is just the first step of ourwork. Owing to the long disregard of astron-omy science in Taiwan, the study of theplanetarium is also very scanty. At the begin-ning of our research in 2000, most of theplanetariums were isolated from others andonly 31 of them were recorded (TAM 2001).Besides, the correlations among these plane-tariums were weak. We made a survey forthe ignored planetariums and invited theirstaffs to a workshop at NMNS in 2002. Nowwe have 71 existing and 5 retired planetari-ums within our directory.

In our research we found that the humanresource is the problem that bothers plane-tariums most. At the beginning of ourresearch, almost all staffs of the planetari-ums, except the TAM, came from untrainedteachers, technicians, and employees. Manyof them can recognize only the Sun and theMoon before they came to their positions.Therefore, they are eager for participating inthe training camps or workshops which may

increase their knowledge about astronomyand help them learn how to teach.

Fortunately, the attendees of the work-shop in 2002 have got a common consensusof the importance of the human resource.Many of recently established planetariumshave assigned experienced teachers to followthe preparation works and to manage theplanetariums. This is a positive progress inTaiwan’s planetarium education.

There is still a lot of work that has to bedone. In the future, we expect that there willbe regular training camps and workshopsheld for the planetarium staffs so they mayshare their experiences and exchange theirideas with others.

Another important task is to reform theresource allotment. Some public, mid-sizedplanetariums are now under discussion insouthern Taiwan. No matter where they willbe located finally, this will make up for theshortage of public planetarium in that area.Although the number of planetariums inmid-Taiwan is increasing, it is still a long waybefore reaching maturity.

ReferencesHerrman, D. B., 1992, “Planetarium Openings:

A Statistical Analysis,” Planetarium: AChallenge for Educators (A GuidebookPublished by the United Nations forInternational Space Year-ISY), 43-48, ed.Dale W. Smith and Hans J. Haubold. NewYork: United Nations.

Lin, C. L. and Y. D. Tseng, 2006, “TheDevelopment of Planetariums in Taiwan,”Science Education Monthly, 290, 2-15 (inChinese).

Marche’ II , Jordan D. , 2001, “Sputnik,Planetaria and the Rebirth of U.S.Astronomy Education,” The Planetarian, 1(30), 4-9.

NTSM, 1957. Planetarium Show, 1-16, Taipei:National Taiwan Science Museum (inChinese).

TAM, 2001, “A Catalogue of Planetariums inTaiwan,” Astronomical Calendar 2001,247, Taipei: Taipei Astronomical Museum(in Chinese). �

The SLOOH computer interface.

(TTaaiiwwaann, continued from page 22)


SSppeecciiaall IIPPSS SSeeccttiioonn

2007 IPS/Eugenides FoundationScriptwriting Competition

Steve Tidey58 Prince Avenue

Southend, Essex, SS2 6NN, [email protected]

Picture the scene. Your June 2006 issue ofPlanetarian arrives. You skip past that odd lit-tle Forum column edited by that crazy Britwith the funny accent, Steve Tidey, and youread the Astro-Quiz script that won the lastIPS/Eugenides scriptwriting competition.You think to yourself, OK, that was verygood, but you know what? I could do just aswell. Tell you what, why don’t I wait forSteve to get round to launching the nextcompetition, then I’ll enter a script of myown. I heard there’s a $1000 prize for thewinner and $350 for the runner up.

Just think what I could do with $1000: a) buy a Centre Court ticket for

Wimbledon on finals day (assuming it isn’training that day);

b) I could book a room for one hour in theworld’s most expensive hotel room in KualaLumpur (but I’d need another $23,000 to staythere the whole day and night); or

c) I could simply use it to pay my expensesfor attending the IPS conference in Chicagoin 2008.

OK, now it’s Steve Tidey in person, so tospeak. Please consider submitting a script; weall benefit when good scripts are written thatcan be shared amongst the whole planetari-um community. As marvellous as the showsvisuals are becoming these days, they don’tmean anything without a decent script toaccompany them.

Steve TideyIPS Scriptwriting Competition

Coordinator

Competition GuidelinesII.. GGeenneerraallA. SSccrriippttss aarree rreeqquueesstteedd ffoorr sscchhooooll sshhoowwss

oonnllyy,, oonn tthhee ssuubbjjeecctt ooff ccoonnsstteellllaattiioonnss.. YYoouuccaann wwrriittee aabboouutt aannyy aassppeecctt ooff ccoonnsstteellllaa--ttiioonnss:: ffaaccttuuaall,, mmyytthhoollooggiiccaall,, eettcc.... NNoo ootthheerrssuubbjjeeccttss,, pplleeaassee.. TThhee ttaarrggeett aaggee ggrroouupp iiss 1111--1144..

B. Any currently enrolled IPS member mayenter one or more scripts.

C. The first and second prize scripts remainthe author's property, but the IPS retainsthe right to publish them in Planetarian.

IIII.. CCoonntteesstt RRuulleess aanndd PPrroocceedduurreess A. Previously submitted scripts or material

published elsewhere are not allowed. B. Writers should submit six (6) copies of

each script to the contest coordinator: onecopy for the Eugenides Foundation's files,one copy for IPS files, and one copy eachfor the three judges and the coordinator. Asingle electronic copy may be substitutedfor the hard copies, but a hard copy of therelease form must still be mailed.

C. The contest coordinator will choose fromthe IPS Fellows three judges to mark eachentry based on the criteria set out below,and the coordinator will then quantifythe totals to determine the winners. Theauthor's names will be kept anonymousfrom the judges.

D. Entries may be submitted between July 1and December 31, 2007. Please mail scriptsto: Steve Tidey, 58 Prince Avenue,Southend, Essex, SS2 6NN, England. Emailentries should be sent to [email protected] The two winning authors willbe recognised during the awards ceremo-ny at the 2008 IPS conference in Chicago,where they will receive a certificate andprize money.

E. All scripts must conform to the followingformat: 1. A signed release form must accompany

the script and appears on Page 45. Acopy of the form is allowable.

2. Attach a cover page giving the script'stitle, author's name, institution, address,telephone/fax number, email address,and the number of pages. Do not putauthor's name on any other page.

3. Scripts should be written in Englishwith directions for visuals (slides,panoramas, video clips, etc.) in the left-hand column and the narration in theright-hand column, typed or computerprinted, double-spaced, with lines andpages numbered. Place a paragraph onpage one that states the script's goalsand purpose.

4. The length should be 25 minutes andinclude a 5-minute live segment, incor-porate slides and/or video segments,pans, all skies, and basic star projectorfunctions.

5. If the above requirements are not met, ascript may be disqualified.

IIIIII EEvvaalluuaattiivvee CCrriitteerriiaa In the assumption that the above criteria

for submission have been met, the judgeswill evaluate each script based on: a clearwriting style, factual accuracy, the correctuse of grammar, originality in presentationand content, a maintained focus on thescript's core topic, overall entertainmentvalue, and, whether or not the script hasachieved the author's stated goals.

IIVV AAwwaarrddss CCaatteeggoorriieess aanndd VVaalluueess A. First Place $1000 (US) B. Second Place $350 (US)

The official release form appearson Page 45. Please copy asneeded (no need to mutilate yourissue of the Planetarian!)



Have you ever been to the Great Wall?Would you like to attend an IPS conferencethat includes having dinner in the 568-year-old Ancient Observatory and enjoying mod-ern planetarium shows under a 40 MB reso-lution digital environment? Even if youhave already been to Beijing and even to theBeijing Planetarium, I promise that if youcome to Beijing Planetarium in 2010, youwill be surprised to find out that Beijing haschanged a lot and is much more beautifulthan before.

As a planetarium with both an ancientobservatory and a modern optical starballand digital projectors, Beijing Planetariumwould like to invite you to “In Touch withAncient Observatory and ModernPlanetarium” at the Beijing Planetarium forIPS 2010.

A Unique CombinationBeijing Planetarium is a quite suitable

place for hosting an IPS conference, not onlybecause of its unique combination ofancient observatory and modern planetari-um, but also because of its extensive facili-

ties. The 18 m Universe digital theater with200 seats in the new building of BeijingPlanetarium was the first planetarium domein the world with digital laser projectors. Inthe nearby original 23-m dome, the newlyrenovated theatre with about 500 seats isbeing equipped with a Zeiss Mark IX opticalprojector and a Sky-Skan definiti system.Using 6 Sony SXRD Xenon-powered projec-tors, the definiti system is the most advancedin the world with nearly 40 MB in pixel reso-lution and brightness of 30k lumens. It uses10 bit color, expanding the gamma range farbeyond any other contemporary system,and realizes razor-sharp resolution in realtime and dome masters of 7.8k x 7.8k at 30frames per second. The new BeijingPlanetarium definiti system is due for com-pletion in early 2008.

The two domes will provide an excellentenvironment for companies and planetari-ums to display their most up-to-date prod-ucts and shows during the conference. Thetwo regular exhibition halls in the old build-ing, each about 400 square meters in areaand 7 meters high, give good places for ven-

dor exhibitions. At least another 400 squaremeters of area in the new building could alsobe used for exhibitions.

It is expected that there will be great pub-lic interest in astronomy before and around2010 in China. As the headquarters of thePopularization Working Committee of theChinese Astronomical Society (Nanjing),Beijing Planetarium is responsible for theastronomical popularizations for the wholemainland part of the country. Some veryimportant astronomical events are plannedfor the coming years. For example, spaceexploration in China is entering a new era ofdevelopment. More and more Chinese arebecoming interested in space and astronomyin these years.

The two total solar eclipses visible inChina in 2008 and 2009 will surely attractmany members of the general public tobecome interested in astronomy.

The year 2009 will be declared as theInternational Year of Astronomy by theUnited Nations. Beijing Planetarium is takinga very important part in the preparation ofIYA2009 events for mainland China. We are

In Touch WithAncient Observatory and ModernPlanetarium in Beijing: IPS 2010

Jin Zhu, DirectorBeijing Planetarium

No. 138 Xizhimenwai Street, Xicheng DistrictBeijing 100044, China

[email protected]

At Left: The Great Wall, symbolizing China’s ancient civilization, is one of the world’s most renowned projects. Photo © Jennifer Bentley, iStockphoto.com. AtRight: Beijing Planetarium, the new building and old building. Photo by Liu Hequn; this and the remainder of images provided by the author and used with per-mission.


investigating the possibility of includingastronomy as a normal middle school coursein some cities and emphasizing the impor-tance of planetariums in astronomy educa-tion. We are recommending that every mid-dle-size city in China could have a large- ormiddle-size planetarium and every middleschool in China could have its own middle-or small-size planetarium. It is expected thathundreds of new planetariums will be builtin the next several years, and IPS 2010 inBeijing will greatly speed-up such a processin China, as well as in some other regions inAsia.

The Planetarium Working Committeewithin the structure of the ChineseAssociation of Natural Science Museums isunder the Chinese Association of Scienceand Technology, which will locate in BeijingPlanetarium and will organize and serve alldifferent sizes of planetariums in China. Wealso suggest this committee as a new affiliateof IPS in China.

Host Facilities: BeijingPlanetarium

Beijing Planetarium, the first large-sizeplanetarium in Asia, was opened on Sept. 29,1957. The new building of Beijing

Planetarium was opened tothe public on Dec. 12, 2004and includes several excitingparts: digital space theater, 3Dsimulation theater, 4D the-ater, exhibition hall, solarobservatory, public observa-tory, astronomical classroom,and more. The DigitalUniverse theater, which canseat 200, presents grand viewsof our night sky and feats ofspace adventures, projectedby the world's most advanceddigital laser projector, SGIvisual workstation andADLIP laser system. The 3Dtheater has 48 seats and the4D theater has 196 seats. As asupplement for the DigitalUniverse theater, they canpresent an exciting feeling ofmotion and visual and audiospatial effects, enhancingexperiences.

The public observatory isequipped with a 400 mmSchmidt-Cassegrain tele-scope, which can provideyoungsters observation andeducational practice andsome research work.

There are about 3000square meters of exhibitionspace within the new build-ing, and about 2200 squaremeters of it has been used for

relatively permanent exhibitions.Beijing Ancient Obser-vatory is a part of

Beijing Planetarium and is located in anotherpart of the city. It was first built in 1442 inthe Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was theroyal observatory in the Ming and Qingdynasties. It has 8 astronomical instrumentsmade in the Qing Dynasty, and has succes-sive observationrecords of nearly 500years from the MingDynasty to 1929 AD.The 8 instrumentswere equipped withwestern technologyand Chinese local artdesign, and they canshow us the academicexchange betweenthe western and east-ern worlds and themagnificent westerndesign. It is now a keynational relic protec-tion unit. Somedescription of thefacilities in the newbuilding and BeijingAncient Observatorywere published in the

March 2005 Planetarium (vol. 34, no. 1).

Conference Site and HotelsCurrently there are two options for the

conference site, either Beijing Planetariumitself or Beijing Friendship Hotel. Although itis very suitable for vendor shows and exhibi-tions, the current meeting rooms for aca-demic conferences inside BeijingPlanetarium may not be enough for partici-pants over 450. Besides the three dome the-aters with approximately 200, 200, and 500seats, Beijing Planetarium has two standardclassrooms which can hold 80-120 personseach, and there will be three more class-rooms before IPS 2010 of similar size, locatedon the fifth and sixth floors of the newbuilding. The opening ceremony could bearranged in the Peoples’ Congress Hall nearthe country’s famous Tian’anmen Square.

If participants number over 500 persons,Beijing Friendship Hotel will be chosen asthe conference site. Beijing Friendship Hotelis one of the largest garden-style hotels inAsia. Located in the heart of theZhongguancun High-Tech Zone, it’s a 4-starhotel. It is about 5 km away from BeijingPlanetarium. The Friendship Hotel was estab-lished in 1954 and covers a total area of335,000 square meters of land in the capitalcity, of which 200,000 square meters arelandscaped in the traditional Chinese gardenstyle.

Within the hotel, there are various multi-function and meeting halls that can accom-modate 16-1000 people from 37-500 squaremeters in size and conference rooms of dif-ferent sizes, providing needs for any activi-ties, such as business meetings and exhibi-tions. The equipment includes internetaccess, audio-visual equipment, automationequipment, slide projector, overhead projec-tor, whiteboard, etc. The proposed cost of

Digital Space Theater of Beijing Planetarium. Photo by Liu Hequn

At Top: Beijing Friendship Hotel's Grand Building. BeijingFriendship Hotel is one of the largest garden-style hotels in Asia.Photo by Beijing Friendship Hotel. Bottom: The Forbidden City,also known as the Palace Museum. It is the largest and most wellpreserved imperial residence in China today. Photo by Li Shaiba


registration is $300, including the banquet.There are several additional 4-star hotels(Xiyuan Hotel, Beijing Capital XindaduHotel, Debao Hotel) and one 5-star hotel(Hotel Nikko New Century Beijing) withinwalking distance of the Beijing Planetariumwith accommodations for double/singlerooms currently ranging from $50 to $120(US) per night for one person.

Conference ActivitiesThe proposed dates for IPS 2010 are July 4-

8. The conference agenda will follow thenormal style of IPS conferences, includingpapers sessions, poster sessions, workshopsand invited speakers, sub-group discussions,and exhibitions. We will invite local speak-ers, including a Chinese taikonaut andexperts on ancient Chinese astronomy.

A digital planetarium show onancient Chinese astronomy isbeing prepared for the year2008/2009 by the Digital Studio ofBeijing Planetarium, relating to thetheme of our proposal to host the2010 IPS conference in Beijing.

The agenda will feature a vari-ety of excursions: not only visits toBeijing Planetarium and theBeijing Ancient Observatory, butalso city attractions (one day forTemple of Heaven or Beihai Park,and the Houhai or Peking Opera,etc.; another day for the GreatWall, Ming Tombs and theObservatory). In addition, accom-panying family members can visitthe Forbidden City, the SummerPalace, Yonghe Palace, CapitalMuseum, and other tourist activi-ties.

Pre- and Post-ConferenceTours

Tours before and after the con-ference will be arranged. One touris to visit Xinglong Station of theNational Astronomical Observ-atories of the Chinese Academy ofSciences and the famous Chengdesummer villa; another tour is toXi’an and Shanghai, the famoustraditional and modern cities inChina, including a visit to theWorld Expo 2010 in Shanghai.More tours could be introducedlater if members are interested.

Host CityBeijing lies in the north of the

North China Plain, covering16,807.8 square kilometers andhaving a registered population of

13 million. As the capital city of the People’sRepublic of China, Beijing is the nation’spolitical and cultural center and also a centerof international contacts.

First conceived and developed in Beijing(Peking), the PekingOpera has been per-forming for around 200years. Like any othertraditional opera, it tellsstories through move-ment, singing, and elab-orate dancing. Thus it isa graceful and consum-mate art which com-bines the best elementsof literature, music, anddance. Peking Opera hasbecome the important

and influential opera form for Chinese audi-ences and is now regarded as thequintessence of Chinese culture.

City attractions also include theForbidden City, also known as the PalaceMuseum, the largest and most well preservedimperial residence in China today. The GreatWall symbolizes China’s ancient civilizationand is one of the world’s most renownedprojects. The Ming Tombs are found at a dis-tance of 50 km northeast of Beijing, wherestands an arc-shaped cluster of hills frontedby a small plain. Here is where 13 emperorsof the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) wereburied.

The Summer Palace is characterized by itsvast scope and rich cultural embodiments,and it has become one of the most famoustourist sites in the world. The Temple ofHeaven, one of the most strictly protectedand preserved cultural heritage sites ofChina, served as an exclusive altar forChinese monarchs during the Ming andQing dynasties.

Beijing Cuisine mainly refers to Beijinglocal cuisine that is attributable to ShandongCuisine, Imperial Court Cuisine, ImperialOfficial Cuisine, and other cuisines from dif-ferent regions. Among them, Beijing RoastDuck, Hotpot, and Barbecue are mostfamous.

Beijing Planetarium is located in thenorthwest part of the city, about 27.5 kmfrom the airport. You can easily take taxis inBeijing. Beijing will host the 2008 Olympics,and several new subway lines are under con-struction now. The subway to the airportwill be finished June 2008, and a new sub-way station just in front of BeijingPlanetarium is planned for September 2009.Two of the city’s largest public transporta-tion centers also located very near to BeijingPlanetarium. We will keep you informed onour preparation at www.ips2010.com.

The city of Beijing is still making changesrapidly these years and so is the BeijingPlanetarium. Please come and find thechanges for yourself. We look forward tomeeting you in IPS 2010 in Beijing! �

The snow view of Beijing Ancient Observatory. It is about14 meters high with 8 astronomical instruments made inQing Dynasty. Photo by Liu Hequn

The Summer Palace: Characterized by its vast scope andrich cultural embodiments, it has become one of the mostfamous tourist sites in the world. Photo by Mei Sheng

4D theater of Beijing Planetarium. Photo by Liu Hequn


When we invite the InternationalPlanetarium Society to the city ofAlexandria, Egypt in 2010 for its 20th confer-ence, we are inviting IPS to participate in therevival of the spirit of the glorious ancientLibrary of Alexandria.

The ancient Library of Alexandria was aunique effort of the human intellect andimagination and remains engraved in thememories of all intellectuals and scientists tothis day. The ancient Library has been a cen-ter of culture and civilization and a meetingplace for various intellectuals and scientistsfrom the east and west since its constructionby Ptolemy III (246-221 BC). Scientists andthinkers used to visit the library to exchangetheir ideas as well as their scientific and liter-ary expertise.

Since the launch of BibliothecaAlexandrina in October 2002, serious effortshave been exerted to regain the spirit of itspredecessor and to play a cultural role inboth the local and international arenas.Every year, the Bibliotheca holds numerousconferences and workshops in various fieldsand specialties. Scientists and intellectuals,including Nobel laureates, enrich the ongo-ing cultural events and conferences that take

place at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina all yearlong.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina The building and location of the

Bibliotheca Alexandrina are major assets onwhich we rely on in this proposal for hostingIPS 2010. Since its launch in 1972, the confer-ence has met in Europe, America, Asia, andAustralia, but has never met in the MiddleEast or Africa. We think that the IPS confer-ence in Alexandria could greatly strengthenties between IPS and planetariums in thispart of the world and would be a wonderfulopportunity to bring planetariums in ourneighboring countries into IPS.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina—www.bibalex.org—a vast cultural complexrising on the shore of the Mediterranean, isan unparalleled Egyptian enterprise of inter-national scope and ambition. It is the revivalof the ancient Library of Alexandria that wasa unique effort of the human intellect andimagination. In the digital age, the newLibrary of Alexandria has the ambition,embedded in its glorious past, to become thereference point in digital heritage and stan-dards-setting for the third millennium, fully

anchored in the surrounding communitiesof Alexandria, Egypt, the Arab World, andthe Mediterranean.

The beautiful building, with its decorativegranite walls covered by the letters of all theworld’s alphabets, is already a recognizablelandmark of the new Alexandria. Its interna-tionally prized architecture and internaldesign truly have laid the foundation for therealization of the objectives of the newlibrary. To fulfill the role, the new complexis much more than a library. It contains:

• A library that can hold millions of books;• A center for the Internet and its archive;• Six specialized libraries for audio-visual

material, the visually impaired, children,the young, microforms, and rare booksand special collections;

• Three museums for antiquities,manuscripts, and the history of science;

• A planetarium;• An Exploratorium for children’s exposure

to science;• Three permanent exhibitions;• A conference center for thousands of per-

sons;• Seven research institutes covering

IPS 2010: Back to Alexandria12-15 July 2010

Dr. Omar Fikry and Miss Mona El MadanyPlanetarium Science Center, Library of Alexandria

P.O. Box 138Chatby, Alexandria 21526 Egypt

At Left: A view of the main building of the Library of Alexandria; Right: outside view of the Planetarium Science Center. All images provided by theBibliotheca Alexandrina and used with permission.


manuscripts, documentation of heritage,calligraphy and writing, information sci-ences, Mediterranean and Alexandrianstudies, arts, and scientific research; and

• A dialogue forum.

The basic structure of the New Library ofAlexandria contains three buildings; theLibrary itself, the Conference Center, and thePlanetarium Science Center (PSC).

The Conference Center, where we hope tohost the IPS conference, includes the MainHall which contains 1700 seats and threemedium-sized halls (300 seats each), allequipped with the most modern audio-visu-al aids and internet connections. It alsoincludes conference halls for private meet-ings, including the VIP Hall, in addition tosmaller halls that can accommodate smallnumbers of groups (40-50 people) and areconvenient for holding all types of work-shops. There are also two fully-equippedpress rooms.

There also are two large areas designed forvarious cultural and artistic exhibitions.These halls are fully equipped for displayingvarious exhibits and include electric connec-tions, lighting, and different types of parti-tions. There is a specialized department inthe Bibliotheca Alexandrina dedicated to thesupervision of artistic preparations andassembly of exhibited articles. This depart-ment includes interior designers as well astechnicians in various specialties who haveacquired wide expertise in the design andimplementation of sev-eral exhibitions sincethe launch of theB i b l i o t h e c aAlexandrina. The exhib-it halls are 450 squaremeters each and can alsobe used for small teach-ing domes or portableplanetariums. TheConference Center alsohosts two large cateringhalls for serving lunches,dinners, and/or coffeebreaks. All the cateringhalls at the ConferenceCenter and the wholelibrary are operated byHilton.

The planetarium building, a componentof the PSC, can be easily recognized frominside or outside the library, as it has aunique design and attractive form. In thedaytime, it is a dark spherical form whichlooks like a suspended planet in space. In the

evening, it looks enchanting, with its indi-rect blue light set against the darkness of theoutstretched Corniche of Alexandria. Thetheatre accommodates 100 viewers, the pro-jection system is Electric Sky from Spitz aswell as an IMAX projection system, and thelibrary has already taken serious steps toupgrade the planetarium facilities.

The Conference Programs andEstimated Fees

The organizing committee will find greatflexibility in planning the conference agen-

da due to all the various physical facilitiesprovided inside the conference building andits various rooms and auditoriums. The con-ference program usually consists of an open-ing ceremony, registration, paper sessions,vendor demonstrations and exhibits, IPS

council meeting, business meetings, lectures,opportunities for special interest groups,workshops, panel discussions, breaks, lunch-es, and the conference banquet.

According to today’s rates, the participa-tion fees for a conference in Alexandria canbe $350-400 (US), which includes the open-ing ceremony; attending all sessions, demon-stration, exhibits, and workshops; confer-ence bag and publications; lunches, dailycoffee breaks, and the gala dinner; and localtransportation. In addition to all the men-tioned, the BA staff will provide a full free

tour to all facilities of BibliothecaAlexandrina, museums, exhibitions andmany other unique facilities.

Post Conference TourWe can arrange a trip to visit to the pyra-

The great hall in the conference center.

The entrance to the conference center.


mids and Sphinx in Giza (225 km fromAlexandria). There are three main pyramids,which were built in the 4th Dynasty (circa4650 BC). The pyramids of ancient Egyptwere built as tombs for kings (and queens),andit was their exclusive privilege to have apyramid tomb. Todaythere are more than 93pyramids in Egypt; the most famous ones arethose at Giza. The Great Sphinx, or as theancients knew it, “Shesib Ankh” or “the liv-ing image,” has to be one of the most recog-nizable constructions in history. Think ofthe Sphinx and you automatically think ofEgypt and the Giza Plateau.

Events at the BAA grand international conference was held

in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in 2005 tocelebrate the centennial of Einstein’s miracu-lous year of 1905. The conference hostedNobel laureates as well as eminent scientistsfrom all over the world, including MurrayGell-Mann, Gerard‘t Hooft, Edward Witten,and many others. The BA also hosted theEinstein exhibition licensed from theAmerican University of Natural History. In2006, during the total solar eclipse thatpassed over the west of Egypt on March 29,the library invited eminent astronomers andscientists (from Max Planck Institute ofAstrophysics, Paris Observatory, CambridgeUniversity, Oxford University, PrincetonUniversity, and other international scientificinstitutions) who delivered public lectureson astronomy, cosmology, and physics. Atthe IPS conference we can invite a Nobel lau-reate to participate as a conference speaker.

Human Resources at the LibraryBibliotheca Alexandrina has the necessary

human resources and trained staff who arecapable of organizing various conferences.Please visit the Bibliotheca Alexandrina web-site at www.bibalex.org to learn more on itsfacilities and scientific and cultural activi-ties. These activities are assets strongly sup-porting the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to hostthe IPS 2010 Conference.

Alexandria, the cityThe city of Alexandria is the largest port

of Egypt and its second capital. Ideally situat-ed at the crossroads of cultural and commer-cial traffic between the Middle East andEurope, it enjoys a unique advantage amongMediterranean cities. It boasts a cultural her-itage dating back to Alexander the Great andthe Ptolemies; relics of Pharaonic,Hellenistic, Coptic, and Islamic civilization;and a coastline strip of 70 kilometers.

Alexandria has an atmosphere that ismore Mediterranean than Middle Eastern; its

ambience and heritage distance it from therest of the country, although it is actuallyonly 225 km from Cairo.

The Corniche, which is about 18km long,links the harbor with the former royalpalace of Montaza. It has been given itsbecoming new look with BibliothecaAlexandrina undoubtedly adorning it at theSilsilah. Qait Bey Fortress was built by SultanAhsraf Qait Bay in 1480 in the Eastern harboron the site of the famous ancient Lighthouseof Alexandria. It is said that the fortressincorporates debris from the lighthouse. Ithas long been a main landmark of the city,dominating the northern skyline. Therestoration of the fortress, along with themajor improvements in the city in the past

five years, has brought the eastern harbor tolife.

The districts of Anfushi and Bahari, locat-ed on the way to Qait Bey, are renowned forthe purchase of fresh fish, the making of fish-ing nets, and the manufacture of colorfulfishing boats. The Mursi Abu al-AbasMosque, built in 1775 and featuring fourdomes and a 73-meter high minaret, is situat-ed in the Mosques Quarters. It was rebuilt in1943 and is today one of the foremost Islamicbuildings in Alexandria. The bridge atStanley Bay, with its four towers echoing theMontazah Palace towers, has become a mainattraction to visitors. One of the famous ren-ovated and refurbished old artistic culturecenters is the Mohamed Ali Theater,renamed Sayed Darwish Theater after thefamous Alexandrian folklore poet, composerand singer, Sayed Darwish. It was inaugurat-ed in February 2004.

There are several tourist attractions inAlexandria that participants in the IPS2010

conference can visit before and after theconference. The tours are to be organizedunder the supervision of specialized touristagencies with high standards and in coordi-nation with the Bibliotheca Alexandrinamanagement to offer a reasonable rate.

Alexandria and Getting There Participants can either arrive at the inter-

national airport of Alexandria (Bourg El-Arab/HBE), which is a 30-minute ride awayfrom Library of Alexandria and the mainhotels, or arrive at one of two internationalairports in Cairo. The distance from Cairo toAlexandria is around 225 km. There are vari-ous means of transportation from Cairo toAlexandria; one is by train that is operated

by the Egyptian Railway Authority and pass-es by numerous Egyptian cities. Other waysare by a local airplane operated by EgyptAiror by car.

Accommodation in Alexandria In addition to the perfect climate condi-

tions in the city of Alexandria, as a coastalMediterranean city, the accommodation inthe hotels in Alexandria and in Egypt in gen-eral are quite inexpensive when comparedto that of Europe, America, and Asia.Moreover, the Bibliotheca receives specialrates at hotels, which ranges between $60-80a night in 4-star hotels and $100-110 for 5-starhotels. Most of these hotels are only a fewhundred meters away from the BibliothecaAlexandrina and the conference location.

So we believe that our location, strikingmodern facilities, and ancient heritage makethe Bibliotheca Alexandrina an ideal site forIPS 2010. �

In the planetarium.


The first immersive digital video projec-tion planetarium in France and the secondone in Europe is called Astronef (“spaceship”in French). It is located in Saint-Etienne, amedium-sized town situated on the easternedge of the Massif Central at the heart of anarea populated by 450,000 people. Saint-Etienne stretches out between superb valleysand hills, providing some of the most splen-did natural landscapes of France (Gorges dela Loire, Parc Naturel du Pilat, Rochetaillée,and more).

The planetarium was developed as anintegral part of the city's cultural plan. Thisvision will set the theme for our conference.Combined with proximity to a conventioncenter, connections with the city's hightechnology optics industry, and access to theattractions of central France, this visionmakes Saint-Etienne an ideal site for IPS2010.

A City Dedicating Itself toCreation and Culture

Saint-Etienne is not unknown to thosewho remember the Apollo program: some ofthe optics the astronauts used on the Moonwere designed and built by Angénieux, aFrench company based in the Saint-Etiennemetropolitan agglomeration. Angénieuxtechnology is present on board numeroussatellites and spacecraft.

Saint-Etienne is now a center of excellencefor optics and vision, mechanical engineer-ing, and medical technologies. But one can-not understand well what the town is allabout without knowledge of its history.Thanks to its coal mines, Saint-Etienneunderwent its own industrial revolutionduring the 15th and 16th centuries, becom-ing France’s leading industrial town duringthe 19th century. Until the 1970’s, Saint-Etienne was known for its coal mines andheavy industries. But in the 1970’s, the crisis

in the mining andm e t a l w o r k i n gindustries hit thetown, putting anend to these tradi-tional mainsprings.Fortunately, creativ-ity and a sense ofinnovation haddeveloped andwould persist asSaint-Etienne’s driv-ing forces. Thanks toa large economicrestructuring, Saint-Etienne has sincebecome dedicatedto industrial design,technological inno-vation, and culturalcreation.

This restructuringis not only econom-ic. The city has ahigh quality cultur-al offering for all itsinhabitants, provid-ing access torenowned muse-ums, theaters—andto a highly-creativep l a n e t a r i u mequipped with a sys-tem designed andbuilt by a local com-pany! As a means oftravelling throughspace and time, ameans of exploringall the mysteries ofour huge universe,Astronef is one ele-ment of the ambi-tious cultural policy

The Place of Planetariumsin the Cultural Policies of Our Cities:

Saint-Etienne for IPS 2010Jacques Guarinos, Director of Astronef

Robert Karulak, Deputy-Mayor of Saint-Etienne in Charge of CultureCité Fauriel, 28 rue Pierre et Dominique Ponchardier

42100 Saint-Etienne Francewww.astronef.fr

At Top: Aerial view of the ancient ManuFrance site in Saint-Etienne. Theplanetarium is visible at the center (white dome). The Convention Center, ahigher education establishment, and the Chamber of Commerce andIndustry are now located in this restructured industrial site. © TV and COCommunication. Bottom: The planetarium in front of the ConventionCenter main gate. © Eric Frappa (Astronef). All images used with permis-sion.


undertaken in Saint-Etienne.This policy intends to transforman old working-class town into amodern city opened to theworld and having projects toshape its own future.

Many ambitious projects areunder way: the first Zenith enter-tainment venue in Rhone-Alpsregion with revolutionary archi-tecture designed by Sir NormanFoster, the “Optics & Vision Pole”with its laboratories devoted tohigh technology optics, the tech-nological park METROTECHdedicated to further promotingtechnological innovation (toopen in 2009), as well as severalurban projects involving otherfamous architects such asFumihiko Maki’s business city.Furthermore, Saint-Etienne has gained inter-national recognition: the success of itsInternational Biennial of Design is just oneexample, as is Saint-Etienne’s application tobecome the 2013 European Capital ofCulture and the imminent opening of itsInternational Design Center (spring 2007).

But if Saint-Etienne is strongly committedto shaping its own future, it does not want toforget its past. Various cultural sites serve asreminders of its traditions, including theMuseum of Art and Industry, the MiningMuseum, and the Museum of Modern Art, aswell as the architectural heritage of LeCorbusier in Firminy under the auspices ofUNESCO. In 2000, Saint-Etienne was namedas a Town of Art and History.

So, is there any better place in our chang-ing world for discussing planetariums’ placein the cultural policies of our cities?

Convention Center and DigitalPlanetarium at the Same Place

Only a few meters separate theplanetarium from the Saint-EtienneConvention Center, which hasalready organized 1400 eventsattracting more than 550,000 peo-ple since 1993. If our city is chosenfor organizing and hosting the 2010IPS Conference, this ideal situationwill allow for a maximum numberof planetarium shows, including aplanetarium show productions fes-tival, to be organized in parallelwith the other activities in theConvention Center. Every partici-pant will be able to attend everyplanetarium session with no risk ofmissing any of the other confer-ence's main sessions. With 6500square meters of floor space, 3000

square meters of exhibition space, a modernamphitheater with 700 seats (with options toset the size at 500 and 300 seats), 17 meetingrooms for 15 up to 180 people, catering for upto 2200 people, air conditioned spaces, Wifiand all the latest audiovisual installations,the Saint-Etienne Convention Centre is theperfect place for organizing the 2010 IPS con-ference.

The Saint-Etienne planetarium was firstinaugurated in 1993 with an optomechanicalsystem. During the following decade, theplanetarium gained strong experience inplanetarium show production. Then, a digi-tal system was installed and inaugurated inJune 2003. The new Astronef has a hemi-spheric room with 82 seats plus places fordisabled persons. It is equipped with a full-dome, 6 channel digital video projection sys-tem with real time astronomical simulation.The 3D production unit allows the planetari-um team to create ambitious full-dome digi-tal shows. The latter are also played in other

planetariums located not only inFrance, but also in Austria,Greece, Italy, Spain, and Tunisia.

In Saint-Etienne, the confer-ence participants would notwaste time in transportation.This would be possible thanks tothe close proximity between theConvention Center and theplanetarium and to the size ofthe town, which allows all thehotels to be located at very smalldistances from the ConventionCenter and from Astronef. Saint-Etienne can now offer morethan 1200 rooms, a large numberof them at rates about 50 to 60 €per night (at the time of thiswriting, between 65 and 80 USdollars per night), with everymodern convenience.

Furthermore, two new hotels are planned tobe built before 2008.

The reduced costs of transportation andthe fair prices in the Saint-Etienne areawould allow us to set low registration rates.With an expected 400 participants, we planto fix the registration rate at about 330 €(about $430) per person.

Rosetta and Lutetia As GuestStars During the Conference

If Saint-Etienne is chosen for hosting the2010 IPS Conference, we plan to organize itduring the week of Monday 17 July. This willallow us to offer to the attendees a very spe-cial event during the conference, takingadvantage of the encounter between thespace probe Rosetta (European SpaceAgency) and the asteroid Lutetia, interesting-ly named after the ancient name of Paris,capital of France. On July 10, 2010, Rosettawill fly over Lutetia. The French astronomi-cal community is very much involved in

this mission, with important par-ticipation from LESIA (ParisObservatory) and LAM(Astrophysical Laboratory ofMarseilles).

Astronef came to an agreementwith an astronomer on the Frenchteam involved in the Rosetta mis-sion: he or one of his colleagueswill be ready to present the veryfirst scientific results of the missionduring the IPS conference in Saint-Etienne. All they need is about 10days between the encounter andthe presentation. This agreementcould be reached thanks to thevery good relationships Astronefhas with the scientific community(the name Astronef is associated

The Optics and Vision Pole (main entrance). © Saint-Etienne Métropole.

Etienne Mimard amphitheater, in Saint-Etienne Convention Center. © Centredes Congrès, Saint-Etienne.


with papers published in Nature, Science,Astronomy and Astrophysics, MonthlyNotices of the Royal Astronomical Society,Earth Moon and Planets, and Journal ofGeophysical Research).

A Worldwide Recognition in HighTechnology Optics

Famous as a provider of optics for use inspace, the local company Angénieux is alsorenowned in the cinematography industry.And this is just one example of the skillsSaint-Etienne developed in high technologyoptics. With the will to put research labora-tories, higher education establishments, andindustrial companies working in optics,vision, and electronics all in the same place,the Saint-Etienne agglomeration created theOptics & Vision Pole in 2002. The femtosec-ond laser, nanotechnologies, adaptive optics,and digital imaging are some of the topics itsresearchers and students are working on.About 1000 people will be working there in2010, and of course the IPS conference atten-dees will be offered the opportunity to visit.

Easy to Reach, Perfect DeparturePoint for Visiting France

Saint-Etienne has its own airport, withdaily return flights to Paris. But it is only 50minutes from Lyon International Airport bycar and 2 hours 45 minutes from Paris,thanks to the TGV (the French High SpeedTrain with 4 daily returns).

When you are in Saint-Etienne, no inter-esting place in France is far from you, neitherthe Mediterranean Sea, nor the famousChâteaux of the Loire, nor the volcanoes ofAuvergne in the Massif Central, nor the Alpsmountains. You are interested in knowingthe captivating atmosphere of the Pic duMidi Observatory in the Pyrénées moun-tains? You want to see the extraordinaryviaduct of Millau? Or you wish to visit somefamous wine-producing area? No problem,whatever your transportation means is:plane, train or car. Saint-Etienne benefitsfrom several motorway accesses: A72 to Paris,A47 to Lyons, A48 to Grenoble and the Alps,A7 to Marseilles and the Mediterranean Sea.We are considering organizing a post-confer-ence tour that would include Pic du Midi,with which we have a close relationship, andother attractions.

Yes, Saint-Etienne is a perfect departurepoint for visiting France. But most of Saint-Etienne’s visitors just prefer to stay here andenjoy its magnificent landscapes and itsinhabitants' warm welcome. Just come andcheck it out! �

The Saint-Etienne Zenith entertainment venue, the first one in Rhone-Alps region (opening 2008). ©Foster and Partners.

At Top: Saint-Victor and Bottom: Chambles, both in the close surroundings of Saint-Etienne. Bothimages © Laurent Asselin (Astronef).


Since it was founded in 1970, IPS has pro-duced a wide variety of publications to serveits members. These include:• Our Society's journal, the Planetarian, pub-

lished quarterly since 1972• Proceedings of all IPS conference since

1994 and some earlierconferences

• Directories of planetari-ums since 1971

• A variety of special pub-lications since 1972With the passage of

time, many of these publi-cations have become diffi-cult to obtain. To preventthese valuable resourcesfrom being lost and tomake them readily avail-able to today's members,we have created electroniccopies of all of the Society'spast publications. We havescanned all past publications into PDF filesand have assembled them on a set of 8 CDs.

This article outlines the contents of thearchive CD set. You can find an order form as

a separate insert accompanying this issue ofthe Planetarian. The ordering information isalso provided in this article.

The PublicationsThe archive includes all issues of the

Planetarian from 1972-2006. During this time, 35volumes and 135 issues of

the journal totaling 7048pages were published undernine different executiveeditors (see Table 1).

The PDF files for these issues have beenassembled onto five CDs—one for the 1970s,one for the 1980s, one for 1990-1994, one for1995-1999, and one for 2000-2006.

One archive CD includes all known IPSconference proceedings from the period1974-2004, as shown in Table 2.

The archive also includes the Asia Forumheld at the 1996 conference in Osaka and theSri Lankan Skies conference held inColombo, Sri Lanka in 2001. The Proceedingsof the 2006 conference in Melbourne are stillin preparation as this article is being written.

To our knowledge, no proceedings were pub-lished for the conferences in 1972, 1976, 1978,1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, or 1992.

One archive CD includes all directoriespublished by IPS since 1971, described inTable 3.

The 1970s directories included primarilyNorth American planetariums. Coverage

became more internationalwith the 1980s editions. TheResource Directory (of ven-dors) was launched in 1998.

One archive CD includesall special publications from1972-2005 (Table 4).

Special publications from1971-1982 were called SpecialReports and were numberedas indicated in the table.Special Reports 1, 3, 6, 8, and 9were directories or proceed-ings and are included on thedirectory or proceedings CD,as appropriate, rather thanon the special publicationsCD. Note that IPS was origi-nally called the Internation-al Society of PlanetariumEducators, hence the abbre-viation ISPE in the earlyyears.

The PlanetariumEducators Workshop Guide

TTaabbllee 22:: CCoonnffeerreennccee PPrroocceeeeddiinnggssYYeeaarr SSiittee OOrriiggiinnaall

MMooddeeEEddiittoorr NNootteess

1974 Atlanta print Tate ISPE special report#6

1982 Vancouver print Hurd?

1990 Borlänge print Broman &Back

1994 CocoaBeach

print Hutton &Thrall

1996 Osaka print Kato?

1996 Osaka print Itoh Asia Forum atOsaka conference

1998 London print Grafton

2000 Montreal CD Jobin

2001 Colombo print Smith Sri Lankan Skiesconference

2002 Wichita CD Gould

2004 Valencia CD Guirado

TTaabbllee 11:: TThhee PPllaanneettaarriiaannYYeeaarrss VVoolluummeess ## ooff IIssssuueess EEddiittoorr

1972-1974 v1#1-v3#1,2

8 Jettner

1974 v3#3,4 1 Batch

1975 v4#1,2-v4#3,4

2 Cotton

1976-1977 v5#1-v6#4

8 Fagan

1978 v7#1 1 Hartman

1978-1981 v7#2-v10#4

15 Hoffman

1982-1986 v11#1-v15#4

20 Marché

1987-2006

v16#1-v35#2

78 Mosley

2006- v35#3- Shanks

IPS Publications Archive Now DigitizedDale W. Smith

IPS Publications ChairDepartment of Physics & Astronomy

Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green, Ohio 43403 USA

Abstract: IPS announces the release of the IPSPublications Archive. This set of 8 CDs includesPDF files of all IPS publications since the Societywas founded in 1970. These include thePlanetarian, conference proceedings, directories,and special reports and publications.


is © by the University of California, 27 Stepsto the Universe is © by Lars Broman, Naked iAstronomy is © by George Reed, andPlanetarium: A Challenge for Educators waspublished by the United Nations; all arereproduced by permission.

Planetariums and their use for Educationis the proceedings of a symposium held atthe Cleveland Museum of Natural Historyprior to the founding of IPS and also is repro-duced here with permission.

Notes and thanksThe mode of original publication of pro-

ceedings, directories, and special publica-tions has shifted from print to CD in recentyears. For publications originally released asa CD, the PDF file is the one that appeared onthe original CD. For publications originallyreleased in print, the PDF file is composed ofPDF images scanned from the printed page.

Preparation of the Planetarian has becomeelectronic in recent years. For most issuesbeginning in 2003, the PDF was provided

directly by the executive editor. For issuesprior to 2003 (and for some since then), thePDF files are composed of images scannedfrom the printed page.

Thanks to IPS Historian John Hare forloaning copies of publications that were notalready on my shelf, to Dave Batch and theAbrams Planetarium for loaning two issuesof the Planetarian, to Jon Marshall for givingme several early issues of the Planetarianwhen he retired some years ago, and to WaltTenschert for fine service when I bought allavailable back publications upon joining IPS

in 1983.Thanks to colleagues past and present

who have contributed to, authored, oredited these publications. This treasuretrove of material is a testimony to thevitality of our profession and to the tal-ent and dedication of planetarianseverywhere.

OrderingThe IPS Publications Archive is avail-

able as a set of eight CDs. The CDs can-not be purchased individually. The pur-chase price, including shipping, is $75 for

IPS members and $175 for non-members.An order form has been in-cluded as an

insert with this issue of the Planetarian. If theform is missing, you can order the archiveset from IPS Treasurer Shawn Laatsch, ImiloaAstronomy Center of Hawaii, 600 ImiloaPlace, Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA, [email protected]. Payment must beUS dollars by credit card (Mastercard or Visa)or by a check drawn on a US bank.

The deadline for receiving orders is June 15and we plan to ship the CD sets in July. �

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mmooddeeEEddiittoorr NNootteess

1971 print Sperling ISPE special report #1

1973 print Sperling ISPE special report #3

1977 print Lazarus &Fleming

ISPE special report #8

1979 print Lazarus &Fleming

IPS special report #9

1983 print Cotton

1986 print Petersen

1987 print Petersen

1988 print Petersen

1989 print Petersen

1990 print Petersen

1994 print Petersen

1995 print Johnson

1997 print Laatsch &Smith

1998 print Smith Resource Directory 1stedition

2000 print Smith &Laatsch

2003 CD Smith combined Planetarium& Resource Directory

2005 CD Smith combined

TTaabbllee 44:: SSppeecciiaall PPuubblliiccaattiioonnssYYeeaarr OOrriiggiinnaall

MMooddeeTTiittllee AAuutthhoorr//eeddiittoorr

1960 print Planetariums and their use forEducation

Scheele

1972 print A Bibliography for PlanetariumEducators

Reed(ISPE Special Report #2)

1973 print A Bibliography for PlanetariumEducation, Part II

Reed(ISPE Special Report #4)

1974 print Some Planetarium Programs of1972-73

LoGuirato(ISPE Special Report #5)

1974 print Planetarium Handbook Sultner(ISPE Special Report #7)

1980 print Planetarium EducatorsWorkshop Guide

Friedman et al.(IPS Special Report #10)

1982 print Special Effects Sourcebook Aguilar(IPS Special Report #11)

1986 print 27 Steps to the Universe Broman

1988 print Naked i Astronomy Reed

1992 print Planetarium: A Challenge forEducators

Haubold & Smith(UN Publication)

1994 print So You Want to Build aPlanetarium?

Wilson

1996 print Special Effects Sourcebook,revised

Concannon(IPS Special Report #11revised)

2001 print Stories in the Stars Whitt

2002 CD Portable PlanetariumHandbook

Button

2005 CD Educar con el Planetario Saizar & Button

2005 CD TIPS for ExcellentScriptwriting

Tidey


** iinnddiiccaatteess aaccttiioonn iitteemmss

In attendance:President Martin GeorgePresident-Elect Susan Button Past President Jon ElvertTreasurer Shawn LaatschSecretary Lee Ann Hennig

Affiliate Representatives: Association of Dutch Speaking Planetariums

(ADSP) – Milo Grootjen & Anne-LizeKochuyt for André Milis

Association of French Speaking Planetariums(APLF) – Dr. Jacques Guarinos for AgnèsAcke

Association of Mexican Planetariums(AMPAC) – Martin George for IgnacioCastro Pinal

Australasian Planetarium Society (APS) –Martin Bush

British Association of Planetaria (BAP) – Dr.Tom Mason

Council of German Planetariums (RDP) –Thomas Kraupe

European/Mediterranean PlanetariumAssociation (EMPA) – Manos Kitsonas forDionysios Simopoulos

Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA)– Dave Weinrich

Great Plains Planetarium Association (GPPA)– Jack Dunn

Italian Planetaria’s Friends Association (IPFA)– Susan Button for Loris Ramponi

Japan Planetarium Society (JPS) – ShoichiItoh

Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society (MAPS)- Lee Ann Hennig for Patty Seaton

Nordic Planetarium Association (NPA) - LarsBroman

Pacific Planetarium Association (PPA) – GailChaid

Rocky Mountain Planetarium Association(RMPA) – Kevin Scott

Southeastern Planetarium Association(SEPA) - John Hare

Southwestern Association of Planetariums(SWAP) – Donna Pierce for TonyButterworth

Affiliates not in attendance:Association of Spanish Planetariums (APLE)Canadian Association of Science Centres

(CASC)

Planetarium Society of India (PSI) Russian Planetarium Association (RPA)Ukrainian Planetarium Association (UPA)

Guests:Dr. Dale Smith – Chair, Publications

CommitteeAlan Gould – IPS Chair, Web CommitteeDr. Paul Knappenberger, Adler Planetarium,

Chicago, Illinois, USA – 2008 IPSConference

Dr. Jin Zhu, Beijing Planetarium, Beijing,China – 2010 IPS Conference Bid

Dr. Jacques Guarinos, Saint-EtiennePlanetarium, Saint-Etienne, France – 2010IPS Conference Bid

Robert Karulak, Deputy Mayor, City of Saint-Etienne, France – 2010 IPS Conference Bid

Andrew Buckingham, StardomeObservatory, New Zealand

Steve Tidey – IPS Script Contest CommitteeChair, Column Editor, PPllaanneettaarriiaann

The meeting was called to order at 9:15A.M. by President Martin George. Martinextended a warm welcome to Australia andfollowing the introductions of Councilmembers and guests, Martin recognized newCouncil members and reviewed the formatfor the Council meeting as well as changes inthe agenda. President Martin Georgeannounced that we will be providing newsof the IPS Conference on a daily basis toIPSNews Editor John Schroer for posting toour IPS Listserve. Gail Chaid, PPA AffiliateRepresentative was appointed coordinator ofthe IPS Conference News Daily.

The Secretary’s Report on the Minutes ofthe 2005 Beijing, China Meeting had beenpreviously published in the March 2006PPllaanneettaarriiaann.. There being no corrections oradditions, Tom Mason moved to accept theMinutes, seconded by Thomas Kraupe, andapproved by Council.

Treasurer Shawn Laatsch presented theTTrreeaassuurreerr’’ss RReeppoorrtt . In accordance withCouncil directions in 2005, a review auditwas prepared by Richard R. Cox CertifiedPublic Accountant. Shawn reviewed thereport and format of the review. The reviewconcluded that the financial statements ofthe organization are in conformity withacceptable accounting practices. The CPAadvised that IPS should continue to use the

“review” format for auditing purposes due tothe size of our organization and for the num-ber of transactions we process. Donna Piercemoved to accept the Audit Review, secondedby Gail Chaid, and approved by Council.

Council reviewed and discussed specificsof the 2005 Financial Report and the mid-year 2006 Budget. Shawn recognized AshEnterprises and John Hare for their generouscontributions to the Armand SpitzPlanetarium Education Fund during theyear. The company has a special arrange-ment with their customers which results inregular donations to the Fund. Gail Chaidmoved to approve the Treasurer’s Report,seconded by Milo Grootjen and approved byCouncil.

Treasurer Shawn Laatsch then presentedthe proposed 2006/07 budget. John Harenoted that the line item for CouncilLodging/Expenses needs adjustment for2007. Shawn will make those adjustments.Council discussed the proposed additionalguidelines for the IPS Star Partner’s Fund.Discussion centered on voting privileges andselection process.

** TThhee ooffffiicceerrss wwiillll ddrraafftt aa rreevviisseedd vveerrssiioonnooff tthhee pprrooppoosseedd gguuiiddeelliinneess aanndd pprreesseenntt iitt ttooCCoouunncciill ffoorr aapppprroovvaall..

In the MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp RReeppoorrtt, Shawn report-ed that total membership as of June 2006 is640 (250 International Members and 390United States Members). Shawn presented amembership cost analysis covering the year2000 (the last year that dues were raised) tothe present. Due to increases in expenses in anumber of areas, the Treasurer proposed thata dues increase would be necessary in thenear future. Council discussed the details ofthe cost analysis report and possible impactof a dues increase, as well as the conse-quences of not increasing dues. Issues dis-cussed included: printing and mailingexpenses of the PPllaanneettaarriiaann and other publi-cations; alternatives of publishing thePPllaanneettaarriiaann electronically; comparison of IPSdues to other professional organizations’dues and the benefits to memberships ofthose organizations; reevaluation of the rateson advertising in the PPllaanneettaarriiaann; the impactof implementing some of the recommenda-tions of the Strategic Planning Committee

Minutes of the IPS Council MeetingThe State BallroomCarlton Crest Hotel

Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaJuly 22 & 23, 2006


regarding a paid Secretariat, etc. The discus-sion on the proposal was tabled until Sundayto allow further discussion overnight.

Treasurer Shawn Laatsch led the discus-sion regarding Institutional Membership andCorporate Membership status: benefits, cost,number of staff covered under each catego-ry, the definition of each membership status,etc. Council decided to table further discus-sion until Sunday to allow Council moretime to define the difference between thetwo categories and to propose a solution tothe issue.

Past President Jon Elvert presented thePPaasstt PPrreessiiddeenntt’’ss RReeppoorrtt as a summary of thegoals, challenges and opportunities that werepart of his tenure as President and PastPresident:

• Committees had a chance to voice theirconcerns and highlight their efforts inthe PPllaanneettaarriiaann and through theirreports. This was important in gaugingthe success, exposure, and shortcomingsof committee work which resulted insignificant restructuring and redesign ofcommittees.

• The Committee restructure and evalua-tion will make for a more effective orga-nization as IPS matures

• In some circumstances it is more effec-tive to assign a “point person” to do thework in place of a committee

• Jon thanked the Officers, CouncilRepresentatives, Committee Chairs andexpressed his pleasure in having theopportunity to serve IPS

President Martin George delivered thePPrreessiiddeenntt’’ss RReeppoorrtt. This report will be pub-lished in the September 2006 PPllaanneettaarriiaann.Martin concentrated on the following topics:

• Communicating more frequently withCouncil and Officers regarding IPS issues

• Acting on several of the issues addressedby the Strategic Planning Committeeand others will be part of the agenda atthis conference and throughout the year

• Reinstating the Strategic PlanningCommittee with Tom Mason as Chair

• Building on the 2005 Council Meetingin Beijing, (the first official gathering ofIPS in that country.) Martin has contin-ued to work with several members ofthe Beijing Planetarium to encourage IPSmembership throughout the countryand perhaps an affiliate group forma-tion.

• Attending conferences in promotion ofIPS (regional as well as international) andreaching out to those areas which may

not have regionals or may not be awareof IPS,

• Recognizing John Mosley, Editor of thePPllaanneettaarriiaann, for his outstanding serviceto IPS and welcome to Sharon Shanks,new Editor of the PPllaanneettaarriiaann.

• Restructuring of several committees,including Outreach with Jon Elvert aschair.

• Highlighting the Scriptwriting Bookletdistribution and overall work accom-plished by the Publications Committeeunder the chairmanship of Dale Smith

• Encouraging Council members to com-municate throughout the year, not justat Council Meetings

• Continue with the production of theannual President’s Message to AffiliatesDVD

• Making IPS more accessible to planetari-ans - new initiative to be discussed dur-ing Council Meeting

• Persisting in the efforts of formalizingthe Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) with NASA and then expandingthat model to other organizations

• Attending the IAU Conference in Pragueto increase the profile of IPS with theprofessional astronomical community.

Donna Pierce moved to accept the PastPresident’s and President’s reports, secondedby Jack Dunn and approved by Council.

Affiliate ReportsWritten AAffffiilliiaattee RReeppoorrttss were reviewed.

In Affiliate News from the floor:GLPA Representative Dave Weinrich

announced that GLPA has donated $300 tothe IPS Star Partners Fund and $200 to theIPS Armand Spitz Planetarium EducationFund and encourages other affiliates to con-sider donating to these important projects aswell.

JPS Representative Shoichi Itoh reportedthat the 3 regional Japanese associations willbe unified into one association this year.

NPA Representative Lars Bromanannounced that a new planetarium inIceland is now a member of the NordicPlanetarium Association.

PPA Representative Gail Chaid reportedon highlights of the 2007 PPA Conference inFairbanks, Alaska.

RDP Representative Thomas Kraupereported that the next meeting of the RDPwould be held in Schwaz, Austria.

SEPA Representative John Hareannounced that SEPA/GLPA/MAPS will holda triple conjunction meeting at Oglebay

Conference Center, in Wheeling, WestVirginia, October 9-13, 2007.

Dr. Jin Zhu of the Beijing Planetarium gavea brief report on the planetarium communi-ty in China and efforts to organize a regionalgroup.

NPA Representative and InternationalNews Editor for the PPllaanneettaarriiaann Lars Bromanthanked those affiliates who forwardedregional news to him and expressed his hopethat everyone will continue to pass news-worthy items on to him for inclusion in thecolumn. Council thanked IPFA Represent-ative Loris Ramponi for his efforts in collect-ing material from the regionals for theInternational Calendar of PlanetariumEvents which is now available on the IPSWebsite.

John Hare moved to accept all AffiliateReports, seconded by Dave Weinrich andapproved by Council.

Although the Agenda was reordered to allowseveral committee chairs to present their annu-al reports for the sake of convenience, the min-utes will record the reports in their proper orderfor organizational purposes.

Standing Committee ReportsSSttaannddiinngg CCoommmmiitttteeee RReeppoorrttss were pre-

sented, reviewed and discussed (this sectioncontinued over to the Sunday meeting).

President Martin George presented ChairJon Bell’s IIPPSS AAwwaarrddss CCoommmmiitttteeee Report. TheIPS Fellows and Service Award honorees willbe presented at the Banquet on Thursdayevening.

President Martin George presented the IPSElections Committee report on behalf ofChair Steve Mitch. Nominees for the officesof President Elect, Executive Secretary, andTreasurer/Membership Chair are:

PPrreessiiddeenntt--EElleecctt: Stephanie Parello: Rose Center for Earth andSpace, New York, NY USADerrick Pitts: Fels Planetarium, Philadelphia,PA USASteve Tidey: Southend, Essex, England, UK

EExxeeccuuttiivvee SSeeccrreettaarryy:Lee Ann A. Hennig: Thomas Jefferson HSSTPlanetarium, Alexandria, VA USA

TTrreeaassuurreerr//MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp CChhaaiirr:Shawn Laatsch: Eastern North CarolinaRegional Science Center, Greenville, NC USA

A call for nominations from the floor willbe made during the General Business


Meeting later this week. Biographies and can-didate statements will be posted on the weband in the PPllaanneettaarriiaann. With a successfulelectronic election vote in 2004, the 2006election will also be conducted in that for-mat.

** SSppeecciiaall NNoottee:: SSeeee AAddddeenndduumm ttoo MMiinnuutteessffrroomm tthhee GGeenneerraall BBuussiinneessss MMeeeettiinngg aatt tthheeeenndd ooff tthhiiss ddooccuummeenntt

The IPS PPuubblliiccaattiioonnss CCoommmmiitttteeee ChairDale Smith reported on the activities of theCommittee. John Mosley retired asExecutive Editor effective with the June2006 edition. He edited 78 consecutive, on-time issues (representing 59% of the 133issues since the founding of the journal). Theperiod of 2002-03 saw the transition of thePPllaanneettaarriiaann to a full-color publication.Council expressed its gratitude to John forhis exceptional leadership as Editor and forhis devotion to duty as Editor-in-retirementfor two issues while the search for a new edi-tor was underway. Sharon Shanks, of theWard Beecher Planetarium of YoungstownState University, Youngstown, Ohio USA, isthe new Executive Editor. She will overseethe work of several new Associate Editorsincluding Christopher S. Reed (GeneralCounsel, a new column), and John Schroer(What’s New). The 2005 IIPPSS DDiirreeccttoorryy wasmailed to the membership in October in CDformat. It contains two distinct sections, theIPS Directory of the World’s Planetariums(“white pages”) and the IPS ResourceDirectory (“yellow pages”), and is edited byChair Dale Smith. The Directory is also avail-able in the members-only area of the IPSwebsite. The Directory is published on abiennial basis with updated files available onthe website between editions. The next edi-tion will be published in 2007.

SSppeecciiaall PPuubblliiccaattiioonnss:: • TTiippss ffoorr EExxcceelllleenntt PPllaanneettaarriiuumm

SSccrriippttwwrriittiinngg (Steve Tidey, editor): basedon an earlier GLPA booklet, this updatedand internationalized version was dis-tributed to the membership as a CD inDecember 2005. As a joint IPS/GLPApublication, it was also distributed toGLPA members.

• IIPPSS AAssttrroonnoommiiccaall SSoonnggbbooookk: (Jon Bell,Editor) includes texts for dozens of astro-nomical songs and recordings of manyof them. The CD master is ready will bedistributed with a future issue of thePPllaanneettaarriiaann.

• MMoooonnffiinnddeerr (Jay Ryan, artist/author)original artwork has been digitally

scanned and the presentation format isbeing arranged -some technical prob-lems are being addressed.

SSttaattuuss ooff ootthheerr ddooccuummeennttss,, ppuubblliiccaattiioonnss,, aannddeeffffoorrttss::

• The Proceedings of the IPS 2006Melbourne Conference are in process.

• Chair Dale Smith has created a compre-hensive list of all past IPS publications(besides the PPllaanneettaarriiaann) including 17Directories (1971-2005), 13 ConferenceProceedings (1974-2004), 15 SpecialReports (1971-2005), and 5 administra-tions of President’s Newsletters.

• The archive of past publications will bereleased as a set of CDs later this year andmade available for purchase as a set byIPS members.

• Dale reported that IPS maintains threerepositories of back publications: theU.S. Repository is withTreasurer/Membership Chair ShawnLaatsch; the European Repository iswith Chris Janssen at Europlanetariumin Genk, Belgium; and the AsianRepository is with Shoichi Itoh at theSuginami Science Center in Tokyo,Japan.

Chair Dale Smith urges each Affiliate tocontribute at least one article to thePPllaanneettaarriiaann annually. Not only would thiseffort increase the number of articles pub-lished in the journal, but it would also high-light the regional affiliate’s participation.

AAdd HHoocc CCoommmmiitttteeee RReeppoorrttssAAdd HHoocc CCoommmmiitttteeee RReeppoorrttss were present-

ed, reviewed and discussed (this section con-tinued over to the Sunday meeting).

The report from Chair Ed Lantz of the IIPPSSFFuullll DDoommee VViiddeeoo CCoommmmiitttteeee was reviewed.Several accomplishments were mentioned:full dome forum meetings at DomeFest inAlbuquerque on July 17th, the WesternAlliance Conference of Planetariums at theDenver Museum of Nature and Science onSeptember 10, 2005, and at the Workshop onImmersive Cinema in Espinho, Portugal onSeptember 12th, 2005:added full domeresources page to the official IPS website;maintained a regular column in thePPllaanneettaarriiaann called Digital Frontiers to informIPS members about digital planetarium edu-cation, art, operations, technology and hap-penings; guest-edited two special topic issuesof the PPllaanneettaarriiaann devoted to “Digital Domesand the Future of Planetariums.”; RyanWyatt continued operation of the Full domeVideo Discussion Group which operates as a

supplement to other planetarium discussiongroups, including DOME-L and the DigistarUsers Group mailing list. The Committeeplans to hold other Full Dome workshops atIPS 2006 and selected regional conferences.Council will discuss the goals, operationsand mission of the Committee on Sunday.

The IIPPSS HHiissttoorryy CCoommmmiitttteeee RReeppoorrtt wasdelivered by Historian John Hare. The task ofscanning photographs and slides began thisspring. Utilizing Ash Enterprises equipment,over 1000 images have been digitized and atthe present rate the project should be nearlycomplete by year’s end. The effort of identi-fying various individuals, the circumstances,and the events is challenging. John reportsthat ultimately many of these images couldbe made available on the IPS website. Johnwill be presenting a paper this week whichhighlights several pre-IPS era planetariumconferences and focuses on several; interest-ing topics of discussion that have implica-tions with the “planetarium of today”.Research for the paper originated from mate-rials contained in the IPS Archives and fromthe Historian’s personal experiences. Johnencourages members to pass on relevantmaterial for the IPS Archives.

The IIPPSS LLaanngguuaaggee CCoommmmiitttteeee RReeppoorrtt waspresented by Chair Martin George. Martinreported on the committee’s goal of com-pleting the series of translations for the IPSMembership Brochure and resolving some ofthe issues of translations at conferences. TheLanguage and Publications Committees willexpand their working relationship on pro-jects related to multilingual issues.

Newly appointed IPS OutreachCommittee Chair Jon Elvert summarized hisvision for this redesigned committee. Amajor goal will be to make available moreeducational materials to the IPS membershipthrough the exchange of reciprocalresources between the IPS and other profes-sional astronomy and educational relatedorganizations. This committee will includethe input offered by the Media DistributionCommittee and Education Committee toserve the membership in a more effectivemanner. The Outreach Committee will con-tinue to facilitate communication anddevelop collaborative opportunities withastronomy and space education relatedagencies and strive toward improving uponthe existing partnerships, especially in thestrategic goals of NASA's informal educationinitiatives. However, the committee willalso be asking the Affiliate Representativesfor more involvement in the distribution ofinformation to their regional members.


Council discussed ways to accomplish thegoals of the committee as a merger of MediaDistribution and Education Committees.

The IIPPSS PPllaanneettaarriiuumm DDeevveellooppmmeenntt GGrroouuppchaired by Ken Wilson continues to makeprogress on the IIPPSS PPllaanneettaarriiuummDDeevveellooppmmeenntt GGuuiiddee. Sandro Gomes of theRio de Janeiro Planetarium has volunteeredto write the chapter on sound systems andsound studios. Ken reports that he is still inneed of volunteer authors for the chapterson renovation, special effects/multi-image,and participatory planetaria.

Chair Susan Button presented the IIPPSSPPoorrttaabbllee PPllaanneettaarriiuumm CCoommmmiitttteeee RReeppoorrtt.The Fourth European Meeting of ItinerantPlanetaria is being planned for 2007 in theSlovak Republic and will be hosted byMarián Vidovenec. The Committee contin-ues to seek contact people in each regionalaffiliate and news of their activities for pub-lication in the PPllaanneettaarriiaann. Susan reportedthat a new editor for the PPllaanneettaarriiaann columnis being considered. The committee encour-ages the IPS affiliates to include informationof interest to portable planetarium directorsin each of their newsletters and to have aproactive contact for portable planetariumsin each regional affiliate.

Steve Tidey, Chair of the IIPPSS SSccrriippttCCoonntteesstt CCoommmmiitttteeee submitted a report onthe Eugenides Foundation ScriptwritingContest. As a result of improvements in theimplementation and goals of the contest,Steve reported that nine entries werereceived for the most recent competitionwhich closed on December 31, 2005.Winners of the contest will be announced atthe Banquet. Council expressed its pleasureat Steve’s continued progress on theimprovement of the contest and of the gen-erous support provided by the EugenidesFoundation. The next contest will be offi-cially launched in the March 2007PPllaanneettaarriiaann.

Chair Alan Gould presented the IIPPSSWWeebbssiittee CCoommmmiitttteeee RReeppoorrtt. The IPS Websitehas been undergoing updates, refinementsand redesign. Alan demonstrated some of theelements of the redesign and membershiponly access areas. Loris Ramponi’sInternational Calendar of PlanetariumEvents is now maintained directly by Lorisand posted on the Website. Each Committeehas its own page and Alan encouraged theChairs to send him material to post on thosepages so the membership can be informedon the business of the committees. The com-mittee is also considering a blog system for

posting job opportunities on the jobs’ page.Alan brought up the possibility of consider-ing joint memberships in IPS and Affiliategroups perhaps associated with an electronicPPllaanneettaarriiaann journal. This might increase IPSmembership and would perhaps save print-ing costs with an e-journal. Alan also askedCouncil to be mindful of the benefits of anelectronic journal in terms of the ecology/environmental concerns. Treasurer ShawnLaatsch will be working with Alan to investi-gate the structure of offering IPS member-ship on-line.

There would be an initial set-up cost, thenan annual fee for continued service. Thisoption would also allow a personal passwordto be generated at that time and this actionwould make our membership-only areamore secure. After evaluating reactions tothe newly designed prototype of the web-site, Alan will transition the relevant pagesinto the new format.

No Reports were submitted from theProfessional Services and TechnologyCommittees.

President Martin George announced thatDr. Tom Mason will be the new Chair of thereinstated IPS Strategic Planning Committee.

Donna Pierce moved to accept all AffiliateReports, seconded by Gail Chaid andapproved by Council.

CCoonnssttiittuuttiioonn IIssssuueessSecretary Lee Ann Hennig, President Elect

Susan Button and Former President andPublications Chair Dale Smith, havereviewed the document’s overall structurefor ease of reading and will propose furtherrevisions in specific sections requiring updat-ed terminology and clerical modifications aswell. The draft changes will be submitted toCouncil for comment and subsequentapproval. There will be some By-Lawchanges placed on the October 2006 ballotfor consideration by the IPS membership,and the remaining Standing Rules changeswill be considered by Council.

The conditions under which the organiza-tion carries out its business in terms of utiliz-ing electronic means (balloting, communica-tion, voting, etc.) is not specifically stated inall circumstances covered in the By-Lawsand Standing Rules. Therefore a “sense ofCouncil” as to the use of electronic commu-nications in IPS business was stated as: “It isthe interpretation of Council that the lan-guage of Article XIII of the By-Laws includesballots distributed, signed, and returned elec-tronically.”

**JJaacckk DDuunnnn mmoovveedd ttoo aacccceepptt tthhee sseennssee ooff

CCoouunncciill rreeggaarrddiinngg tthhee iinntteerrpprreettaattiioonn ooff tthheellaanngguuaaggee ooff AArrttiiccllee XXIIIIII,, sseeccoonnddeedd bbyy JJoonnEEllvveerrtt aanndd aapppprroovveedd bbyy CCoouunncciill..

OOlldd BBuussiinneessssNPA Representative Lars Broman reported

on the status of the Armand SpitzPlanetarium Education Fund grant approvedfor two of the master students in sciencecommunication at Dalarna University. Larsgave a brief review of the entire program upthrough the Spring of 2006. The reportsfrom their theses fieldwork and Internshipsare available at www.sciencecommunica-tion.se. In keeping with the provisions of thegrant, the students are submitting reportsdescribing their experiences and the signifi-cance of their projects to be published in thePPllaanneettaarriiaann and posted on the IPS Website.Lars announced that two new students willbe doing thesis fieldwork in 2007. Councilexpressed its approval that the use of theASPEF as a grant to students involved in thiskind of work was appropriate and necessaryfor the future of the planetarium communi-ty, and that it should be made more visibleto young people in terms of promoting theseopportunities.

** SShhaawwnn LLaaaattsscchh mmoovveedd ttoo aacccceepptt tthhee pprroo--ppoossaall ffoorr rreenneewwaall ooff tthhee ggrraanntt ffoorr 22000077,, sseecc--oonnddeedd bbyy JJoonn EEllvveerrtt aanndd aapppprroovveedd bbyyCCoouunncciill..

President Martin George reported thatwork on a MMeemmoorraanndduumm ooff UUnnddeerrssttaannddiinnggformalizing the flow of informationbetween IPS and NASA is still under revision.As soon as Martin has a draft it will be pre-sented to Council.

Council meeting was adjourned untilSunday morning, July 23, 2006

The meeting was called to order at 9:30A.M. by President Martin George.

The Agenda returned to tabled items.

OOlldd BBuussiinneessssThe CCoorrppoorraattee MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp status discus-

sion continued from Saturday. RMPARepresentative Kevin Scott presented a pro-posal which would address corporate mem-bership in relation to Individual andInstitutional memberships. Council heldconsiderable discussion on the benefits, defi-nition, and necessity of embracing a corpo-rate membership status. The idea of a “non-member” or “observer” category was also dis-cussed.

** PPrreessiiddeenntt MMaarrttiinn GGeeoorrggee ddiirreecctteedd KKeevviinnSSccootttt aanndd TTrreeaassuurreerr//MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp CChhaaiirrSShhaawwnn LLaaaattsscchh ttoo ddrraafftt aa pprrooppoossaall aaddddrreessssiinngg


tthhee ““CCoorrppoorraattee MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp”” ccaatteeggoorryy aannddiittss aassssoocciiaatteedd SSttaannddiinngg RRuulleess aanndd BByy--LLaawwssrreevviissiioonnss.. TThhee ddrraafftt pprrooppoossaall sshhoouulldd bbee ssuubb--mmiitttteedd ttoo CCoouunncciill bbyy OOccttoobbeerr 11,, 22000066 ffoorrssuubbsseeqquueenntt ddiissccuussssiioonn aanndd aaccttiioonn..

President Martin George reviewed a pro-posal for making IPS more accessible to theinternational community. This proposalarose from a recommendation by theStrategic Planning Committee and is one ofthe issues which Council is addressing. “Thatthe IPS invite through, but not limited to, itswebsite, non-members around the world, atno cost to become IIPPSS AAssssoocciiaatteess who willreceive IPSNews electronically. This offer isto be reviewed after two years.” The purposeof this proposal is to introduce non-mem-bers to IPS, to boost IPS visibility, and tomake IPS more inclusive. IPSNews and theIPS Website would be the major vehicles for“Associate” information. ** CCoouunncciill vvootteedd iittssaapppprroovvaall ttoo pprroocceeeedd wwiitthh tthhee IIPPSS AAssssoocciiaatteeiinniittiiaattiivvee..

President Martin George summarized thestate of restructuring several IPSCommittees:

• IIPPSS OOuuttrreeaacchh CCoommmmiitttteeee: will nowincorporate the former MediaDistribution Committee and EducationCommittee under one umbrella. Martinexpressed gratitude on behalf of Councilfor the tremendous work accomplishedby former Chairs Thomas Kraupe(Media Distribution), Christine Shupla(Outreach), and April Whitt (Education)

• IIPPSS FFuullll DDoommee CCoommmmiitttteeee : the IPSTechnology Committee is connected tosome extent to the Full DomeCommittee. The restructuring of the IPSFull Dome Committee should alsoencompass some of the goals and objec-tives of the Technology Committee. EdLantz, Chair of the Full DomeCommittee, will be stepping down asChair, and the Technology CommitteeChair is vacant. These events provide anopportunity to reevaluate the roles ofboth committees before a new Chair isappointed.

Council discussed the direction of therestructuring in terms of the objectives: is itstreamlining, or creating subcommitteesunder a larger umbrella format. Martin willconsider Council suggestions in his proposedrevisions to the committees.

President Martin George stressed theimportance of Council Members staying incommunication through the Yahoo GroupsIPS Council site. IPS Web Committee ChairAlan Gould will work with Council on coor-

dinating a Council page or area that mightbe easier to use, or used in conjunction withthe Yahoo Group site.

CCoonnffeerreenncceessIIPPSS 22000066 MMeellbboouurrnnee CCoonnffeerreennccee

Host and Australasian Planetarium SocietyRepresentative Martin Bush reported on theplans for the July 24-27, MelbourneConference. Martin assured Council thateverything is on track for a great conferenceand expectations are high for clear skies,engaging presentations, enlightening vendordemonstrations, wonderful food, and warm“Down-Under” hospitality! Council thankedMartin and the Local Organizing Committeefor its commitment to hosting an outstand-ing conference.IIPPSS 22000088 CChhiiccaaggoo CCoonnffeerreennccee

Paul Knappenberger of the AdlerPlanetarium, reported on the June 15-20,2008 IPS Conference to be held in Chicago,Illinois USA. Plans are progressing on sched-ule for all events related to the Conferenceand details will be posted on the IPS Websiteas they become available.

22001100 IIPPSS CCoonnffeerreennccee BBiidds were presentedby the following representatives:

• Dr. Jin Zhu, Beijing Planetarium, Beijing,China: The dates for a Beijing conferencewould be July 4-8, 2010

• Dr. Omar Fikry- Library of Alexandria,Alexandria, Egypt. The dates for anAlexandria conference would be July 12-15, 2010.

• Dr. Jacques Guarinos- Saint-EtiennePlanetarium, Saint-Etienne, France. Thedates for a Saint-Etienne conferencewould be July 17-21, 2010.

Dr. Fikry of Egypt could not be presentduring the Council meeting, so his presenta-tion was rescheduled for the IPS BusinessMeeting, during which all potential hostswould speak to the membership about theirbids.

Council inquired about registration fees,room and boarding costs, as well as meetingand planetarium facilities. Details on each ofthe bids will be posted on the IPS Websiteand in upcoming issues of the PPllaanneettaarriiaann. Atthe 2007 IPS Council Meeting, a final selec-tion will be made regarding the host for the2010 IPS Conference.

NNeeww BBuussiinneessssTreasurer Shawn Laatsch returned to a

tabled item from Saturday, regarding thefinancial health of the organization andwhether a dues increase should be imple-

mented based on the cost analysis of themembership. The proposal to increase dueseffective 2008 included the following struc-ture:Individual $65 - 1 year, $100 - 2 yearsInstitutional $125 -renewal, $250 – newLibrary $45

In 2007 members could renew for the cur-rent rates. Council discussed the proposaland the Cost Analysis Report as it applied tothe proposal as well as the correspondingcorporate membership and its impact. It willhave been eight years since the last duesincrease if the 2008 date is approved. ** GGaaiillCChhaaiidd mmoovveedd ttoo aacccceepptt tthhee pprrooppoossaall ffoorr tthheedduueess iinnccrreeaassee eeffffeeccttiivvee 22000088,, sseeccoonnddeedd bbyyTToomm MMaassoonn aanndd aapppprroovveedd bbyy CCoouunncciill..

President Martin George shared a presenta-tion relating to the life and contributions ofRadio Astronomer Grote Reeber and theFoundation which is overseeing the wishesof his estate as to how his ashes would be dis-tributed. Martin discussed with Council howIPS might be a part of an effort to honorGrote Reeber, but after much discussion itwas agreed that several other organizations’missions might better justify involvement.

BAP Representative Tom Mason sharedthat some of his Affiliate members were con-cerned about the cost of attending IPSConferences, and in particular that theBanquet expenses may be prohibitive formany. It was suggested that perhaps therecould be sponsorships from Affiliates orother sources to reduce the registration feesfor attendees. Martin reminded Council thatIPS cannot require that Affiliates sponsortheir attendees, that is an Affiliate concern.Indeed some Affiliates do offer financial sup-port for their representatives. Council dis-cussed other issues regarding conferencescheduling, vendor time, meal expenses, etc.It was pointed out that cultural differencesalso play a role in event scheduling, andmeals. The IPS Conference Guidelines shouldaddress the need to balance the overall pur-pose of IPS conferences and cultural customsin the host venue. The ConferenceCommittee should also be more vigilantconcerning the budget items of meals andevents.

ADSP Representative Milo Grootjendemonstrated how Affiliate Representativescould use the Google Earth Website/Tool todevelop a map to show the locations of theAffiliate planetarium facilities. This is a possi-ble addition to the IPS Website AffiliatePages.

President Martin George reported on


behalf of Loris Ramponi that several con-flicts among major conferences haveappeared. Loris encourages Affiliates tocheck the dates on the InternationalCalendar of Planetarium Events to be awareof potential conflicts. Vendors should alsocheck those dates for planning purposes.

President-Elect Susan Button is workingon a location for the 2007 IPS CouncilMeeting. There were suggestions fromCouncil regarding several possibilities:

• holding it in conjunction with affiliateconferences

• meet in non-affiliated areas to draw innon-IPS areas

• meet at a time when a majority ofCouncil members can attend

RDP Representative Thomas Kraupereported that 2007/08 has been designatedInternational Polar Year, and InternationalHeliophysical Year. There are a number ofon-line activities related to Global ClimateChange. Perhaps IPS should be involvedwith these events. Discussion centered on anumber of other special anniversary celebra-tions planned (50th Anniversary of Sputnik,

400th Anniversary of Galileo’s discoveries,International Year of Astronomy, etc.)Council agreed that we should explore thepossibility of involvement or coordinationwith these events.

GLPA Representative Dave Weinrichspoke to the issue of reaching out to thedeveloping areas of the world. Perhaps host-ing a “Local Day” in conjunction with an IPSConference where non-members could visitthe conference at selected events (vendorsessions, guest speakers, etc.) Thomas Kraupesuggested that some of our sessions mighteven be opened to the public on occasion.This has happened at past IPS conferences-particularly open sessions for special speak-ers and planetarium events. Martin Bushstated that the Local Organizing Committeecould elect to nominate a section of the con-ference for public outreach or other localgroups, and allow attendees to participate ata nominal/no charge. It should be clearlystated which areas/activities are limited tothe membership.

With business completed, Donna Piercemoved to adjourn the Council Meeting, sec-

onded by Jack Dunn and approved byCouncil.

Respectfully Submitted,Lee Ann A. Hennig

IPS SecretarySept. 30, 2006

** AAddddeenndduumm ttoo CCoouunncciill MMiinnuutteessDuring the General Business Meeting of

July 26, 2006, the following addition to theslate of candidates for office was made: For the Office of PPrreessiiddeenntt EElleecctt:Dr. Tom MasonArmagh PlanetariumArmagh, Ireland UK

nominated by Undine Concannon, sec-onded by Thomas Kraupe. Motion to closethe nominations was made by DaleEtheridge, seconded and approved by themembership. This additional candidate willappear on the ballot for the fall election. �


AAssssiiggnnmmeenntt aanndd RReelleeaasseeIIPPSS//EEuuggeenniiddeess FFoouunnddaattiioonn SSccrriippttwwrriittiinngg CCoonntteesstt EEnnttrryy FFoorrmm

((EEnnttrryy gguuiiddeelliinneess aappppeeaarr oonn PPaaggee 3333))

Complete one form per script. Enclose with each script by the deadline: December 31, 2007.

Submission date: ________________________

The undersigned does hereby assign and release unto the International Planetarium Society(IPS) the script titled________________________________________________________________and permits the use of content of the script in whole or in part in connection with planetariumprograms of all kinds.

The undersigned acknowledges that the script assigned here may be included within any scriptbank maintained by IPS, that IPS may publish the script in the society journal Planetarian, thatIPS may maintain scripts for distribution to its members on magnetic media and in hard copyform, and that scripts assigned to IPS may be screened by a committee to control duplication ofmaterial and to eliminate known proprietary material.

The undersigned does hereby represent unto IPS that this assignment and release is not con-trary to any copyright registration or other registration relating to copyright protection withrespect to the script; that this assignment and release is not in conflict with any other agree-ment executed by the undersigned, and that the undersigned will, to the extent reasonablynecessary, execute such further assurances of title as may be necessary and defend the same.

IN WITNESS HEREOF, the undersigned has executed this assignment and release as of the datefirst above written.

SUBMITTED BY:

(Signature) _______________________________________________________

PRINT NAME: ______________________________ TITLE: ___________________

ORGANIZATION/PLANETARIUM: _______________________________________

ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

WITNESS: (Signature) _________________________________________________

PRINT NAME: _____________________________ TITLE: ____________________


For those who need to hang on to theirslide projectors for as long as possiblebecause they can't (or don't yet want to)make the jump into fulldome video, Ibelieve there is an intermediate solution. So,I was watching an episode of The West Wingtoday. A group of administrators from NASAshows up at Josh’s office asking for moneyfor a Kuiper Belt explorer mission. Josh sayshe doesn’t know anything about space, andthat the Bartlett administration’s policy onspace is simply to tell NASA to stop screwingup. He launches into a mini tirade about theHST not initially working properly, probesgetting lost because of metric or feet confu-sion, and he claims the ISS should berenamed the “SS Good Money After Bad,”etc. Then one of the party invites him tospend the night looking at the sky for thefirst time through her telescope. He acceptsand is quickly transfixed by the beauty andmystery of what he sees. He goes into hisoffice the next day and thinks seriouslyabout how to sell a crewed mission to Marsconcept to the American people.

That highlighted for me the instinctivepull that the cosmos has on almost every-body when they experience it up close,think about the less mundane day-to-dayaspects of life, and where we fit into thewhole cosmic kit and caboodle. And it alsohighlighted the importance of every singleplanetarium show that you and I the rest ofus in the profession host for the public. Theymay not always say as much, but we’retouching something deep inside them. Ain’t

that great? We’re finding new ways to put over this

joy of the sky, which prompted my decisionto use this poser as the subject for discussionthis time round:

TThhee rreelleeaassee ooff nneeww,, ttrraaddiittiioonnaall,, sslliiddee--bbaasseeddppllaanneettaarriiuumm sshhoowwss iiss cclleeaarrllyy oonn tthhee ddeecclliinnee,,aass iiss tthhee pprroodduuccttiioonn ooff sslliiddee pprroojjeeccttoorrss..NNoobbooddyy eexxppeeccttss ((oorr wwaannttss)) tthheemm bbootthh ttoowwiitthheerr aanndd ddiiee,, ooff ccoouurrssee,, bbuutt ttoo wwhhaatt eexxtteennttsshhoouulldd tthhiiss ttrreenndd bbee ffoouugghhtt aaggaaiinnsstt?? IIss iitt ssiimm--ppllyy ppaarrtt ooff tthhee nnaattuurraall eevvoolluuttiioonn ooff tthhee pprroo--ffeessssiioonn?? CCaann wwee eexxppeecctt ttoo sseeee aa ttiimmee,, nnoo mmaatt--tteerr hhooww lloonngg iitt ttaakkeess,, wwhheenn nneeww sslliiddee aannddddiiggiittaall sshhoowwss ccaann eexxiisstt ttooggeetthheerr iinn tthhee pprroo--ffeessssiioonn iinn ccoommffoorrttaabbllee nnuummbbeerrss?? TThhee nnuumm--bbeerrss ooff ddoommeess ccoonnvveerrttiinngg ttoo ddiiggiittaall wwoorrlldd--wwiiddee wwiillll eevveennttuuaallllyy ppllaatteeaauu oouutt,, ooff ccoouurrssee,,bbuutt hhooww wwiillll tthhee ddeemmaanndd ffoorr sslliiddee--bbaasseeddsshhoowwss hhaavvee ccooppeedd wwiitthh tthhee ttrraannssiittiioonn bbyytthheenn??

��

Much as I am endeared of slides, I neverreally mastered them as I should have. Myskills in slide production, masking, and soforth were never honed to where theyshould have been. Never really honed at all.At the same time, my skills in digital imagework are not what theyshould be, either, but I'venoticed that in some waysit's easier to get a nice look-ing digital product than itis to get a decent photo-graphic slide image. At least for me. Theyounger generation even more so. Digitalimages are certainly easier to reproduce,store, ship, and organize.

So what I find myself in anticipation of isthe next generation of reasonably pricedhigh resolution projection systems. At IPS inMelbourne, I saw how inexpensive it is tohave a convex mirror digital projection sys-tem, especially for small to medium sizedomes. With the cost of a mirror being somuch less than that of a fisheye lens, one canpour one's hard earned pennies into thehighest resolution projector available. Spreadof pixel size from front of dome to back isthe main drawback there, but no system isperfect (though Denver's Museum of Nature& Science planetarium comes close).

Can slide shows and digital shows coexist?They certainly are now coexisting, but Iexpect it to become more and more difficultto maintain slide-based shows and less andless difficult to create digital and fulldomevideo shows.

Still, it's pretty impressive how relativelyhigh a resolution one can get with slides, andthe slide projectors are a fraction the cost ofvideo projectors. Magnificent resolution at

low cost. But limited to still images.Decisions, decisions. My guess is that I'll bevirtually slide projector-less within a coupleyears.

Alan Gould Holt Planetarium

Lawrence Hall of Science University of California

Berkeley, California, USA

��

As technology evolves, so does our abilityto utilize new techniques to communicateour messages. Audiences expect to seeimprovements and advances in the way sub-jects are presented, but one thing shouldnever change: the need to compose a grip-ping story and present it in an engaging andmeaningful way. Technology shouldn't beseen as merely new frills and toys to playwith—it's a tool, and it's only as good as thetalent and vision of those who use it.

Slide projectors to the public mean stillimagery, and this technique still has its placeif a presenter melds it properly with thestory he or she is telling. But still imagerycan be done with any number of technolo-gies—we don't have to depend on slide pro-jectors to do it. I used to avoid CRT and LCD

projectors for projecting stationary imageryfor years because I disliked the drop in reso-lution and color balance when compared toslide emulsions. But the improvements invideo technology are advancing at an expo-nential rate, and we're rapidly approachingthe time when brightness, resolution, sharp-ness, color diversity and saturation arealmost matching what can be done with35mm slides.

Some "classic" facilities are buying up usedCRT or LCD projectors (they're out there bythe thousands and getting cheaper everyday). Placing three discreet "screens" of videoon the dome would allow for the placementof digital animation (say on a wide-anglecenter screen) and utilizing multi-visualtechniques with still images on the left andright screens. Many of us have already seenthis arrangement for years, but by addingeven more video projectors people can notonly buy the time needed to raise the fundsfor a modern system but also improve thedynamics of their programming.

Mike MurrayClark Planetarium

110 South 400 WestSalt Lake City, UT 84101 USA

Steve Tidey58 Prince Avenue,

Southend, Essex, SS2 6NNEngland

[email protected]

Forum

So what I find myself in anticipation of isthe next generation of reasonably pricedhigh resolution projection systems.


I do not expect optomechanical slide pro-jectors to completely fade away within thenext decade. They will, however, becomemore and more expensive and impractical toown and maintain. Already it is difficult insome countries to obtain processing for slidefilm, and the choice of new slide projectorscontinues to diminish. At the same time, dig-ital projection continues to improve in qual-ity and reduce in cost. Stunning, high resolu-tion space imagery and other material areincreasingly available online in digital for-mat, and inexpensive digital still cameras arereadily available with 10 million pixels ormore. The transfer to slide film is thereforealready a costly and cumbersome step in thecontent generation-to-projection chain.

Unfortunately, digital projection still can-not match the resolution of a35mm slide projector at a compa-rable cost. Yet for many, the con-venience and efficiency of digitalimage capture, processing, stor-age and recall (not to mentionfull-motion video) greatly out-weighs this disadvantage. Onecan now purchase a mega-pixelDLP or LCoS projector with2,000-3,000 lumens and 3,000:1contrast ratio for less than the cost of a slideprojector dissolve-pair. There are manyoptions for serving digital images as well,including HD video that approaches 35mmslide quality with 2k or more horizontal pix-els. Video projector contrast continues toincrease, and ultra-high contrast options arenow becoming available such as SEOS'sZorro projector.

Academy 2k resolution (1828 x 1332 pix-els/2.4 million pixels) has been used formany digital films, while Academy 4k (3656x 2664 pixels-9.7 million pixels) is generallyconsidered to fully capture the resolutionand grain of 4-perforation, 35mm film. Sinceplanetariums use SLR format slides (36mm x24mm) which are 8-perfs wide, then scan-ning and projecting at approximately twicethis number of pixels would be required tosatisfy the most discerning eye. The KodakPhoto CD Pro, for instance, allows 35mmscans up to 6144 x 4096 or about 4400 dpi,thereby producing 72 MB image files. Inpractice, however, few would notice the lossin resolution when dropping down to halfthis scan resolution, such as the 3072 x 2048pixels provided by standard Kodak PhotoCD. The smaller file sizes of 2200 dpi scans(18 MB) are much more manageable as well.While video projectors that can handle thisresolution are currently expensive, it is stillbest to capture the full slide resolution toallow digital zooming and to future-proofyour digital slide collection.

Fulldome video can now consolidate all

projection systems—stars, special effects,zoon-slues and slides—into a single, flexible,digital projection system. The latest videosystems can project virtual flat-screen imagesanywhere on the dome screen, and canmanipulate these images in real-time includ-ing scaling, translation, cross- fade, 3D effects,full-motion video, etc. In effect, any numberof slide projectors or zoom-slues can be simu-lated in a fulldome system—with no slidetrays to change, no bothersome dust, nomechanical parts to wear down, and only asingle integrated projection system to main-tain. Fulldome systems would require over60 million pixels over the hemisphere toapproach the resolution of a typical 35mmslide projector with standard 4-inch focallength lens. However, in practice, systems

exceeding 6-8 million pixels over the hemi-sphere provide enough image quality thatmost facilities do not utilize slide projectorsor other limited field-of-view "inset" projec-tors, aside from an HD projector for standardfilms and PowerPoint presentations. Evenlower resolution fulldome systems effective-ly manipulate slide images that, while notcinematic in quality, are considered bymany to be acceptable for educational use.

Given the current pace of developmentand decreasing cost of digital graphics tech-nologies, it is not unreasonable to expecthalf of all planetariums worldwide to beoperating fulldome systems within the nextdecade, with many, if not most, of theremaining optomechanical planetariumsusing inexpensive video projectors instead ofslide projectors within this same time frame.

Ed LantzVisual Bandwidth, Inc.

1290 Baltimore Pike, Suite 111Chadds Ford

Pennsylvania, 19317 USA

��

In the short term, slides and digital videowill coexist. At Strasenburgh we could con-tinue to operate that way for a long time—except that slides rely on the maintenance ofwhat we here in the town that formerlycalled itself "The World's Image Centre" referto as the “Imaging Chain.” The ImagingChain comprises everything between the

subject (traditionally, a model who looks likethe young Lindsay Wagner wearing a yellowsweater, holding a purple parasol and a redbeach ball, posing in front of autumn leavesat the beach) and the viewer (symbolized bya close-up of a beautifully flecked iris withthe pupil open but, please, not dilated).

In the case of slides, the Imaging Chainincludes a camera or film recorder, film, filmprocessing, slide mounts, and slide projectorswith their lamps and lenses. This wholechain has to function with reliable precisionto be useful to us. But support is erodingchaotically for various links in the chain. It'slike snow on a roof in spring—it doesn't meltat a linear rate of so many centimetres perday; instead, it slides off in large chunks atunpredictable times. For example, here in

what used to be called "PictureCity," two large professionalphoto-finishing labs near us dis-appeared suddenly within a year.More of that is on the way.

At Strasenburgh, a PlanetariumTask Force led by some boardmembers has agreed to supportan intermediate step betweenslides and fulldome video, name-ly the use of about three video

fields as substitutes for our most frequentlyused slide projectors. Funding is being soughtat this moment. The Task Force is very inter-ested in fulldome video as a concept, butthey need to be shown the twin problems ofbounce back and GRIS (Gray Rectangles inSpace) to understand how hard it really is.

We have other problems to solve. Videolacks the resolution of film, so far. But we canconvey detail with Ken Burns scanning sothe "camera," rather than the viewer's eye,explores the image or scene. Video and slidesdon't coexist well on the dome at the sametime—not to mention video and stars. Sowe'll have to figure out how to make themwork in the same show. Maintenance andoperation are unknowns, too: we don't findthe mid-century built-like-a-tank engineer-ing in video projectors that Kodak used toput into slide projectors.

Meanwhile, however, support is growingfor the Imaging Chain for video output.Software for image creation, animation, andgeometric adaptation is losing its mystique.More and more scientific results are beingreleased as motion video. Many of the mostimportant concepts, such as motion andwide ranges of scale, are best conveyed withsome kind of moving image. Students andadult volunteers have no interest in slides,but are excited about doing something "onthe computer."

So we're entering new territory, and we'llhave to blaze our own trail. In the long run,

But support is eroding chaotically for variouslinks in the chain. It's like snow on a roof inspring—it doesn't melt at a linear rate…itslides off in large chunks at unpredictabletimes …two large professional photo-finishinglabs near us disappeared suddenly within ayear.

(Please see FFoorruumm on page 50)


resistance is futile. (Forum Editor’s note: Youwill be assimilated!)

Steve FentressStrasenburgh Planetarium

Rochester Museum & Science Center657 East Avenue

Rochester, New York, 14607 USA

��

For a moment, I need to speak from theheart. Not as an employee of P.G. CountyPublic Schools. Not as MAPS President. But asa member of the planetarium community,who is, by heart, "old-school." So consideringthe very real decline of traditional slide-based planetarium shows makes my verybeing want to protest "say it isn't so!" I wantto fight it, to lash out, to convince the worldthat I am not really a dinosaur in a youngbody.

But then I realize that perhaps I am notlooking at the right question. Who is defin-ing the future of the planetarium? Ladiesand gentlemen, is it technology? Becauseslide projectors are no longer manufacturedbecause of the trend toward digital technolo-gy, are we going to let the manufacturersdefine who we are and what we do? Is it thefact that the digital age is introducing us tomore readily available toolkits for videoediting? Are we letting "progress" define whoand what we are?

I'll be honest. The facility that I have hadthe pleasure of working for on both a partand full time basis for the last, what, 20years, is a large dome with a small dome bud-get and purpose: we are part of a school sys-tem. And as I have been tasked to study thelocal curriculum and match my programs tothe desired student outcomes, I have beenpleased to see how many of the astronomyobjectives are met by the simple use of thestar projector. Period. As it was originally cre-ated for—to teach the basic concepts of thestars/planets/Sun/Moon. We have actuallyrevamped our programs to take out a lot ofthe slides, videos, and hoopla (and providethose formats as web sites, online streaming,and activities in pre- and post-visit materials)and returned to live programs with minimalautomation. (Remember the days of "UnderRoof, Dome, and Sky"?). The needs of myfacility are met by traditional planetariumprograms. The needs of my public programsare often met by the same.

Now, that isn't to say that I haven't takenadvantage of other multi-media uses for mytheater (we have an annual "poetry underthe stars", for example). But the bottom lineis, I am trying not to be defined by the latesttrends in the multimedia circles. But, I

digress. The next question is, what can otherfacilities do? We can't really force vendors toproduce different versions of their new pro-grams, can we? From their point of view,would that be cost-effective? That is an uglyreality. Or is it? Would it be unreasonable toask for images in digital format so that wecan turn them into slides? To ask for asoundtrack in a digital format we can use tointegrate into our own systems? If enough ofus are vocal enough, maybe this can be stan-dard practice. Or maybe we just don't dealwith some vendors anymore. So slide projec-tors aren't produced anymore. So what.There are enough of us around who by nowknow how to repair them. We can help eachother out, in true planetarium communityspirit.

Okay, say it's 10 years down the road, andnow theaters have 360 degree, 3D interactivemulti-media astronomy programs. So what.Are your slide-based, live planetarium pro-grams meeting the need of your facility? Areyou defining who and what you are? Thenyou can let technology happen around you.It serves its purpose, and we serve ours. Frommy heart, my friends. Treat it gently.

Patty SeatonH.B. Owens Science Center Planetarium

9601 Greenbelt RoadLanham, Maryland 20706, USA

��

Evidence of technological progress con-fronts us almost every day as we learn to livewith, if we can afford it, advances in thecapabilities of cameras, cars, telephones,computers, and so on. Planetariums, ofcourse, are no exception; advances in ourfield are dizzying. I truly enjoy this progressand quality digital planetariumlessons/shows. I also enjoy quality analogplanetarium lessons/shows. The key word isquality.

Yes, I believe that the decline in slide-based planetarium show production is a partof the natural evolution of our profession.The current focus is on production for digi-tal planetariums because there is so littlematerial prepared for those folks making thetransition and in-house production is socostly and time consuming. Current plane-tarians who still utilize slide projectors willnot all go away in the near future and willhave to either make their own new shows orcry out for help. I have a favorite saying,”Nobody does anything until they feel theyhave to—for whatever reason.” I believe thatwhen the need for new slide based showsbecomes severe, some enterprising planetari-an or company will jump in and fill the void.Then we can have coexistence of new slideand digital shows.

There are multitudes of planetarians whocannot afford, or prefer not, to purchase newdigital equipment to replace their slide pro-jectors and/or their analog planetarium pro-jector. Quality presentations can be present-ed with either solution, anyway. Therefore, Ibelieve that slide projectors and analog starprojectors will be around for many years tocome. Also, as newer systems are installed,the “outdated” equipment will perhaps berecycled and become “new” and valuable topeople who may never have had a planetari-um before. IPS is committed to assisting peo-ple in less advantaged areas of the world todevelop planetarium programs in this way. Ifyou are excited by the thought of helpingwith this kind of initiative please contactme; we will gratefully take advantage ofyour talents and/or “outdated” equipment!

Sue ButtonIPS President

8793 Horseshoe LaneChittenango, New York 13037, USA

��

Let me preface my statements. Eventhough the US Air Force AcademyPlanetarium has closed, there is work afootto revitalize the facility. It would become apublic facility rather than the academic sup-port facility it once was. As it closed in 2004,the staff and department to which it wasassigned wanted to convert it to a more digi-tal future, eliminating many of the slidesand projectors it then contained. Now, if it isrevitalized, it will be as a low budget facilityunless and until it can "pay its own way."

Regarding slides and associated equip-ment: "to what extent should this trend befought against?"

The planetarium at the Air ForceAcademy had fought against the decline ofslides and projectors from the early 1990sand lost. The Air Force and, I suspect, theDepartment of Defense in general, instituteda policy to eliminate all "wet" photographicprocesses so that slide production came to ascreeching halt in the 90s. The planetariumhad an enormous historical slide collectionupon which we still relied but all the newimages we wanted had to be digitized and asa result we began supplementing slide pro-jectors with LCD projectors in the planetari-um. You may recall that LCD projectors donot have a black, blank screen; it was alwaysblue when no image was present and a notso very dark grey screen when an image,even a "blank" slide, was being projected. Atthe IPS conference in Canada, we presentedplans for our iris mechanism to allow us toblank out the LCD projectors when no slidewas projected.

It worked well, but of course did nothing

(FFoorruumm, continued from page 47)

to maintain slide production at theAcademy. If we needed a slide or set of slideswe had to "contract" through the purchasingdepartment to have the lowest price biddersmake the slides we wanted. This was an utterfailure, as the vendors were scattered aroundthe US and were never the same. The ven-dors had no idea what we were doing in theplanetarium with the slides. So, like manyplanetariums needing quick images for livepresentations, the NASA-produced imageswere liberally taken from the internet andinserted where needed using the LCD or RGBprojectors.

Because programming tosupport cadet classes was sospecialized, almost all imageswere unique and could onlybe generated in-house, mean-ing at the US Air ForceAcademy's Graphic Arts .Since the photo lab was nowout of the slide productionbusiness, all images weregiven to us in digital format.As a result all those programswere converted to use still images from LCDprojectors or video images from Barco orSony RGB projectors. We were being forcedinto the digital world. Still, as late as 2004,the Ring World presentation about Saturnand Cassini was a slide presentation whichwe would have installed in 2004, had notevents leading to the closing occurred. Wewere maintaining our slide projectors but,seeing the writing on the wall, realized thatslides were going to become rare commodi-ties and the news that Kodak, among others,would cease 35mm slide projector produc-tion had us planning to become as digital aspossible. In fact, we were about to begin digi-tizing our 15,000 slide collection.

But now, with rumors that the planetari-um here may, once again, open, it will beoperated non-profit on a very low budget tobegin with. All old slide projectors and spe-cial effects projectors will have to be re-fur-bished and used as long as possible. If ven-dors who still provide slides exist (at a rea-sonable cost) we would likely use them.

To fight a trend, that is a problem.Individual planetariums cannot hope to stopa trend being driven by the world of businessbriefings and AV presentations. Businessmenare all going digital; since their briefings areshort-lived events the images do not need tobe preserved, nor do they need to be highdefinition or resolution, thus digital media ischeap and ephemeral.

A planetarium, however, wants an imageto last, to be high resolution. As nice as theimage from a 35mm slide is, there are pro-duction problems. The slides are no longercheap, the chemical processes to make them

are now controlled by the EPA, and the pro-cess is no longer cheap. Slides, once they arein hand, require special treatment as they aremounted, and one must keep dust off theimages and out of the glass mounts (also notinexpensive). Adding gels or masks is timeconsuming and labor intensive.Manipulating a digital image does not intro-duce dust specks; masking and adding gels orwords is easily done on the computer. Theimages are stored on a disk until needed,then called up until no longer needed thenback into the computer hardware it goes.Back up is easy and so is distribution. Aside

from forming a consortium of many plane-tariums and other special needs institutions,I don't think the trend can be bucked.

As for projectors: if a small companychooses to continue to manufacture andsupport slide projectors, it will not be a lowcost enterprise. Low production runs meanshigh cost, small market share means lowprofits. Lamp prices will continue to climb.(Of course lamps in the LCD projectors arevery high, too.)

We keep seeing that digital resolution isincreasing, but I'm sure a still digital imagewill never match a still photographic slide.But modern planetarium programs haveintroduced motion into the digital images,and the observer's eye never realizes that thedigital image does not have the same resolu-tion as a 35mm slide. So maybe our need forhigh resolution is not as important as wewant it to be.

Can we expect to see a time, no matterhow long it takes, when new slide and digitalshows can exist together in the profession incomfortable numbers?

What happens when a society loses itscompetitive edge? Do they revert to older,more primitive methods? The older, moreprimitive methods usually end up costingmore in the long run, but I am afraid thatgoing back will cost more than money.Audiences are fickle; they go to the newesttechnology. It may be true that schools andless affluent organizations might try tomaintain the old technology just as they didwith film strips, 16mm movies, slide andsound projectors, film cassettes, and taperecorders, but it’s a losing battle, even for

such institutions. It’s just too expensive, notonly in money but in the message you sendyour audience—are you up to date at theedge of technology? Or are you maintaininga by-gone era? Of course, there is a small frac-tion of any audience who will want the oldstyle presentations, just as we maintained agood group of people who came to every stargazer’s show, where only a pointer and occa-sional slides or animation were used.

I think a presentation may contain bothdigital images and slides, but I suspect thatultimately the slides will be added by theindividual program installer if he has license

to modify the production inthat way. NASA and otherorganizations may continueto make slides available, butthey will do so less as timegoes by because of costs,especially as more and moreplanetariums convert to thedigital gospel.

The numbers of domesconverting to digital world-wide will eventually plateau

out, of course, but how will the demand forslide-based shows have coped with the tran-sition by then?

There are several factors at work here.One is that computers are getting more andmore capable of doing all the things we takefor granted at the planetarium. Digital equip-ment and capabilities continue to drop incost, but production costs are still high. Thefirst may reduce attendance at a planetari-um. The second is a method by which aplanetarium may draw more customers.

Will the number of planetariums goingdigital plateau? If the rate of planetariumconversion to digital presentation declines isit a factor of the cost, the technology, orsome other social factor? I have not lookedat the numbers but here are some questionsto ask:

1. Have the rate of new planetariumsbeing established declined?

2. Are any of the new planetariums solelyslide based?

3. Are they all mixed media, meaningsome digital and some photographic?

4. How many of the new planetariumshave no photographic projection capabilityat all?

I would guess that all planetariums willfall into the latter category, meaning somephotographic projection capability exists.The question is: What is the proportion ofdigital projections to photographic projec-tions?

When I came to the US Air ForcePlanetarium in 1979 there were about 100slide or film projectors. The maximum num-ber of photo-image projectors peaked during

What happens when a society loses its competitiveedge? Do they revert to older, more primitive meth-ods? The older, more primitive methods usually endup costing more in the long run, but I am afraid thatgoing back will cost more than money.



the Reagan Administration, when SDI fund-ed the purchase of about 30 special effectsprojectors, so we had about 130 projectorsincluding motion pictures, slides, film strip,and one shot projectors. Suddenly, whenlaser disk technology became common,video projectors replaced the motion pictureprojectors, then PowerPoint (Microsoft’s pre-sentation program) came along and we start-ed to use computers to store and projectimages. Ultimately, prior to closing, we hadthree LCD projectors, 2 RGB projectors, andDigistar 2. We had all but abandoned the useof the special effects projectors. We stillrelied heavily upon the panorama systemand the all-sky systems, and we looked long-ingly at the digital systems now referred toas fulldome systems. With such a system wewould have happily replaced two 12-panelpan systems and 2 six-panel all-sky systems.Were we different from other planetariums?If we were, it was due to the fact that ourstaff continued to be cut, so that the timedemanded by the older photographic pre-sentations was too much. A staff of twocould not create and install old style pro-grams and keep the presentation schedulewe were expected to maintain. We had sev-eral factors driving us from old style produc-tions to the digital. I suspect that is the norm.

Mickey SchmidtUs Air Force Planetarium

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80840, USA

��

My personal opinion on the future of tra-ditional slide-based planetariums is thatimprovements in digital media and digitalprojection technologies will force aninevitable transition to digital productionand display techniques in the next fewyears—regardless of what we might do to pre-vent or delay this transition. As typicallyoccurs when any technology advances, how-ever, there will always be a delay betweenthe early adopters and others who are inca-pable of affording the latest technologies.(How many of us will go out immediatelyand pre-order an iPhone?) In addition, thereare numerous existing planetariums (espe-cially in schools and universities) that have agreat challenge to convince their administra-tions that a large infusion of funds is abso-lutely necessary immediately, if not sooner.

Most planetariums—even those in schoolsand universities—already use DLP or othernon CRT-based video projectors as a normalportion of their daily programming. As thesevideo projectors achieve greater contrast andbrightness, they will eventually meet orexceed the resolution and true black levelsof slide projectors. (In fact, currently, at leastone manufacturer advertises that their pro-

jectors have achieved true black levels). Asvideo projector prices continue to plummet,I expect that affordable high-resolution,high-contrast video projectors and associat-ed software will be available within 5-10years. This will mean that high-resolutionvideo projectors with associated fish-eyelenses suitable for a domed theater will prob-ably be able to show Spitz-like stars within 5-10 years. The Holy Grail of Zeiss-like starfields produced by video projectors may takesomewhat longer, but they may be availableabout 10 years from now.

But, sometimes we forget that technology,however advanced, is but a tool for the cre-ative planetarian. Perhaps we need toremember our roots. Our job is to be story-tellers. Our industry challenge is to allowinnovative and diverse ways of show pro-duction at all funding levels, using whatevertechnologies we can afford. Planetariumsand their associated shows (often purchased,but usually adapted) are products of theircreative staff. In my view, in order for ourindustry to survive, planetarians must beallowed to continue to adapt the shows theygive to their unique audiences. I believe thatthe tremendous capacity of planetarians togrow and use newer technologies along withthe old is one hallmark of our profession.Without such growth, the whole field couldbecome nothing more than a collection ofdusty, domed movie theaters.

Larry CuipikAdler Planetarium

1300 South lake Shore DriveChicago, Illionois 60605, USA

��

At Independence Planetarium in San Jose,California, we paid attentionto what was being said in theindustry about the trendtoward digital. When Kodakdeclared they were no longergoing to produce slide projec-tors, it was a clear message tous to begin to wean ourselvesaway from them. We gradual-ly began to buy computersand software that would allow us to put theslides in digital format. It was cumbersome atfirst because the technology was in theinfant stages. We’d no sooner learn a newway to put the slides in a digital format andto make a new program, and then anothertype of software would be introduced to theindustry.

We are now successfully transforming ourold slide programs to digital format usingFinal Cut Pro. The old slides are copied andput in Photoshop, if needed, to make thembrighter and nicer. We use different tech-

niques, developed by master storytellers likeKen Burns, to enhance how the programlooks. We own many animation specialeffects, and can incorporate them into a pro-gram to enhance it and make it more inter-esting to students. In a recent program therewas video included in the show, but the tim-ing in the script between the video sectionand an obvious array of slides across thedome was short, and it caused us to rethinkhow we could do it all on Final Cut Pro. Wecopied the slides, put them in Photoshop,sized them and then set them to run acrossthe screen under the video. We made thevideo and the slides fit the section of thescript, and the slides only appeared when thescript dictated they should be there. Itworked perfectly.

In another program the script was long,and there were many dates relating to histor-ical events. We could see that students whowere visual learners and not auditory learn-ers would have trouble following thethought process of the script. In order tohelp those visual learners, we inserted a timeline across the bottom of the screen so itwould make more sense to them and theycould follow the historical events easier. Atthis transition stage of our journey from aslide-based planetarium, beginning in 1976,to the present, we are using slides on thesides of the planetarium with the Barco pro-jecting the newly enhanced program burnedon a DVD in the middle of the planetarium.

In our industry, our vendors are very vigi-lant about helping us transition into digitaltechnology. The size of the technology forthose of us in small planetariums is gettingmore reasonable, so we can actually use itand it is becoming more affordable for smallplanetarium budgets. The vendors are listen-

ing to us at our professional conferences. Theconversations we have with the vendors areimportant. We learn from each other as wejourney together along this long pathway ofever-changing technology. Going from slidesto digital is just the beginning. It pays to beas flexible as possible and to have a vision ofhow the program should look.

The important thing is the message andthe knowledge imparted to the audience.The planetarium presents a shared commu-nity experience of looking at the night sky.For many it is a cherished and memorable

The important thing is the message andthe knowledge imparted to the audi-ence.


experience which sparks the imagination.For most at Independence Planetarium, it isthe information presented by the teacher,the use of the azimuth and meridian andother things that are basic to every planetari-um that are interesting to the audiences. It ishow it is presented, not whether or not wehave slides or digital format that people like.In the end it comes down to the lesson plan,and the presenter that conveys the informa-tion in a way that connects with the audi-ence, not necessarily the slide or the video. Itis a whole package that works together toprovide the beautiful symphony of multi-media presentations that only a planetariumcan offer.

Gail ChaidIndependence Planetarium

1776 Educational Park DriveSan Jose, California 95133, USA

��

The introduction of digital technologyinto the slide-based technology of the plane-tarium field has created an interesting situa-tion. Do planetariums try to stay with theolder slide technology, or go to the newerdigital/video technology? It is a debatewhich will never be settled. But before I addmy personal thoughts, it is important toknow why the slide technology is beingdiminished.

Back in 2003, Kodak sent out a pressrelease saying that it was stopping the pro-duction of slide projectors because there wasno longer a demand for them. Kodak wassupposed to stop making the projectors inJuly of 2003 because, according to them, "noone uses slides any more." Well, working 24hours a day, seven days a week, Kodak had togo into production of those slide projectorsuntil November of 2004, more than a yearafter they were supposed to stop, because thedemand was higher than they thought.Photographic supply stores and warehousesstockpiled the projectors, because there was ademand for the equipment.

What is interesting is that Kodak slide filmis still being made, and although digital cam-era sales have picked up, the use of slide filmhas not diminished enough to stop produc-tion of it. Fuji also makes slide film, and bothKodak and Fuji film can still be purchased inmany department stores. So if there was nodemand for projectors, then why is the filmstill being made? The real reason that Kodakdiscontinued their slide projector produc-tion was to lay off employees in their facili-ty. So it wasn't that there was no demand forthe projectors, they did it just to save laborcosts. So, in reality, it was Kodak that createdthe scenario of no demand, thereby creatinga dilemma for everyone who used slide pro-

jectors. We now also have a major planetarium

show producing company that indicatesthat they are having trouble finding slidemounts and film for their slides. Yet the slidemounts are still very available, as is the filmfrom Ritz and Wolf camera stores, and direct-ly from Kodak. So, here again, we have acompany that has decided, for some reason,to slowly phase out anything that has to dowith slides.

Now, in most cases, such as movie the-aters, schools, and businesses, the solutionwas simple: switch to PowerPoint. But in theplanetarium field, things are a lot more com-plicated. Many planetariums were built andrun on slide-based technology, whether youwere a 60-foot domein a museum, or a 30-foot dome in a school.Most planetariums inthe country are stillslide-based, andbecause this technol-ogy is being forciblyphased out, it couldspell disaster for a lotof planetariums.

While large museum-based facilities mayhave the funds to switch over to all domevideo or digital systems, smaller planetari-ums will not be able to. Slide projectors werevery inexpensive, could be repaired by theoperators, and have a life span of more thanthirty years. The new technology runs hun-dreds of thousands of dollars, cannot be ser-viced by the regular planetarium operators,and has a life span of just a few years beforethe technology becomes obsolete. Smallschools and museums cannot afford thecosts or the staffing for this new technology.This could cause the demise of many plane-tariums during the next several years.

Along the same lines, many planetariumsthat cannot afford to switch over mightkeep their older technology by makingrepairs, thus causing a “leveling off” of thepurchase of the new technology. But at thesame time if planetarium companies stopmaking slide-based shows, even if planetari-ums have the slide based technology, therewill be nothing for them to purchase.

It is an interesting dilemma. It is unfortunate that the evolutionary

course of the planetarium field is the newerdigital/video technology. It is this evolutionthat is turning many planetarium domesinto movie theaters, instead of astronomycenters. The personnel are also evolving,which is driving this new technology. WhenI went into the planetarium field 34 yearsago, like most people back then, I went intothis field because I wanted to be an astrono-my educator. Most people coming into the

planetarium field today are not astronomypeople, but technical/video/computer peo-ple, who see the dome as a place to advancetheir technology and not teach astronomy.So these folks think that the latest technolo-gy is better. Unfortunately, this is not thecase.

When we did the first renovation at theSuits-Bueche Planetarium back in 2003, Ichose the slide-based technology. Why?Because slides still give sharper and more col-orful images up on the dome. Far superior toany digital or video system. How, as plane-tarians, can we teach people about the beau-tiful, clear, colorful images we get fromHubble, and then put them up on domes invideo/digital format, all blurred-up and

washed out? Why even teach about Hubble,if we are going to destroy its images up onthe dome? We always get people telling usthat the shows they see in my planetariumare clearer than at planetariums X, Y and Z.And all of those other planetariums they tellme about are using the newer technology.

If we really care about the quality of whatwe put on our domes, we should be fightingfuriously for the continuation of slide-basedprograms. But if the technology is not there,and the companies are not there, then, quitefrankly, the planetarium field will shrink tojust a few major facilities (like back in the1950’s), that can afford to change, and theywill just be movie theaters.

Do I want to totally do away with the newtechnology? No. When a program calls for it,I do use video. Am I concerned about my oldslide-based technology? Not in the nearfuture. My new (as of 2003) Kodak slide pro-jectors will last another 25 years, with noupgrades needed. If my museum moves to anew facility, with a larger planetarium, wewill go to a Hybrid system with our Chronos,all dome video, and our 23 slide projectorsand all of our 30 year-old Sky-Skan specialeffect projectors. This way, we can run ourold classic Loch Ness shows in clear, beauti-ful color, and also run newer programs if thesituation warrants it.

But it is important, for the survival of theplanetarium field as an astronomy educationresource, to let production companies know

We always get people telling us that theshows they see in my planetarium are clearerthan at planetariums X, Y and Z. And all ofthose other planetariums they tell me aboutare using the newer technology.

(Please see FFoorruumm on page 57)


“Quality presentation technique is thekey—equipment is just the tool.” I am certainyou have heard that phrase before! RecentlySteve Tidey asked me to write some com-ments about current technology in the plan-etarium. You can read my response in thisissue’s “Forum” column. As I was thinkingabout my response I was reminded of a fewincidents that occurred which made me real-ize that, although we are experiencing a rev-olution in the planetarium business, we donot need to feel pressured or disappointed ifwe cannot get the latest and greatest equip-ment. Let’s keep our eyes on our goals. If youare inclined and lucky enough to have theneeded funds to get updated equipment, thatis great. However, we can still give high qual-ity presentations that impress and engagethe audience even with “outdated” equip-ment.

First IncidentI was setting up my STARLAB in a gymna-

sium at an area elementary school one dayand I stopped to make sure I thanked the

gym teacher for allowing me to use herspace. She exclaimed that she was reallypleased to be able to accommodate mebecause every year she could see how excit-ed the children were to have the planetari-um in their school. We discussed the simplebut amazing technology of the STARLAB, asingle slide projector and a small CD playerand how impressed the students were withthese basic tools. The teacher explained thatshe too uses a simple tool in her work: arecord player! She said that one day a stu-dent asked if she would please play her “bigCDs” again for class because she loved tohear that music! This teacher used a simpletool to enhance her already quality lessons.This teacher sees no need to upgrade to ahigh-tech digital sound system and wouldrather spend her money on more gym equip-ment. The current system works for her andher students. My source of music is similarlysimple: a small portable CD/tape player. Itworks for me.

Second IncidentWhile training a new STARLAB teacher

for my former employer, OCM BOCES, Iexplained that we sometimes use a slide pro-jector during our lessons. The trainee, whowas a classroom teacher for the past 10 years,had only used a computer and PowerPointpresentations during her lessons in her class-room. She exclaimed, “Could you pleaseshow me how that thing works because Ihave never used one before!” She kept herthoughts about using such outdated equip-ment to herself. Later I demonstrated a livelesson for her. I taught a class of 14-year-oldstudents, and used the slide projector to aug-ment a lesson on deep sky objects. Mytrainee was amazed at how the studentsenjoyed the slide projector images and howthis simple technology, along with a basicanalog projector, effectively excited studentsand touched off an in-depth discussion ofthe subject matter. OCM BOCES does nothave any extra money to update equipmentand will probably use a slide projector for atleast the next five years! Schools keep book-ing with us, so the presentation techniquecarries the day!

Incident ThreeA quality systems engineer recently posed

a question to a group that I am associatedwith, the Technology Alliance of CentralNew York. He queried, “I am putting togeth-er a meeting in April, where the guest speak-er will need a slide projector with carousel.Does anyone have such an animal theywould be willing to loan me for a night?”Luckily, several of us still have carousel slideprojectors and can afford to loan one out fora night! I hope that the slides that this lectur-

er presents will not be filled with words thatdistract the audience, but with powerfulimages…the way a good PowerPoint shouldbe designed! You see, the equipment is thetool. Whether high tech or low tech, we stillhave to be very careful about how we use it.

Emails ReceivedElizabeth Hallahan recently wrote to say: “Hello Susan - I saw your information on

the STARLAB Website. Allow me to intro-duce myself, my name is Elizabeth Hallahanand I am currently a graduate student pursu-ing a degree in adolescent education at St.John's University, with a BS in mathematics,so my area of certification is mathematics.

“The product and everything about STAR-LAB looks very exciting. I am looking to plana unit on intermediate level math and want-ed to bring in something fun and different.Astrology and the planetarium seem like avery good topic, something the students canrelate to. I can see how it can easily tie to sci-ence standards, but was wondering how youhave utilized it before to tie to NYS mathstandards.

“I thought perhaps a project approach or amultidisciplinary use could be appropriatebut would want the focus to be more on themath standards as opposed to the sciencestandards.

“Could you provide further information,or guide me in the correct direction, or letme know how you have utilized the plane-tarium theme with a focus on math. I alsolive close to the Vanderbilt Planetarium so Iwould incorporate a trip there as well.

“Thanking you in advance for your timeand feedback.”

I wrote back to Elizabeth and explained,after I educated her about the differencesbetween astrology and astronomy, someways to use the planetarium to incorporatemeasurement/mathematics. Examplesincluded charting and/or graphing the sea-sonal changes in the length and altitude ofthe Sun’s path, calculating location usingaltitude of Polaris and the Sun and all theother facets of navigation, learning the sig-nificance of the longitude/latitude and rightascension/declination measurement systemand how to use it, and studying patterns andcycles of the Moon and Earth.

Gary Kratzer, in the Winter 2007 STAR-LAB e-News, writes about some other ideasand lessons (starlab.com/slenewsv1w07.html). I am sure that Elizabeth wouldappreciate hearing more ideas from some ofyou.

Contact Information: Elizabeth A.Hallahan, [email protected].

Some of you may have already read theDme-L posting from Larry Krumenaker, whois conducting some interesting research dur-

Susan Reynolds ButtonQQuuaarrkkss ttoo CClluusstteerrss

8793 Horseshoe LaneChittenango, New York

13037 USA(1) 315-687-5371

(1) 315-432-4523 (fax)[email protected]

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ing 2007 and needs our help. He wrote: “When every high school is

sweating to the reading and math testing of‘No Child Left Behind,’ how does an astrono-my class manage to exist? And what does theclass look like compared to those of previousdecades?

“I am a PhD student at the University ofGeorgia, and an astronomy educator. I'vebeen a high school physics and astronomyteacher, both in and out of planetarium situ-ations. If high school astronomy teachinginterests you, then I would like to invite youto participate in a survey of high schoolastronomy courses.

“The substance of my dissertation will belooking at the current status and makeup ofthese courses, how teachers express why thecourse should exist, and how ‘No Child LeftBehind’ (NCLB) has affected astronomyteaching. The field has not been surveyedsince the early 1990’s, since before NCLB andeven before the full effect of national stan-dards in science or standardized testing ingeneral. The findings could help schools thatwant to have astronomy courses in thefuture or maintain them in the present.

“I need teachers who have taught or cur-rently teach a bona fide course in astronomy

at the high school level. It doesn't matter ifyou are a regular classroom teacher or a plan-etarium educator. Your name and schoolidentification information will be removedfrom the dissertation and future publishedarticles so you can be assured of anonymity.If you agree, all you will do is simply take asurvey, which may take 30-45 minutes atmost. A few teachers will be interviewed.Your voluntary participation in this projectwill take place at one of three times betweenJanuary and September of 2007.

“If you would be interested in helpingassess the national view of astronomy at thehigh school level, please contact me byemail at [email protected]. A more formalinvitation to participate will be emailed toyou. You may also mail an inquiry to me atLarry Krumenaker, Department of Math andScience Education, 212 Aderhold Hall ,University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30306USA.”

While this is a project that pertains toteachers in the USA and the very special cir-cumstances of the “No Child Left Behind”initiative (www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml), Ithink we will all be interested in the Larry’sfindings. He will stratify his results accordingto whether the teachers used a fixed or

mobile planetarium or no planetarium at all.I have asked him to send me a copy of hiscompleted dissertation. If others would liketo discuss how Larry plans to approach thisinteresting project so that you can partici-pate in it, replicate it, or design one of yourown for your specific country, I am sure hewould be happy to have communicationwith you.

A Week in Italy Carolyn R. Kaichi (Bishop Museum,

Honolulu, Hawaii) was chosen as the lucky2006 American Planetarian in Italy Contestwinner. Her report of that awesome experi-ence is written below. Sounds like she had anexciting, challenging and rewarding trip!

Contact Information: Carolyn Kaichi,Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street,Honolulu, Hawai'i 96817 USA; (1) 808-847-3511; fax (1) 808-841-8968; [email protected].

To learn more details about the AmericanPlanetarian in Italy opportunity, please goto: www.astrofilibresciani.it/Planet a r i / W e e k _ i n _ I t a l y / W i n n e r _ W e e k _Italy.htm.

A Week in Italy: Final ReportBy Carolyn R. KaichiBishop Museum1525 Bernice StreetHonolulu, Hawai’i 96817 [email protected]

When I initially embarked on this adventure to Europe, there weremany unknowns that were still unanswered. I believe I had expectedmore direction on the part of the coordinators and even with my cor-respondence with Loris there were still a million questions. I had reada few reports from others who had been selected in previous years,but none of the experiences seemed exactly alike except for theSTARLAB and planetarium elements. I am somewhat anal and thisuneasiness was enhanced by the fact that I had never been to Europebefore.

Imagine my surprise after almost 24 straight hours of travel, afterLoris had picked me up from the airport in Verona, he announcedthat I was going on a little “tour” of some of the sights of the area.Blearily I admired the beautiful shore of Lake Garda and the country-side of Brescia. I had arrived shortly after noon (keep in mind Hawaiiis exactly 12 hours behind Italian time) and Loris insisted I “stay up”instead of napping, which I would have dearly wanted to do! Instead,I found myself hiking briskly up the mountainside with his familyand friends to collect chestnuts—an activity I thoroughly enjoyed.That set the tone for the entire week—one of twists and turns andgreat experiences.

The next day I met Loris at the Museo Civico Scienze Naturali.,where he was instructing a group of first graders. I was waiting forLoris to finish his class so I could show him my PowerPoint and dis-cuss the upcoming week when I found myself in front of the classshowing pictures of Hawaii to the children. They were attentive anddelightful. Even the teachers, who were initially wary of me andwouldn’t allow me to take pictures of the children, were friendly andconversational by the end of the class.

The following day was the official start of my instruction, andLoris picked me up in the morning and drove to the first school.Again, there were little surprises along the way.

2006 Week inItaly winnerCarolyn R.Kaichi at theSerafino ZaniObservatory.Photo provid-ed by CarolynKaichi

(Please see MMoobbiillee on page 57)


I started off my presentation by having thestudents sit outside of the STARLAB, where I dida power point on Hawaii, its geology and theHawaiian legend of the islands’ creation:

Pele, the goddess of fire, battles her sister Poliahu,goddess of ice, over a two-timing god. The sistersfight over the ocean, and as Pele touches the waterover the area that is now the Hawaiian Islands, theislands are created. Finally the sisters come to rest onthe Big Island of Hawaii, where they both reside tothis day. Pele reigns over Mauna Loa, the still-activevolcano, and Poliahu reigns over Mauna Kea, cappedwith snow and ice in the winter.

I then moved into volcanology and the geolo-gy of the formation of the Hawaiian Islands,relating it to the Hawaiian legend.

I also showed some highlights of the BishopMuseum and told the story of how the museumbegan. American businessman Charles ReedBishop founded the Bishop Museum in 1889 as atribute to his wife, Princess Bernice PauahiBishop. Princess Bernice was next in line tobecome Queen during the time of the Hawaiianmonarchy. Against her family’s wishes and totheir great disappointment she gave up thethrone to marry the commoner and a man ofnon-Hawaiian descent. Their love transcendedher death as Charles dedicated their fortune to educate Hawaii’s chil-dren by founding both the museum as well as a school.

At this point, we talked about the Polynesian people as explorersand how exploration is inherent in humans from the early explorersto modern day astronauts and scientists. Parts of the presentationwere recorded with narration and a soundtrack from a BishopMuseum STARLAB program, which is a large file and can be sent onCD by request (Loris was left with a copy). The PowerPoint alsoincludes a famous legend narrated by a Hawaiian storyteller, aboutthe formation of the Hawaiian Islands:

Maui, the “Hercules” of Hawaiian mythology, was out fishing with hisbrothers in the middle of the Pacific with a magic fishhook that was givento him by his grandmother. Maui tells his brothers to paddle without look-ing at him and promises that they would return with a large catch of fish.Soon the brothers feel a huge tug on Maui’s line, and they ask what he hascaught. But Maui doesn’t tell them and warns them not to look back.Eventually the brothers are overcome by curiosity, and turning to look atMaui, they break the magic spell. They see that Maui has pulled up thebottom of the ocean with his magic fishhook. However, because the spellwas broken, Maui was only able to pull up the tallest peaks, not the greatcontinent of land he was trying to reel in. The peaks of the land becomethe Hawaiian Islands. Suddenly the line snaps, and the fishhook flies upinto the sky, where it sticks to become the constellation Ka Makau Nui oMaui, “Maui’s Fishhook,” known as Scorpius in the West.

Next we convened in the STARLAB, where it usually took a fewminutes to get everyone settled down. Although they were highschool students, I find that kids of all ages get very excited, especiallyif it’s the first time they are experiencing a STARLAB program. I was alittle surprised that the Italian students behaved identically toAmerican students; some were rowdy, but most were just excited tobe there.

In the STARLAB, I began by trying to do a lot of astronomy, as I hadthought the previous American educators had done from reading

their reports. However, Loris made it clear afterthe first few sessions that he wanted more folk-lore and mythology, so I expounded on that.Also, although it was stated that the studentshad studied English, I had initially thought theclasses that attended were students with someastronomy background, but that was not thecase. Perhaps in different years the classesattending STARLAB are science classes. but inmy case they were all English-language stu-dents.

Another myth I told was about Maui andthe Sun, and I was able to demonstrate dailymotion in the STARLAB while relating thatlegend.

The story starts with the Sun, or La, moving toofast across the sky making the days pass too quick-ly. Maui’s grandmother weaves a rope out of herhair and tells Maui to go to the top of the tallestmountain where she lived to catch the Sun. SoonMaui snags the Sun with his grandmother’s ropeand tells the Sun to slow down. The Sun refuses,so Maui breaks off a few of the Sun’s legs (the“rays”). That resulted in the Sun moving sloweracross the sky and now the days and nights passat a more reasonable time period. Sometimes La isable to move more quickly across the sky, whichcauses the winter days to be shorter. Other times

La is tired and limps across the sky, which is why the days of summer arelonger. The mountain that Maui climbed to catch the sun is on the islandof Maui and is named Haleakala. Hale means “house” and a kala means“of the sun.” It currently houses a number of astronomical telescopes, someof which study the Sun.

I then showed the sky of Brescia compared to the sky seen fromHawaii, and showed the position of the North Star at the two lati-tudes. The North Star, or Polaris, is referred to in Hawaii as Hokupa’a,or “stationary star.” I talked about how Hokupa’a is used as a naviga-tional star, not only all over the northern hemisphere, but also byPolynesian navigators, who have ‘rediscovered’ the lost art of navigat-ing by the stars as their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Fromthere, I showed the Big Dipper and the “pointer stars.” I had forgottenthat in many places in Europe, the asterism is not referred to as a dip-per, and so we talked about the different names: the Cart, the Plow.and the Bear. Then I related the Native American tale about the littlebear who woke up in the middle of winter.

Little Bear woke up in the middle of his hibernation and couldn’t getback to sleep. He was hungry and thought, “If I could only get a littlesnack then I know I’ll have no trouble getting back to sleep!” So he got upand stuck his head out of his cave. In the middle of winter where bearslive, there is little to eat. So the little bear found himself walking throughthe barren land with no food in sight. In time he came to a big lake frozenover with ice. Under the ice the bear could see the lake was full of fish. “If Icould only get one of those fish, how happy I’d be,” thought the bear as helooked for a hole to stick his paw through. At last he found a tiny hole, justbig enough for him to stick his little tail through. He thought, “Those fishwill see my tail and think it’s food, then as they bite at it I’ll pull them outand eat them!” So he stuck his tail in and waited. He waited and waitedand waited…and fell asleep waiting. He woke up two weeks later to findhis tail frozen solid in the ice! So he pulled and pulled and pulled—themore he pulled the longer his tail became, until finally he shot out andflew up into the sky and became the bear with the long tail we see today.

Caption: Carolyn and the planetarium staffwith the "double STARLAB" of the Museumof Constellations (Planetarium ofLumezzane). Photo provided by CarolynKaichi


The deadline for a 2007 application isApril 15. To receive application materialsyou can write to me or to Loris Ramponi(Associazione Amici dei Planetari, c/o CentroStudi e Ricerche Serafino Zani, Via Bosca 24,25066 Lumezzane Italia) or fax 0039 30 87 2545; mobile 348 56 48 190; email [email protected] or [email protected].

Special Effects: You may remember a wonderful contri-

bution to the September 2006 Mobile Newscolumn by Russell D. Sampson. At that timeRussell shared some ideas about a simple,inexpensive aurora projector. Well, he wroteagain to tell me about another marvelouslysimple and effective “trick of the trade!”Thank you very much for sharing Russell;his “twinkling stars” method appears on Page58.

Susan’s Note: If you are working with aportable planetarium, you do not have toclimb a ladder to reach the projector!

Be sure to check out the “Planetarians’Calendar of Events” on Page 87 for someworkshops of special interest to portable sys-tems.

SSiiggnniinngg OOffff:: That’s all for now folks. Keepin touch; it is through contributions fromyou that this column remains interestingand relevant to all of us. �

I pointed out Scorpius and illustrated how the tail of the Scorpionis difficult to see from 45 degrees N latitude in Brescia. I also pointedout the Summer Triangle stars, and told the story from Japan aboutthe holiday called Tanabata.

The Weaving Goddess Orihime weaves beautiful silk cloth for the peo-ple of her land. The handsome herder, Kengyu, falls in love with her andthe two spend so much time together they begin to neglect their duties.The King of the Gods, father of Orihime, realizes he must correct this prob-lem so he places the two lovers across a vast river in the sky—the MilkyWay. Now Orihime and Kengyu cannot be together except on one day. Onthe seventh day of the seventh month, a flock of birds fly up to the skyand form a bridge for the two lovers to travel across the river to be witheach other for a day. The people of Japan celebrate this day with a nation-al holiday called Tanabata. On this day feasts and celebration take placein recognition of this joyful event.

I stuck with that format for the rest of the week, going to anotherhigh school on the last day—the one with the “magic walls.” I could-n’t get a real handle on what that was, from previous reports, butquickly understood that was simply projecting the STARLAB onblank classroom wall space. At first that seemed like a strange con-cept, but when I actually did it I realized it wasn’t as bad as I thoughtit was going to be. The stars showed up quite nicely and although youcouldn’t get the effect of a real”‘sky,” you could effectively showsmall areas of the sky fairly well. And certainly it was the only way toaccommodate the larger numbers of students that were in each ses-sion (50+).

For some reason there wasn’t a teacher workshop as I had expected,although on the last day I did present a program at the planetarium inLumezzane for a group of public and staff of around 15 or so. This wasthe only time I also met some of Loris’ colleagues, whom I had hopedto meet earlier in the week but never had the opportunity. The plane-tarium program seemed to be well received and I hope that peopleunderstood most of what I was trying to present. The program wasthe expanded version of my Explorers program that I used during theweek.

I believe that I fulfilled my part of this special opportunity and Ihope I contributed to the overall pool of knowledge this program wascreated for. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience and wouldgladly do it again if I had the chance. I cannot say enough about Loris’hospitality and dedication as a teacher, and by the end of the week Ifelt like part of his family. His children and friends were warm andaccepting and I was extremely fortunate to have met them. But with-out Loris’ guidance and assistance I would not have had the sameincredible adventure this turned out to be. Traveling alone in a coun-try without the language skills would have been pretty intimidatingwithout Loris’ travel ti and encouragement. He encouraged me totake those day trips out to Brescia’s city center, Verona, and Milanwhen I was a little perplexed by the public transportation. Withouthis persistence, I would not have experienced half of the amazingsights that I did and now I wish I had more time to spend traveling inthat wonderful country. Thank you again to Loris, Jane Sadler atLearning Technologies Inc. for this opportunity, and Susan Buttonfrom Quarks to Clusters for your support!”

Aloha, Carolyn �

that they need to keep producing classicslide-based shows. Hey, the auto companiesdon’t stop production of stick-shift cars eventhough the demand is very low, so why areplanetarium production companies phasingout slide-based shows when the majority, avery large majority of planetariums in thecountry, is still slide-based?

We still need classic slide-based shows. Itmay be old technology, but it still worksdamn good!

Steve RussoSuits-Bueche Planetarium

Schenectady MuseumSchenectady, New York 12308, USA

��

The topic you’ve just read responses onwas a pretty serious one, so let’s go in thecomplete opposite direction for the next col-umn and go for something much morepotentially light-hearted:

IIff yyoouu eevveerr bbeeccoommee aa ssppaaccee ttoouurriisstt ((hheeyy,,yyoouu nneevveerr kknnooww!!)) wwhhaatt wwoouulldd yyoouu mmoosstt lliikkeettoo ddoo iinn ssppaaccee?? ((KKeeeepp iitt cclleeaann!!))..

If you’d like to share your dreams aboutthe above, write them on the exterior of

Spaceship One and have it parked in my gar-den, all fuelled up, by the deadline of April 9,2007.

So, can I let you in on a big discovery I’vejust made? Great! Gather round everybody.Come on, closer, don’t be shy. OK, for the lastfew days I’ve been slaving over a hot abacus(yeah, right) conducting a rigorous scientificsurvey of the planetarium profession. Andhere are my peer-reviewed conclusions. (Ifyou believe that, you’ll believe anything…):the world is continually in a delicate bal-ance; every time somebody outside of theplanetarium profession does somethingincredibly dumb, somebody within our pro-fession does something good and worth-while which maintains the delicate balance!Disaster is averted! So, until next time, keepdoing all that good stuff, because if youdon’t, the Earth is in dire peril of tippingover into some weird alternate universethingy in which our planet orbits two sunsso it never gets dark, people never see thestars, space educators aren’t needed, none ofthe shops stock sticky toffee pudding andcustard, nobody has invented ice hockey…Oh, it’s all too horrible to contemplate.

OK, that’s it for now. I’m off to NASA toask why, if their rocket scientists are soclever, they can only count backwards… �

(MMoobbiillee,, continued from page 54) (FFoorruumm,, continued from page 53)


One of the most commonquestions we get in the planetar-ium is “why do the stars twin-kle?” It is such an obvious partof people’s experience of thenight sky, but in most of ourplanetariums the stars appearunnaturally still.

I co-direct a 60-seat planetari-um at a liberal arts university.We offer public shows three orfour times a semester. One of myfavorites was our CosmicQuestion Show. Here the publicwas asked to submit their ques-tions and we then prepared ashow around a selection of thebest submissions. Last semester Ireceived a question asking whythe stars twinkle. I produced ashort PowerPoint presentationcomplete with animations, butit was incomplete and some-what inconsistent with theexperience in the planetarium.The presentation stood in glar-ing contrast to the un-twinklingstars the audience would see fromour Spitz A4 star projector. Toaddress this shortcoming, Idevised the following demonstra-tion.

In the PowerPoint presenta-tion I explained to the audiencethat twinkling—or astronomical scintilla-tion—is caused mostly by turbulence in theEarth’s atmosphere. Like the weather, theamount of twinkling can change fromminute to minute and day to day and fromplace to place. Related to scintillation is thedistortion of extended astronomical objectsby the Earth’s atmosphere—for example theblurring of planetary images. The amount ofdistortion is often referred to as “seeing.” Agood (and somewhat common) analogy isthat looking at the stars from the surface ofthe Earth is like bird watching from the bot-tom of a swimming pool. The clarity of thebirds you see will depend on how calm or

turbulent the surface of the water is. I then took a blank sheet of overhead

transparency film to further demonstrate thephenomenon. Try not to use the cheaperbrands since they are more brittle. With thestars on, I turned up the cove-lights, walkedto the center of the dome, and held the trans-parency up to the audience.

I suggested that the Earth’s atmosphere is,for the most part, a clear layer of gases–notunlike a sheet of transparency film. I thentold the audience that the “calm” state of theatmosphere (i.e. laminar flow) is like the flatunwrinkled transparency film (see Figure).Under this kind of atmosphere our view of

the stars is relatively undistortedand so the stars do not appear totwinkle as much. At this pointyou may want to talk aboutwhere on the Earth this kind ofatmosphere is mostcommon–for example in themiddle of the ocean or high offthe ground. You may also wantto explain how astronomers arealways seeking these kinds ofplaces for their observatories inorder to get the sharpest views ofthe stars and planets. The ulti-mate location with the best see-ing is, of course, in outer space.

I then told the audience thatwhen the atmosphere is turbu-lent it mixes layers of warmerand colder air together. Thismixed-up atmosphere is made ofcountless little cells of warmerand colder air. These little aircells act as lenses that bend thestarlight as it passes through ouratmosphere.

At this point I crushed theoverhead transparency with myhands. It’s good to lower yourvoice and pause just before youdo this to add a little drama to thedemonstration. I then carefullyopened the crushed transparencyand revealed to the audience the

folds and ripples. I explained that the air’sturbulence acts like little ripples in the atmo-sphere and these ripples will distort theimages of the stars and planets. As the windcarries these ripples in front of the stars thestarlight will appear to scintillate or twinkle.At this point I turned off the cove lights andcarefully placed the wrinkled transparencyin front of the star ball of the Spitz. Again, toadd to the theatrical quality of the demon-stration, I climbed a ladder to reach the starball. I then gently waved the transparency infront of the projector and the stars on thedome twinkled. �

A Simply Scintillating DemonstrationRussell D. Sampson

Robert K. Wickware PlanetariumEastern Connecticut State UniversityWillimantic, Connecticut 06226 USA

[email protected]

The schematic illustrates laminar airflow which is simulated by an unwrin-kled overhead transparency. The schematic to the right represents an ideal-ized and highly magnified image of a diffraction limited star - an image seenunder excellent “seeing” conditions when scintillation is also reduced. Thelower set of schematics illustrates turbulent airflow which is simulated bythe wrinkled transparency film. The turbulence produces poor “seeing” andthus increased twinkling and is illustrated by the corresponding stellarimage.


Digital domes are popping up everywhere.At the start of 2007, there were 248 theatersworldwide listed on Loch Ness Productions’THE FULLDOME THEATER COMPENDIUMONLINE! 1 Planetariums qualifying for thislist include domes ranging from 3m to over23m, resolutions from 1 million pixels toover 12 million pixels, facilities both fixedand portable, domes both tilted and non-tilt-ed, seating both concentric and unidirec-tional, and projection systems ranging fromone to 11 edge-blended projectors.

How does someone considering a new dig-ital theater sort through this bewilderingrange of choices? Let’s take a closer look atsome of the tradeoffs and choices involvedin fulldome theater design, from the domescreen to the projector.

Hemispheric ProjectionRaster-based dome video projection has

come a long way since the first edge-blendedCRT (cathode ray tube) projection systemswere demonstrated in early 1997 by Spitzand GOTO Optical. Two factors have accel-erated the move away from CRT projectors.First is the inevitable obsolescence of theCRT. With only two major manufacturersremaining, support for this inherently ana-log technology is clearly waning. The secondfactor is the low cost and incredible success

of digital projector technologies, includingthe Texas Instruments’ Digital LightProcessor (DLP) and Liquid Crystal on Silicon(LCoS) spatial light modulators.Manufacturers of digital projectors havebeen very helpful in improving projectorperformance for the planetarium market,including a special iris that boosts contrast.Even with this, contrast remains an issue fordigital projectors (one exception: SEOSrecently demonstrated the Zorro projectorwith greatly extended dynamic range).Because of the contrast issue, make sure yoursystem (not individual projectors) has 2000:1sequential contrast2 or greater, or you will bedisappointed with the black levels, especial-ly if operating in conjunction with anoptomechanical star projector. Also, you willwant a brightness of 0.5-1.0 foot-Lamberts ifpossible to achieve film-like color saturation.

The typical DLP based system utilizes 6projectors, similar toCRT configurations, tocover the hemisphere.Because these projec-tors are digital withfixed pixels, it is nowpossible to add anauto-align feature thatautomatically adjustsgeometry, color bal-ancing, and edge-blends. Because of thedifficulty of manuallyaligning multiple pro-jectors on a sphericalscreen, I personallywould demand anauto-align feature forsystems with 4 or moreprojectors, though itwill add to the overallcost and not all ven-dors can deliver auto-alignment. As with alldigital projector sys-tems, inquire aboutlifetime and recurringcost of lamps, whichcan vary widely. Multi-projector edge-blend-ed systems can scale up to extremely highresolutions, but this comes with an associat-ed increase in system cost and complexity, asshown in Figure 1.

LCoS projectors are now available inmuch higher resolutions than DLPs, allow-ing ultra-high resolution fulldome displayswith as few as 2 projectors. The Sony SXRD4k projector boasts a resolution of 4096 x2160 pixels. Fed by four DVI inputs, eachSXRD can cover half of the hemisphere with

an appropriate custom lens, and is offered byseveral fulldome vendors, including E&S,Sky-Skan and Zeiss. When fed by an 8-piperender cluster, the result is over 12 millionpixels on the dome after vignetting andedge-blending are accounted for. Make sureyou see the quality of the projected image(crisp focus across the field) and edge-blendwhen shopping for such a system (should bea nearly invisible blend for solid colors andblack). Also, the SXRD contrast is limited,which could be an issue if operating in con-junction with an optomechanical star pro-jector. This 2-projector fulldome solution isvery robust and low-maintenance, andwould be high on my list of systems to con-sider.

Laser projectors are relative newcomers tothe planetarium field. Display lasers are effi-cient, solid-state light sources and producebeautiful, highly-saturated colors for anextended color gamut that includes hotpinks, deep reds, and lime greens. Zeiss intro-duced ADLIP to the planetarium market sev-

eral years ago. ADLIP HD utilizes multipleedge-blended scan heads (typically 6) to cre-ate a high-resolution, full-dome image. Scanheads are remotely connected to the laserunits via fiber optic cables. ADLIP HD resolu-tion is equivalent to DLP and CRT systems,and sequential contrast is very high(30,000:1) allowing the projector to be oper-ated in tandem with optomechanical starprojectors without any interference with thestarfield. A more recent entrant is the ESLPlaser projector from E&S that uses the grat-

Digital Frontiers

Ed LantzVisual Bandwidth, Inc.1290 Baltimore Pike,

Suite 111Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

19317 [email protected]

Figure 1. Typical multi-projector edge-blended fulldome projectioninstallation. Diagrams by author.


ing light valve (GLV) device andmirror scanner. While initiallydelayed by lingering R&D issues,the ESLP is now shipping and canbe seen in action at the newly ren-ovated Griffith Observatory in LosAngeles. Laser projectors have yetto achieve widespread adoption.When shopping for a laser displaysystem, be sure to consider long-term maintenance costs, contrastlimitations, and eye safety issuesthat may affect your theaterdesign.

Many smaller domes are satisfiedwith single-lens (fisheye) LCoS orDLP projection systems. Longbefore planetariums covered theirdomes with raster video, a compa-ny called Alternate Realities (laterrenamed Elumens) was quietlydelivering fisheye video projectorsto the simulator industry. Whilenot quite cinematic quality, single-lens systems are simple to set up and main-tain and can be driven by a single laptopcomputer, making them an excellent choicefor smaller educational planetariums,exhibits, production workstations orportable domes (see Figure 2 for block dia-gram of a typical single-lens installation). Forunidirectional theaters, a higher resolutioncan be obtained with “truncated hemispheri-cal” systems that utilize the full pixel widthof the rectangular frame with the circularfisheye image, thereby truncating the pro-jected image at the rear of the dome. Whenshopping for these systems, make sure toinspect image focus for flare at the edge ofthe field, and color convergence.

Seating ArrangementAs most planetarians already know, there

are two basic seating arrangements: concen-tric and unidirectional. Unidirectional seat-ing is by far the most popular in modern full-dome theaters, allowing stadium-type seat-ing under a tilted dome and drawing the visi-tor’s eyes towards a central, vertically-orient-ed focus allowing the use of contemporarystorytelling devices. There are numerousvariations on unidirectional seating arrange-ments, including epicentric and chevron,but all are loosely based on the principle ofangling individual seats towards the front ofthe theater.

The classical planetarium has concentricseating with all seats facing the center of thedome and the star projector. The commonfocus of the show is that area of stars at thezenith, requiring the front-row seats torecline substantially. This, unfortunately,competes with attempts to focus the audi-ence on a presenter standing in the center of

the dome. Concentric seating has the advan-tage that the forward-looking audience isalways greater than one dome radii from thedome screen (the first row in unidirectionaltheaters are often placed so close to thedome that one can clearly see pixels andscreen perforations). Concentric seating alsonearly doubles theater seating capacity com-pared to unidirectional designs.

Concentric seating presents serious diffi-culties when presenting content beyondstars, planets, and 360-degree panoramas,however. Programming featuring characters,text, or specific areas of interest cannot beseen simultaneously by all in the audience(without some severe neck stretching),requiring specialized storytelling techniques.Programming developed for unidirectionaltheaters cannot easily be adapted to concen-tric theaters, while the reverse is fairly easilyaccomplished. Some concentric planetari-ums simply populate only half of the theaterwhen presenting unidirectional program-ming.

Dome TiltUnidirectional theaters have the addition-

al choice of dome tilt. By tilting the domescreen, visitors may sit in a more uprightposition, and a virtual horizon line can besimulated that is true to gravity and includessubstantial imagery below the horizon line.Dome tilts range from slight (10 degrees orless) to extreme—up to 25-30 degrees. Thereare distinct architectural challenges createdby small domes with slight tilt having to dowith ingress and egress. Ideally, the domespring-line (or base-ring) is very close to theeye-plane of viewers to maximize theimmersive effect. Doorways must fit under

the dome, forcing a high domeheight. Tilted domes allowgreater height towards the rear tobetter accommodate doorways.

Extreme dome tilts createother challenges, including visi-tor disorientation or vertigo. Tominimize vertigo, visitors typi-cally enter at a lower level andexit at a higher level, preventingthem from having to walkdownwards. Another is a possiblesafety hazard that is createdwhen the seat backs do not riseappreciably above the level ofthe rows behind them, creating aforward drop-off without a safe-ty rail. I personally find a dometilt of around 20 degrees a goodcompromise, offering ampleforeground under the horizon,slightly reclined seating, andgood clearance at the rear fordoorways.

Interestingly, the eye is very tolerant toprogramming rendered with a particulardome/horizon tilt and played back on a sys-tem with a different tilt. One study by SpitzInc. suggested that a 15 degree camera tiltprovided the best results on all dome tiltsranging from 0-30 degrees3.

Dome ScreenWhen designing a new facility, the most

important factor driving cost and perfor-mance is the dome diameter. Building costsare impacted by square footage and ceilingheight, which are dramatically impacted byeven a small increase in dome diameter.Theater revenues and audience throughputare a function of seating capacity, whichscales according to area. A 12m tilted domewith unidirectional seating can seat approxi-mately 75-100, while a 15m dome seats 125-200 and a 23m dome, 250-300. Less seats gen-erally indicate greater comfort (wider rowsproviding additional legroom) and betterviewing experience (seats are not too close tothe front or sides of the dome screen).

Dedicated digital dome theaters mostoften use a truncated hemisphere or hypo-hemisphere with 165-170 degree total eleva-tion. This tends to bring the dome center ofradius down to eye level and reduces therequired ceiling height slightly. Domescreens are typically powder-coated or paint-ed perforated aluminum which is largelytransparent to sound and allows free air flowand partial passage of water from fire sprin-klers. Dome reflectivity is low to minimizecross-dome scatter that degrades contrast inbrighter images. Reflectance (sometimesreferred to as “gain”) of 0.3 or even lower isbest, assuming that the projection system is

Figure 2. Typical single-projector fulldome projection installation.


bright enough to tolerate the resulting lossin image brightness. Dome reflectance ofover 0.5 will look very washed out withbrighter images.

When selecting a perforated aluminumdome screen, be sure to inspect the manufac-turer’s dome surface for gain uniformity—both across a single panel and from panel-to-panel—and also panel seaming techniques. Itis ideal to have a uniform dome surfacewithout visible seams to maximize “sense ofpresence” by removing “reality cues,”reminders that one is simply sitting under adome screen.

The trend in recent years is to provide anunobstructed 360% gap between the bottomof the dome and the “knee wall,” creating avery flexible projection cove for the place-ment of video projectors, lighting and spe-cial effects. With changing technologies it isdifficult to predict future projection configu-rations, so built-in flexibility is preferred. I’veeven designed conduit leading to dome cen-ter in “pitless” digital planetariums just incase a centralized projection system is laterdesired.

Portable domes include positive-pressureinflatable fabrics (very easy to set up, suit-

able for temporary installations), negativepressure fabrics (requires assembly of supportframe, suitable for semi-permanent installa-tions), and fiberglass structures (full assemblyrequired, suitable for permanent installa-tions). There is also a very inexpensive“umbrella dome” on the market. Many largerplanetariums also have a small portabledome for educational outreach or for showproduction.

Other ChoicesThere are many other choices to be made

in designing a digital theater, includingaudio system (stereo or 5.1 up to 23.1), light-ing (LEDs are the best!), digital planetariumengine (typically integral to the display), andmore. Many vendors will recommend stan-dard configurations and components. Someinstitutions prefer to make their own choic-es, often with the help of a consultant who isfamiliar with the many tradeoffs involvedand their consequences, and who can“watchdog” the vendor to ensure that theydeliver as promised. In addition to theaterdesign and resulting “wow factor” of the dis-play, other considerations include recurringmaintenance costs, required maintenance

and operational staff, ease of use for pro-grammers and operators, upgrade capability,and risk of obsolescence.

If you are planning a new project or anupgrade, David McConville’s fulldome.orgforum and Ryan Wyatt’s fulldome Yahooemail list (groups.yahoo.com/group/full-dome/) are invaluable resources for askingquestions and hearing the experiences ofothers. Doing your homework will save youneedless headaches and ensure that your the-ater meets your expectations, both on open-ing day and over the years to come.

References1FTHE FULLDOME THEATER COMPENDI-

UM ONLINE! ; www.lochnessproduc-tions.com/lfco/lfco.html

2Lantz, Ed, “Fulldome Display Specifications:A Proposal,” Fulldome Standards Summitat IPS 2004; extranet.spitzinc.com/refer-ence/IPS2004/default.aspx

3Thompson, Brad, “Four Issues to ConsiderWhen Producing Fulldome Content forWide Distribution,” Fulldome StandardsSummit at IPS 2004; extranet.spitzinc.com/reference/IPS2004/default.aspx �


I am honored to have been elected an IPSFellow recently. I can't hold a candle to thework that all of you do and the knowledgethat you have about astronomy, planetari-um technology, and education. It has beenmy delight to work with and for you.

It seems like the last several Planetariandeadlines have been just before major NASAnews was announced, so I didn’t have any-thing to write about in time for the dead-lines. This is catch up time!

Barbara Morgan on ScheduleFirst, looking ahead to this summer, the

STS-118 shuttle mission is currently sched-uled to launch no earlier than June 28.Educator astronaut/mission specialistBarbara Morgan will be onboard to operatethe robotic arm as part of the assembly ofthe International Space Station. A number ofspecial educational activities are beingplanned in conjunction with the flight,although astronaut Morgan will not beteaching from space. The best way to stayinformed about the STS-118 educationalactivities is to subscribe to the NASAEducation Express listserve atwww.nasa.gov/education/express. STS-118mission information is on-line atwww.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts118/index.

Two planetary missions will launch thissummer: Dawn, which will explore the aster-oids Vesta and Ceres, is scheduled to launchno earlier than June 20, 2007, while Phoenix,which will land near Mars’ northern polarcap, is scheduled for launch no earlier thanAugust 3.

In September, NASA’s Science MissionDirectorate released the 2006 Solar SystemExploration Roadmap (available online athttp://verity01 . jpl .nasa .gov/sse/multimedia/downloads.cfm). The scientific foun-dation is a set of fundamental questions:• How did the Sun’s family of planets and

minor bodies originate?• How did our Solar System evolve to its

current diverse state?• What are the characteristics of our Solar

System that led to the origins of life?• How did life begin and evolve on Earth

and has it evolved elsewhere in the SolarSystem?

• What are the hazards and resources in theSolar System environment that will affectthe extension of human presence inspace?A unifying theme is habitability—the abil-

ity of worlds to support life. Some of the mis-sions envisioned include Europa Explorer,Titan Explorer, Venus Mobile Explorer,Europa Astrobiology Lander, Neptune-Triton Explorer, Saturn Flyby with ShallowProbes, Comet Surface Sample Return, VenusIn-Situ Explorer, and South Pole Aiken BasinSample Return, along with smaller- andmedium-class missions,and, of course, researchand analysis of the mis-sion results. If even afew of these missionsmake it off the drawingboard to their destina-tions, we’ve got a lot tolook forward to in thenext 30 years. Of course,all of these missions arein addition to theVision for SpaceExploration’s emphasison sending humans tothe Moon and Mars.

In late October, NASAannounced the semi-finalists vying to be thenext Discovery Programmission. According tothe program website,the unique approach ofthe Discovery Programis to increase flightrates, contain total mis-

sion costs, improve performance throughthe use of new technology, broaden univer-sity and industry participation, and increasepublic awareness of solar system exploration.

According to the press release, NASA hasselected concept studies for missions thatwould return a sample of an enigmatic aster-oid, probe the chemistry of Venus' atmo-sphere, and reveal the interior structure andhistory of the Earth's Moon. The OriginsSpectral Interpretation, ResourceIdentification and Security (OSIRIS) missionwould survey an asteroid and provide thefirst return of asteroid surface material sam-ples to Earth. Michael Drake of theUniversity of Arizona, Tucson is OSIRIS'sprincipal investigator. NASA's GoddardSpace Flight Center, Greenbelt, Marylandwould manage the project.

The Vesper mission is a Venus chemistryand dynamics orbiter that would advanceour knowledge of the planet's atmosphericcomposition and dynamics. Gordon Chin ofGoddard is Vesper's principal investigatorand Goddard would manage the project. TheGravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory(GRAIL) mission would use high-qualitygravity field mapping of the Moon to deter-mine its interior structure. Maria Zuber ofthe Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, Massachusetts is GRAIL's princi-pal investigator. NASA's Jet PropulsionLaboratory, Pasadena, California, wouldmanage the project.

Also selected for further study are threemissions of opportunity that would makenew use of two NASA spacecraft—Stardustand Deep Impact—that have completed their

NASA Space Science News

Anita M. SohusNASA/Jet Propulsion

LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of

Technology4800 Oak Grove Drive

Pasadena, California 91109USA

(1) 818-354-6613(1) 818-354-7586 fax

[email protected]

Astronauts Dafydd “David” R. Williams (left), representing the CanadianSpace Agnecy, and Barbara R. Morgan, both STS-118 mission specialists,wait for the start of a mission training session in the Space VehicleMockup Facility at Johnson Space Center. NASA photo.


primary objectives. The Deep ImpacteXtended Investigation of Comets (DIXI)mission would use the existing Deep Impactspacecraft for an extended flyby mission to asecond comet to take pictures of its nucleusto increase our understanding of the diversi-ty of comets. Michael A'Hearn of theUniversity of Maryland, College Park, isDIXI's principal investigator.

The Extrasolar Planet Observations andCharacterization (EPOCh) mission would usethe high-resolution camera on the DeepImpact spacecraft to search for the firstEarth-sized planets detected around otherstars. L. Drake Deming of Goddard is EPOCh's

principal investigator. The Stardust NExT mission would use the

existing Stardust spacecraft to flyby cometTempel 1 and observe changes since theDeep Impact mission visited it in 2005.Tempel 1 made its closest approach to theSun in 2005, possibly changing the surface ofthe comet. Joseph Veverka of CornellUniversity, Ithaca, NY, is NExT's principalinvestigator.

Mars FinalistsIn early January, NASA announced the

two finalists in the latest round of competi-tions for scientific missions to Mars. These

two mission concepts now enter a period offurther study and design before one of themwill be given the green light to go to Mars inthe 2011 launch opportunity (Earth-to-Marslaunch opportunities occur every 26months). According to the press release, theMars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolutionmission, or MAVEN, would provide first-of-its-kind measurements and address key ques-tions about Mars climate and habitabilityand improve understanding of dynamic pro-cesses in the upper Martian atmosphere andionosphere. The principal investigator isBruce Jakosky, University of Colorado,Boulder. Goddard will provide project man-agement.

The Great Escape mission would directlydetermine the basic processes in Martianatmospheric evolution by measuring thestructure and dynamics of the upper atmo-sphere. In addition, potentially biogenicatmospheric constituents such as methanewould be measured. The principal investiga-tor is Alan Stern, Southwest ResearchInstitute, Boulder, Colorado. SouthwestResearch Institute, San Antonio, Texas willprovide project management.

NASA has selected Alian Wang ofWashington University, St. Louis, Missourito study the chemistry, mineralogy, andastrobiology of Mars using instrumentationon the European Space Agency's ExoMarsmission, scheduled for launch in 2013.

Two proposals for technology develop-ment studies that may lead to further NASAcontributions to ExoMars or other Mars mis-sions also have been selected. Urey MarsOrganic and Oxidant Detector would inves-tigate organics and oxidant materials onMars using three complementary detectionsystems. The principal investigator is JeffreyBada, University of California at San Diego.California.

Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer, orMOMA, would investigate organic molecu-lar signatures and the environment in whichthey exist using a mass spectrometer and gaschromatograph. The principal investigator isLuann Becker, University of California atSanta Barbara, California.

NASA's twin Solar Terrestrial RelationsObservatories (STEREO) were launchedOctober 25, 2006 and will dramaticallyimprove our understanding of the powerfulsolar eruptions that can send more than abillion tons of the Sun's outer atmospherehurtling into space: go towww.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/oct/HQ_06340_STEREO_launch.html). STEREO hasalready sent back incredible images: seewww.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stereo/news/first_light.html.

Date Target Spacecraft Event

Feb 28, 2007 Jupiter New Horizons Jupiter flyby

Mar 16, 2007 * International SpaceStation (ISS)

STS-117 Launch

Apr 25, 2007 * Earth: PolarMesospheric Clouds

AIM Launch

Jun 5, 2007 Venus MESSENGER 2nd Flyby

Jun 20, 2007 * Asteroids Vestaand Ceres

Dawn Launch

Jun 28, 2007 * ISS STS-118 Launch

Aug 3, 2007 * Mars Phoenix Launch

Sep 7, 2007 * ISS STS-120 Launch

Oct 2007 * ISS STS-122 Launch

Oct 7, 2007 * Gamma Rays Gamma-ray Large Area SpaceTelescope (GLAST)

Launch

Dec 2007 * ISS STS-123 Launch

Dec 6, 2007 * Earth's weather NOAA-N Prime Launch

May 25, 2008 Mars Phoenix Landing

Oct 2008 Universe Kepler Launch

Mar 2009 Mars Dawn Gravity Assist

Mar 18, 2011 Mercury MESSENGER Orbit Insertion

Sep 2011 Asteroid Vesta Dawn Arrival

Apr 2012 Asteroid Vesta Dawn Departure

Feb 2015 Asteroid Ceres Dawn Arrival

Jul 2015 Asteroid Ceres Dawn End of primarymission

Jul 14, 2015 Pluto New Horizons Encounter

*No earlier than(Please see NNAASSAA on page 68)



How many of you write planetarium pro-grams? Hands? How many write classroomlessons, or scripts for demonstrations in yourmuseum or center? I know there are newspa-per column authors out there, and writers ofmagazine articles. How about web page text?Blogs? Email? Does anyone still write mes-sages on paper with pen or pencil?

As you read what others have written oras you’re editing your own work, have youever “taken a step back” in your mind, andsaid to yourself, “Now there’s a great writing

style”? Or even “Goodness. Do I write likethat? My grade school grammar teacherwould be horrified!”

Among all the published print on theplanet, there are some real gems and thereare some clinkers. Thiscolumn has reviews ofboth kinds. Read thebooks if you get achance. Analyze thestyles, and see if thereis anything you’d liketo incorporate intoyour own writtencommunication. Oranything that pro-vides pointers on howto do better.

Many thanks to loyal reviewers FrancineJackson, John Schroer, and Ryan Wyatt forthis issue’s reviews. We’ll begin a while backin time, and head out to the far reaches.

Uncentering the Earth:Copernicus and the Revolutions

of the Heavenly SpheresWilliam T. Vollmann, Atlas Books LLC, 10

East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022, 2006,ISBN 0-393-05969-3, US $22.95.

Reviewed by Ryan Wyatt, Rose Center forEarth & Space, American Museum of NaturalHistory, New York, NY 10024, USA

William Vollmann prefaces his new bookon Copernicus with a page that reads in part:“This book is a member of a series of booksabout science written mostly by non-scien-tists. In my own case, the result was an auto-didact’s exercise in explicating a subjectslightly beyond my intellectual compe-tence.” The series to which he refers is theGreat Discoveries imprint of Atlas Books andW.W. Norton.

Although many of the books in the series(e.g., Rebecca Goldstein’s brilliant volume onGödel and Madison Smartt Bell’s capabletreatise on Lavoisier) give concise and thor-ough introductions to famous scientists andtheir work, Vollmann has produced an abso-lute embarrassment to the publisher.

Although he gets much of the science cor-rect, his labored prose reflects a level of con-fusion about the topic that prevents himfrom describing it lucidly. Core themesemerge, most prominently the aestheticqualities of the geocentric system, with itselegant nested spheres dividing the imper-fect sublunary world from the idealizedsuperlunary realm. In fact, the author seemsso captivated by the ancient Greek cosmolo-gy that he bemoans its loss and continuallydrifts back to an Aristotelian viewpoint.

Unfortunately, he thus presents the readerwith a constantly shifting perspective—thePtolemaic, the Copernican, and the modern,often on the same page or within the sameparagraph—that disrupts the development of

any narrative or conceptual thread. Evenmore damaging to the overall flow andstructure of the book, Vollmann slogsthrough De Revolutionibus chapter by chap-ter, even when he seems unable to followthe mathematical arguments, and then, as ifto share his discomfort, he complains aboutthe experience and highlights particularlyknotty and opaque portions of Copernicus’smanuscript. The muddled result obfuscatesconcepts rather than clarifying them, andwhile a few of the examples give insight intohow Copernicus worked, the majority comeacross as non sequiturs.

Vollmann also gets some of the sciencedead wrong. The text is littered with minorbut annoying flaws: a useless and incorrectformula for angular momentum, fundamen-tally erroneous diagrams, and scrambled def-initions, to name a few. On occasions whenan astronomer-editor corrects his work,Vollmann often deflects the correction as aparenthetical or even buries it in an endnote.

At the very least, Vollmann selectedappropriate books to tackle his research, andhe annotates his work well. His voluminousendnotes and extensive bibliography makeit easier to track down places where he haseither misinterpreted or simply ignored thework of his predecessors.

Vollmann lends nothing to his topic thatother authors haven’t already illuminatedwith greater accuracy, readability, and schol-arship. For a more concise history, onewould do better to pick up John Henry’s suc-cinct and instructive Moving Heaven andEarth. For a detailed look at the Copernicansystem, one should reference OwenGingerich’s extensive work (e.g., many of thecollected essays in The Eye of Heaven). Andfor a sense of the aesthetic impulse thatunderlies the Aristotelian system, one couldlook at C.S. Lewis’s The Discarded Image .Vollmann touches on all these ideas, but hemangles them and never manages to sculpt aunifying theme.

Reviews

April S. WhittFernbank Science Center156 Heaton Park Drive NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30307 [email protected]

William Vollmann prefaces his new book onCopernicus with a page that reads in part:“This book is a member of a series of booksabout science written mostly by non-scien-tists. In my own case, the result was anautodidact’s exercise in explicating a subjectslightly beyond my intellectual competence.”


Space Tourism: Do YouWant to Go?

John Spencer with Karen L. Rugg, ApogeeBooks, Burlington, Ontario, Canada, 2004,ISBN 1894959086, US $20.95.

Reviewed by Francine Jackson, University ofRhode Island Planetarium, Providence,Rhode Island, USA

In 1992, the paper “The Prospects for SpaceTourism: Investigation on the Economic andTechnological Feasibility of CommercialPassenger Transportation into Low EarthOrbit” was presented at the InternationalAstronomical Federation Congress. In Marchof 1996, Ad Astra , the magazine of theNational Space Society, was dedicated entire-ly to space tourism. In November 1997,Japan’s New Type magazine asked its youngreaders, “What would you most like to dobefore you die?” The most popular ambition:To travel into space. So, why aren’t we?

This question had so bothered authorJohn Spencer that he founded the SpaceTourism Society to pioneer the frontier ofspace travel in low Earth orbit, on thepremise that the public wants to go. In fact,in March of 1995, Newt Gingerich, speakingat a National Space Society policy seminar,believed that a hotel would be orbiting theEarth by 2015. So, where is it being construct-ed?

This book is all about the dream. In SpaceTourism, you can actually feel the cheerlead-

ing rah-rah of Spencer and Rugg, who, ingreat detail, have come up with a time linefor the development of what is—and shouldbe—our next chance for the ultimate vaca-tion. Now, surprisingly, the authors stayclear of any form of development other thantourism; their goal is strictly allowing theaverage person—of any age—the ability tosee what, with few exceptions, only astro-nauts are capable of enjoying. That just does-n’t seem fair to the authors, so they havecome up with plans for a space hotel, shut-tles to get us there, a mini computer “bot” todirect the traveler to any place he needs togo, and the computer brains to mesh thiswhole thing together. In fact, about a quarterof this book is titled “The Space Experience,”which is the diary of a lottery winner whoseprize is an all-expense-paid trip aboard theDestiny, the world’s first orbital super yacht.

And, what lies at the forefront of thiswhole design and construction process is theapparent necessity to have everything paidfor out of private funds. The entire industryis based on “wealthy private citizens and lot-tery winners,” with the idea that, after thisearly shot in the arm, the tourism marketwill be able to sustain itself.The first step,though, is to convert the International SpaceStation into the first generation privateyacht, with others quickly following. Also,

the authors don’twant us to forgetthat orbital tourismis just the first step inmoving up to theMoon, then Mars.And why not?

Not surprisingly,much of the book reveres Dennis Tito, thefirst civilian to have paid his own way intospace. His liftoff was obviously a catalyst towriting what should be a primer for anyonewho has a wish to look down at theEarth. And, it works. If you read thisand don’t want to follow in Mr. Tito’smicrogravity footsteps, perhaps youshould consider an imagination trans-plant.

Do you want to go? Read this bookfirst. It may have you chomping at thebit to get off this planet and see it as so veryfew have been able to. Also, it may have youbuying more (or starting to buy) lottery tick-ets, in hopes that you might be one of thepersons responsible for an alternative desti-nation vacation in the very near future.

Cosmology Revealed: LivingInside the Cosmic Egg

Anthony Fairall, Springer-Praxis Books,Chichester, UK, 2001, ISBN 1-85233-322-7,hardbound, US $44.95.

Reviewed by Francine Jackson, University ofRhode Island Planetarium, Providence,Rhode Island, USA

It seems as if anyone taking a course inastronomy wants to know all about cosmo-logical principles, which, for the most part,are the hardest concepts for a neophyteastronomer to comprehend. Any introducto-ry book on the subject usually assumes morebackground knowledge than the averagereader has. Not so here. Tony Fairall ’sCosmology Revealed: Living Inside the CosmicEgg is the product of a person like us, a plane-tarium director who takes joy in introducingastronomy to the public.

Cosmic Egg starts here, at home, thenexpands our sight straight out of the galaxy,through the depth of the universe, or, “con-tained within a very large spherical shell…acosmic egg wherein we live for…eternity. Anegg that, like its chocolate counterpart,

never hatches. We have no way of everknowing what is outside.” From there webegin the journey both through the universeand through history, learning exactly howwe found our way to where we are today. Ofcourse, Edwin Hubble appears very promi-nently, but so do Vesto Slipher, whose con-tributions are often passed over; Fred Hoyle,of the alternative steady state; and othersperhaps not normally mentioned withrespect to this, such as Jaan Einasto and thereally historical work of such as Richard

In November, 1997, Japan’s New Type maga-zine asked its young readers, “What wouldyou most like to do before you die?” Themost popular ambition: To travel into space.

To anyone looking to recommenda good book on cosmology, thisis ideal.


Proctor and the Herschels. The language isclear, concise, and very readable.

The illustrations and images contained ineach chapter are perfect complements to thetext. Also, there are two “beautiful” sections,one a set of Hubble images of objects in ourgalaxy, other galaxies, and the two “distantuniverse” photographs. The second is a set ofthree-dimensional images (glasses are in theback) starting here, in our solar system, out-ward through the galaxy, to the distantgalactic neighbors, and ending as close as wecan get to the Cosmic Eggshell.

The only downside to this book is thecopyright, 2001. As with the rest of astrono-my, discoveries happen too fast. CosmologyRevealed has everything: it is short, onlyabout 130 pages, but to the point. To anyonelooking to recommend a good book on cos-mology, this is ideal.

The Little Moon Phase Book –English Large Print and Braille/El Pequeño Libro de las Fases de

la Luna – Español Noreen Grice, OZONE Publishing Corp.,

PMB 500 RR-8 Box 1995, Bayamón, PuertoRica 00956-9676 (www.ozonepublishing.net),ISBN 0-9773285-0-3 US $23.95

Reviewed by John Schroer, The New DetroitScience Center, Detroit, Michigan USA

Once in a while I come across a book thatgives a new method of teaching astronomy.For many of the visitors to our planetariums,it is just a matter of getting them seated inour theater and starting our presentations.However, what could your theater do for anaudience member who is visually challengedor even incapable of sight? How do youcommunicate the wonders of the universeand the joys of skywatching to someonewho has limited vision?

One of the folks working on this problemis Noreen Grice, the planetarium operationscoordinator at the Charles HaydenPlanetarium in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.Noreen is also president of You Can DoAstronomy (www.youcandoastronomy.com) and is the author of the Little MoonPhase Book. While only 12 pages long, this lit-tle publication has a big goal: helping the

visually challenged explore our nearestneighbor, the Moon. Using a large print fontand Braille type underneath, the Little Bookof Moon Phases takes you on an explorationof the Moon, why there are phases, and whateach of theeight phases looks like

The Little Book begins with a short intro-duction to the Moon’s motions, how it keepsone side facing towards Earth, and how theMoon’s movement in its orbit creates thephases viewed by earthly observers. Noreenthen guides her readers on how to use theembossed maps with each major phase.

The Moon is bordered with a hyphenatedline. Lunar features are shown in photo-graphic detail, as seen through a telescope.The maria feel like smooth areas, whilecraters are raised bumps. The area of theMoon not receiving any sunlight is com-pletely smooth. At the upper corner of eachpage, the phase of the moon is shown as seenby the naked eye, and the sunlit area glowsin the dark!

This publication is a must-have for plane-tarians working with the visually challengedor impaired visitor. �

This publication is a must-have for planetarians work-ing with the visually chal-lenged or impaired visitor.

MGS Falls SilentAfter 10 years in space, the Mars Global

Surveyor spacecraft went silent inNovember. NASA has convened an investi-gation to look in-depth into why MGS wentsilent and to recommend any processes orprocedures that could increase safety forother spacecraft. MGS operated longer atMars than any other spacecraft in historyand for more than four times as long as theprime mission originally planned.

In late January, the Advanced Camera forSurveys on the Hubble Space Telescope alsowent blank, apparently due to a nasty shortcircuit. Fortunately, the workhorse WideField and Planetary Camera 2 can be pressedback into work, along with the Near InfraredCamera Multi-object Spectrograph (NIC-MOS) and fine guidance sensors.

The International Polar Year is upon us,with the official start in March 2007. Thetwo-year IPY period runs through March2009 because the polar research seasons ateach pole are 18 months long and they over-lap. The Association of Science-Technology

Centers (ASTC) is running an IPY-related pro-ject called IGLO (International Action onGlobal Warming) and their websitewww.astc.org/iglo/ is likely to be a goodsource of information and educational activ-ities. In a recent Dome-l posting, one plane-tarian reminded us that climate is an astro-nomical topic—just look at Venus and Mars,for example.

And finally, another reminder to sendfeedback to your NASA education and out-reach contacts on a regular basis, especiallyabout how you use specific NASA resourcesin your shows, exhibits, programs, etc. Thisfeedback is the only way to show that thereis value in working with planetariums.Audience numbers are a valuable metric, andif you can tell us further the age, diversity,etc., of your audiences, that is even better.Remember the old adage: if managementdoesn’t know about it, it didn’t happen.

Highlights from 2006The year 2006 was book-ended by news

items from Stardust, NASA's comet samplereturn mission. The capsule containing pris-tine samples of Comet Wild 2 returned to

Earth on January 15, 2006, and in Decemberscientists revealed results about a cosmic zooof particles formed at different times andplaces within our Solar System. Latest news isat stardust.jpl.nasa.gov.

The Japanese Hinode (“Sunrise”) satellite(formerly known as Solar-B) is also returningextraordinary new images of our Sun(www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/solar-b/index.html) which support many scientists'prediction that the next solar cycle is goingto be a big one (science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/21dec_cycle24.htm?list958533).

Looking away from our neighborhood,the French/ESA COROT satellite began itsmission to peer into the blinding light ofnearby stars in an attempt to discover thefirst rocky planets outside our solar system(http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/COROT/SEMYOPQJNVE_0.html).

A newly-discovered hybrid gamma-rayburst observed by the NASA Swift missionshows us we still have many fascinatingthings to learn about how these energeticevents create black holes and neutron stars:(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/bursts/hybrid_grb.html). �

(NNAASSAA,, ccoonnttiinnuueedd ffrroomm page 71)


Planetariums and the ADAIn previous columns I have discussed

issues that relate primarily to intellectualproperty and the rights and responsibilitiesassociated with planetarium shows, music,images, and similar elements. Departingslightly from the general content-orientedfocus of my prior columns, in this install-ment I hope to provide some general back-ground on laws relating to accommodatingindividuals with disabilities. As usual, thiscolumn should be considered a source ofbasic background information on disabilityand accommodation law, and not a point-by-point guide to this complex area. Instead,I aim to provide you with the basic legallandscape and some key points so that whenconfronted with an accommodation con-cern, you will be better prepared to identifythe relevant issues and focus the discussionwith your own counsel.

The Legal FrameworkPassed into law in 1990, the Americans

with Disabilities Act (“ADA” or “the Act”)serves as the primary source of disability andaccommodation law in the United States.According to the legislative declaration ofpurpose, the ADA was designed to providethe 43 million disabled Americans with amechanism by which to seek redress for dis-ability-based discrimination.

The ADA is divided into four broad sec-tions, each relating to a specific area of con-cern. Title I requires employers to provideequal employment opportunities to quali-fied individuals, regardless of their disability.Title II applies to stateand local governmentactivities, and general-ly requires that gov-ernment services, pro-grams, and facilitiesare adequately accessi-ble. Title III imposessimilar requirementson private organiza-tions. Finally, Title IVprovides accessibility requirements fortelecommunications systems and requirespublic accommodations, whether publiclyor privately owned, to provide avenues ofeffective communication for people withdisabilities. Note that there is no distinctionbetween for-profit and nonprofit entities—both would fall under the ambit of Title III.

Although the Act is the principal source ofdisability and accommodation law in theUnited States, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973provides that recipients of federal fundingare prohibited from discriminating againstindividuals with disabilities. Issues relatingto the Rehabilitation Act frequently arise inthe context of federal grant programs, sincegovernment agencies such as the NationalScience Foundation generally inquire aboutRehabilitation Act compliance on the appli-cation materials and grant recipients are gen-erally required to warrant compliance withthe Rehabilitation Act in the grant contract.

Various states have also implementedanti-discrimination laws aimed at protectingindividuals with disabilities. Although feder-al laws generally trump state laws, in someissues (such as anti-discrimination regula-tion), whichever law provides the greatest

protection to the public is controlling. As aresult, a comprehensive analysis of youraccessibility obligations requires a review ofboth federal and state law. Because state lawsare generally verbose and complex, a reviewof each state’s statutes is beyond the scope ofthis column, and again illustrates the impor-tance of discussing these issues with yourown attorneys.

Sections with ParticularRelevance to Planetarians

Like most organizations operating in theUnited States, a planetarium (or museum orscience center) likely has obligations arisingfrom all four Titles of the ADA. To the extentthat a planetarium serves as an employer, forexample, it must comply with the provi-sions of Title I which generally requires that

employers make reasonable accommoda-tions so that qualified individuals may per-form the essential functions of their jobs.The precise contours of Title I, however, arebest left to a discussion of labor and employ-ment law. In the remainder of this column, Idiscuss some of the major points of Titles IIand III, the operative provisions of the ADAthat are most relevant to planetarians interms of accommodating disabled visitors.

As I mentioned briefly above, Title IIapplies to government entities such as statesand municipalities. Accordingly, planetari-ums, museums, and science centers that areowned and operated by government enti-tles, including state-run colleges and univer-sities, are governed by the rules set forth inTitle II. In general terms, Title II providesthat a public entity may not prohibit a dis-abled individual from participating in anyservice, program, or activity solely becauseof the disability.

Public entities must make “reasonablemodifications” to accommodate individualswith disabilities and must provide certainaids to assist such individuals participate inpublic programs and services, provided,however, that such accommodative aids, ser-vices, and modifications do not “fundamen-tally alter” the nature or character of the pro-grams, and that the costs of the aids, services,and modifications are not passed along tothose who benefit from them.

Because integrating individuals with dis-

General Counsel

Christopher S. ReedCSR Media, LLC

12106 West 75th LaneArvada, Colorado 80005-5306 USA(1) 720-236-3007

(1) 760-466-6440 (fax)[email protected]

General Counsel is intended to serve as a source of general information on legalissues of interest to the planetarium community. Planetarians seeking informationon how the principles discussed in a General Counsel column apply to their own cir-cumstances should seek the advice of their own attorneys.

Like most organizations operating in theUnited States, a planetarium (or museum orscience center) likely has obligations arisingfrom all four Titles of the ADA.


abilities into mainstream society is a majorobjective of the ADA, public entities muststrive to incorporate their disability accom-modations into their ordinary programs andservices. While it is permissible to offer sepa-rate programming for those afflicted withdisabilities, it is unlawful to prohibit an indi-vidual from attending an “ordinary” pro-gram. For example, a planetarium may offerspecial showings of its programs with cap-tions to accommodate those with hearingimpairments, but it may not prevent a hear-ing-impaired individual from attending ashow without the captions.

Contrary to widespread belief, the ADAdoes not require that public buildings beequipped with elevators, ramps, and otheraccommodations. It does, however, requirethat the programs and services that areoffered inside the buildings be made accessi-ble to those with disabilities. A courthousewith courtrooms accessible only by stair-way, for example, could comply with theADA by simply holding court sessions inground-floor rooms. In the case of new con-struction or substantial alteration to existingstructures, however, public entities arerequired to ensure that the newly designedfacilities are accessible.

Facilities that are privately owned neednot concern themselves with Title II, butmust instead consider Title III of the ADAwhich is applicable to any entity that owns aplace of “public accommodation” such as arestaurant, hotel, or a museum, science cen-ter, or planetarium. The requirements forTitle III compliance are relatively similar,requiring public accommodations to pro-vide an integrated setting in which it pro-vides equal access to its goods and/or servicesto both disabled and non-disabled individu-als.

Like public entities, a public accommoda-tion must make reasonable modifications toits policies, practices, and procedures so longas the modifications do not impose anundue burden and do not fundamentallyalter the nature or character of the servicesprovided. While public accommodations arerequired to provide accessible facilities, theyare not required to provide personal devices

like wheelchairs or personal services to indi-viduals with disabilities (e.g., assistance witheating).

The rules relating to the modification ofexisting facilities are slightly different withrespect to public accommodations, as theyrequire physical barriers to be modifiedwhen “readily achievable,” which has beendefined to mean, generally, “easily accom-plishable and able to be carried out withoutmuch difficulty or expense.” If such modifi-cations are not readily achievable, publicaccommodations must take alternative mea-sures to ensure that individuals with disabili-ties have equal access to the accommoda-tion’s services and programs.

As with Title II, Title III mandates thatnew construction and facility alterationsmust be accessible provided that incorporat-ing the accessible elements is not “structural-ly impracticable.” The Act, and variousguidelines and other documents interpretingthe statutory provisions provide a morass ofvery specific formulae, standards, and tech-nical explanations relating to what is and isnot required under certain conditions andcircumstances.

The technical complexity is far beyondthe scope of this column and, once again,underscores the importance for consultationwith qualified, competent counsel as well asarchitects familiar with ADA complianceissues before embarking on any sort of newconstruction or facility renovation project.

For More Information Although the complexity of the ADA can

be daunting at first, one advantage of suchintricacy is that it has led to the develop-ment of a great deal of interpretive materialdesigned to help people understand theirlegal rights and responsibilities. One particu-larly useful resource for further informationis the Department of Justice, the governmentagency charged with overseeing the imple-mentation and enforcement of the Act.Their ADA web site at http://www.ada.govprovides a wealth of information on the var-ious sections of the Act, technical assistancemanuals, standards for accessible design, anda slew of other resources.

The Department of Justice also offers anADA information line at (800) 514-0301,which connects callers directly with ADAspecialists who are familiar with variousareas of ADA compliance and can offer assis-tance and advice on a wide range of accessi-bility-related topics. As of this writing, theinformation line is staffed Monday throughFriday, 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time,except on Thursday, when it opens at 12:30p.m.

As I have reiterated several times, the ADAis a remarkably lengthy and complex bodyof law. While it is difficult to argue against itsfundamental goals and objectives, under-standing the technical minutiae and com-plex compliance requirements of the ADAcan be overwhelming and frustrating.Fortunately, attorneys, architects, and otherprofessionals are already experts in the fieldand stand ready to help battle your compli-ance issues.

Many institutions and certainly most pub-lic entities have attorneys either on staff oron call that can discuss, in far more detailthan I have presented here, your responsibili-ties under the ADA and can advise you onissues specific to your circumstances. Armedwith a basic understanding of the law and itsgeneral requirements, your discussions withthe legal and design professionals will be farmore useful.

General Counsel is intended to serve as asource of general information on legal issuesof interest to the planetarium community.Planetarians seeking information on howthe principles discussed in a General Counselcolumn apply to their own circumstancesshould seek the advice of their own attor-neys. �

Contrary to widespread belief, the ADA does notrequire that public buildings be equipped with ele-vators, ramps, and other accommodations. Itdoes, however, require that the programs andservices that are offered inside the buildings bemade accessible to those with disabilities.

iStockphoto.com


2006 Election ResultsI would like to express a sincere “Thank

You” to everyone who recently voted. As aresult we have an eminently qualified newpresident elect, Thomas Mason fromArmagh Planetarium, Ireland. Welcomeaboard Tom! Congratulations also to LeeAnn Hennig and Shawn Laatsch; we are allgrateful for your continued excellent service.I certainly appreciate the chance to workwith them, Tom, now Past President MartinGeorge, the entire council, and the variouscommittees as we strive to provide memberswith services that meet their varied needs.Please contact us with your concerns andsuggestions about how IPS can better serveyou; we depend on your input!

What does IPS Offer?A student recently asked, “Mrs. Button,

have you heard about scientists’ discovery ofa galaxy that seems too massive for currenttheories?” (www.universetoday.com/am/publish/distant_galaxy_too_massive.html)

The discovery he cited indicates thatmature stars and large galaxies formed muchearlier in cosmic history than was expected.An interesting class discussion ensued and Imade the point that this kind of surprise is

what makes science so dynamic and excit-ing.

I feel very strongly that many people donot understand that IPS, like that galaxy, issurprisingly more massive and mature thanthe casual observer could detect. It is excit-ing to examine how impressive it is .Although the International PlanetariumSociety was formed a mere 36 years ago (thefirst conference was held in October of 1970),it has quickly evolved into a robust organi-zation and continues to mature as our indus-try rapidly changes. It quietly provides aenormous amount of assistance to planetari-ans all over the world.

IPS is a professional organization that isand will continue to be responsive to theneeds of its over 700 members from 35 coun-tries. Encouraging the sharing of ideasamong its members through conferences,publications, and networking is the primarygoal and greatest influence of the Society. Bysharing their insights and creative work, IPSmembers become better planetarians, pro-grammers, artists, technicians, teachers, andso on.

Challenges for the IPSChallenges for the IPS council include

efforts to increase the visibility of IPS, toencourage new affiliations, and to promotenew memberships (to become even moremassive!). We are taking steps in that direc-tion immediately. Council recentlyapproved a new initiative in an effort tomake IPS more inclusive, to increase visibili-ty, and to introduce non-members to IPS andall that it has to offer. Through this initia-tive, invitations were sent to planetarianswho are not currently IPS members tobecome an associate of the Society. IPSAssociates will electronically receive, free ofcharge, the IPS News. This will allow col-leagues who are not members to glimpsesome of the issues and workings that IPSaddresses and perhaps entice them to join usin our work and fun. In short, this initiativeis designed to spark interest and inform newcontacts about IPS activities and benefits.Council will review this offer after two yearsto determine if it is as effective as we hope.

A second strategy for improving our visi-bility is to rework and streamline theOutreach Committee. Jon Elvert, the newchair of this committee, will share morespecifics on this in the June 2007 issue of thePlanetarian and you will see some wonderfulinitiatives born from his efforts.

Take Advantage of the BenefitsIf you are a member of IPS, you can take

advantage of a multitude of benefits .Council hopes that current and new mem-bers make use of all the opportunities thatIPS now offers in order to get the most out ofyour membership. You can promote how weserve our membership to others by citing theextensive list of benefits on the IPS website(www.ips-planetarium.org/or/ips-howto.html). Just to clarify how complex andbeneficial IPS is, I would like to emphasizeand make a few comments about points onthat list. I have included some points of myown that are intuitive but infrequently usedby members. The on-line list is impressivelylong, so take your time and really thinkabout each one so that you can get the mostout of your IPS membership!

IPS members represent schools, collegesand universities, museums, and public facili-ties of all sizes, including both fixed andportable planetariums as well as digital andanalog. Members include directors, teachers,technicians, programmers, writers, artists,media specialists, presenters, vendors, scien-tists, students, and sponsors and friends ofthe planetarium and the night sky andmulti-media presentations. That means thata variety of interesting people are availableto be tapped for advice and resources (and tovisit on vacation!).

Speaking of resources, you can gain infor-mation from reading our colorful quarterlyjournal, the Planetarian, which is filled withinsightful articles and a wide range of featurecolumns; the IPS Conference Proceedingsthat contain texts of contributed and invitedpapers and panel discussions; and specialpublications (see Dale Smith’s article else-where in this issue of the Planetarian). Youcan keep abreast of current and future eventsand job openings and find contacts throughreading the IPS News, the IPS website, andmembers-only web resources. Membersreceive many free CDs and discounted sub-scription rates to IPS video compilations,which deliver still images and extensivevideo footage from NASA, ESA, and theSpace Telescope Science Institute. For themost part, members generally already takeadvantage of all of those benefits.

The Privilege of VotingHowever, I do not feel that most of you

really avail yourselves of the many otherprivileges and benefits. You have the privi-lege, as a member, to vote. Members are enti-tled to one vote per person, either by proxy,by mail (postal or electronic), or fax, on anyquestion pertaining to the Society. Memberselect IPS executive officers in this way.Generally only about 35% of qualified mem-bers take advantage of their voting opportu-nities. This is one very important way thatyou can influence the future of IPS. Another

President’s Message

Susan Reynolds ButtonQuarks to Clusters

8793 Horseshoe LaneChittenango, NY 13037 USA

(1) 315-687-5371(1) 315-263-1985 (cell)

[email protected]


way, and the strongest, to impact IPS andgain understanding is to run for office.

Yet another excellent way to gain insightand a full sense of membership is to volun-teer. IPS has many committees devoted toareas of interest to the membership.Committee chairs accept and recruit volun-teers from the membership; hence, memberscan actively shape the future of IPS and theplanetarium profession. Or you can bid tohost an IPS conference! Conference bids for2010 have been accepted from Alexandria,Egypt; Saint-Etienne, France; and Beijing,China. You can read an article from each ofthese locations elsewhere in this issue of thePlanetarian. Council will vote on the 2010site at our meeting in August.

Donate, ShareYou can also affect many aspects of IPS

services, to you and fellow members, byanswering calls for you to donate and/orshare. Members can submit articles for publi-cation in the Planetarian. Readers from theinternational community will be able tobenefit from your experience and knowl-edge. The IPS Education Committee has post-ed some lessons on the website, and you canshare by submitting samples of your own.The next round of the IPS Eugenides scriptwriting competition begins this month (seethe call for entries in this issue). The prizemoney is attractive and you'll earn extraprestige at and for your institution if youenter this contest and then are placed in thetop two award categories. At the very leastyou would be contributing a new show ideafor your colleagues. Or you could volunteerto create another special publication on atopic that most interests you.

Monetarily, you can also donate to theArmand Spitz Fund, which is maintained byIPS to fund efforts that further the ideasespoused by Armand Spitz, or to the StarPartners’ Fund that was established to aidplanetariums in countries with non-convert-ible currencies and/or facing severe econom-ic problems. You can have a meaningfulimpact on the International PlanetariumSociety’s goals and interests, beyond yourown lifetime and far into the future, bymake a charitable gift during your lifetimeor as part of your estate. At the same time,you can bring immediate and deferred taxadvantages to both you and your heirs.

It is vital that you use IPS to network.Look on the IPS website for news andresources and be sure to make suggestionsand update contact information when need-ed. Read Dome-L, the IPS-sanctioned but pri-vately run and moderated email informa-tion service for the world's planetarians.Subscription to Dome-L is free and open toanyone with an active interest in the plane-

tarium profession. IPS has sanctioned Dome-L as a worthy service to the profession; freeand open discussion is encouraged and essen-tial . You can always find out more atw w w . i p s p l a n e t a r i u m . o r g /resources/domel.html. Whenever possible,attend our biennial conferences, whichbring together hundreds of planetarium pro-fessionals for paper sessions, invited speakers,workshops, panel discussions, vendordemonstrations, and exhibits. You can vol-unteer to present a paper, a workshop, orchair a panel. The next IPS Conference willbe held at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago,Illinois, USA from 15-20 June 2008. Therewill be an information link soon on the web-site.

You also can find colleagues to networkwith by using the IPS Directory of the World'sPlanetariums and the IPS Resource Directory.Members receive a comprehensive CD cata-log of planetariums and IPS members world-wide. Also on that CD is a resource directorythat is a "yellow pages" listing hundreds ofcompanies and organizations that are inbusiness to provide services for the planetari-um community.

And lastly, you are strongly encouraged tovoice your opinion. Your IPS affiliate repre-sentative (see the directory on Page 2) willpresent youropinions andconcerns at IPScouncil meet-ings and duringthe year throughemail with coun-cil , or you cancontact any offi-cer directly tomake sure youare heard.Members can also nominate other deservingIPS members for awards that recognize con-tributions they have made to our organiza-tion and to our profession.

As you can see, there are many opportuni-ties for you to reap the rewards of belongingto the International Planetarium Society.Please avail yourself of these powerful waysto develop professionally and to stretchbeyond your own universe. Make the mostof your IPS membership!

The New PresidencyIt is with an awesome sense of responsibili-

ty, excitement, and determination that Itake office as president for these next twoyears. I realize that I have “big shoes” to fill,as do each of the presidents in turn. Yoursupport and ideas will certainly be appreciat-ed as we tackle the challenges of futuredevelopment of IPS.

One goal of this presidency is to make

communication more efficient and toincrease participation of members by clearlypresenting opportunities for you to con-tribute your special talents in small or bigways. None of us has a lot of free time, butwe all have something to offer and a littlediscretionary time. My job is to inspire youand define easy ways in which you can morefully become participating members. Don’twait for us to ask; speak up if you have anidea.

Another goal is to continue the importantwork of past presidents: to bring new affili-ates and new members into the fold, to sup-port colleagues in developing nations, and tomake IPS more responsive to your needs andthe changing technologies.

Lastly, for now, I want to see more empha-sis on making educational resources avail-able and on setting guidelines for makingour shows age appropriate. I realize thatmany facilities have expanded their domesto become virtual reality chambers of allkinds. I feel strongly, as you know, that thereis always an element of education in a pre-sentation, even if the focus of a particularprogram is primarily entertainment. Wemust try to understand exactly what impres-sions we are creating and what learning istaking place. To that end all planetariums

will be encouraged to work together andshare experiences, both successes and fail-ures, so that we may all grow in understand-ing and maximize the impact we deliberate-ly seek. Creativity in science and technologyis our universe and it is this “hook” that willinspire students to entertain the idea ofbecoming the new generation of creative sci-entists and engineers that the world desper-ately needs.

Next Council meetingThe next council meeting will be held

during 4-5 August 2007 at the Rio de JaneiroPlanetarium in Brazil. Members: please con-tact your affiliate representative, me, or anyother officer well before those dates if youhave information, questions and/or con-cerns that need to be addressed. Do not for-get to inform your representative of yourpreference for the 2010 conference site sothat he/she can vote accordingly. �

As you can see, there are many opportunities foryou to reap the rewards of belonging to theInternational Planetarium Society. Please availyourself of these powerful ways to develop pro-fessionally and to stretch beyond your own uni-verse. Make the most of your IPS membership!


It has been a great pleasure to serve the IPSas president over the past two years, and I'dlike to thank the many IPS members whohave written so positively to me recently inrelation to my role. It's always important toremember, though, that the officers work asa strong team and it is perhaps not widelyknown that quite apart from their dailycommunication, the officers do have get-togethers at times other than the councilmeetings and biennial conferences. A specialthanks to Shawn Laatsch and Kim Cooperfor making their house in Greenville, NorthCarolina, USA available for such meetingsover my period as president!

Congratulations to Tom MasonSpeaking of the officers, congratulations

and a big welcome to Tom Mason, our newpresident elect! When I wrote my lastPresident's Message, the results of the elec-tion were not known but, by the time youread this, Tom will have spent nearly threemonths as part of the team of officers.Already Tom has become actively involved

in our frequent (usually daily!) and detaileddiscussions and I, and the other officers, aredelighted to be working with him.

I was reflecting recently on some of thespecial strengths of the IPS, and one in partic-ular that stands out to me is the fact that wehave three people in presidential positions atany one time: the president, the presidentelect, and the past president. It is a systemthat has served us well for a long time. Thetwo years' experience gained by the presi-dent elect are a very important preparationfor the two years to be spent as president,and the past president has experience to con-tribute after having been “in the chair.”

An essential part of that strength, though,is the enormous support from both the secre-tary and the treasurer/membership chair.

Near the end of 2006 I reviewed the com-mittee structure of the IPS and, as I write thismessage, President Susan Button is happy toleave me with the task of sorting out a fewpossible changes that may still need to bemade.

I made one specific change, however, inDecember, to one of the ad hoc committees.It is the Language Committee, which I have,after some consideration, renamed theInternational Relations Committee. I feelthat broadening the scope of this committeewill serve the IPS well, especially as we reachout to some areas of the world in which wehave very few IPS members and in whichEnglish may not be the native language.Naturally, this committee can work closelywith the Outreach and Membership com-mittees. A big thank you to all who continueto serve on this committee! By the time youread this, I shall hopefully have added a fewnew members in order that the committeecan fulfill this broadened role.

Conferences Around the WorldDuring October and November, while still

serving as president, I found myself againtravelling around the world. In the last weekof October, after attending the very enjoy-able one-day expo session at the AdlerPlanetarium in Chicago, Illinois, USA, I wasdelighted to attend the Great LakesPlanetarium Association Conference whichwas held in Merrillville, Indiana, USA. A largegathering, many excellent presentations,fine social events, and visits to local places ofinterest made for an excellent conference. Iwas delighted to make many new friendsand am currently enjoying reading the GLPAConference Proceedings, which was dis-tributed to all attendees by Dale Smith verysoon after the conference.

A few days later I travelled to Brazil toattend my second conference in two weeks:the Brazilian Planetarium Association (ABP)conference in the city of Vitória, a coastalcity about a one hour flight northeast of Riode Janeiro. A big thank you to ABP membersfor my very warm welcome and for havingme there at their most interesting confer-ence, with special thanks to Sergio Bisch,Alexandre Cherman, Fernando Vieira andOrmis Rossi for their wonderful assistance.

Naturally, the proceedings were conduct-ed in Portuguese, but through the help ofour Brazilian colleagues I was able to followwhat was happening during the sessions. Iwas deeply honoured that the ABP flew aninterpreter up from Rio de Janeiro for thetwo talks—one about the IPS and one aboutAstronomy in Australia—that I presented.The interpretation was performed concur-rently and flawlessly. Again, excellent com-pany and several most enjoyable socialevents made the conference most memo-rable.

Just before departing for Europe, I was alsodelighted to visit the planetarium in Rio de

Past President’s Message

Martin George, CuratorLaunceston Planetarium Queen Victoria Museum

Wellington StreetLaunceston, Tasmania

Australia +61 (3) 63233777

+61 (3) 63233776 [email protected]

A session at the Brazilian Planetarium Association Conference in Vitória. All photos by Martin George.


Janeiro, which will be the site of our 2007council meeting this August. Since my lastvisit in 2004, a number of fine exhibitionshave been installed at the planetarium and Istrongly recommend to you all to go alongto see it if you are in Rio de Janeiro!

After Brazil, I made a short visit to theUnited Kingdom to meet up with Dr. GloriaClifton and Gilbert Satterthwaite in London,who showed me around the constructionsite for the new Greenwich Planetarium. As Iwrite this message, their planned openingdate is in the (northern hemisphere) springof 2007, so it's not far away!

I then made a quick visit to the impressiveHeureka Science Centre in Helsinki, Finland,which includes a major planetarium and isplanning a significant expansion. Manythanks to the director, Per-Edvin Persson,and Kai Santavuori for showing me aroundon what was my first visit to the facility.

Japanese Planetarium SocietyConference

December saw me in Japan for a week,mainly to attend the wonderful JapanesePlanetarium Society Conference, which washeld in Nagoya. Some 250 planetariansattended from all over Japan, and here againI was delighted with the proceedings andmet up with many planetarians for the firsttime. I am very grateful to the JPS, to all ofthe staff of the Nagoya City Science Centre,and especially to IPS Council MemberShoichi Itoh from the Suginami Planetariumin Tokyo, for assisting with my visit. Shoichialso did a fine job as my interpreter on nofewer than four occasions when I was speak-ing.

I was delighted to learn that the NagoyaCity Science Centre is planning a majorupgrade for its planetarium, which will have

a significantly larger dome in a few years. Istrongly recommend a visit!

Following the conference, I had the plea-sure of visiting both the planetarium at theChildren's Centre in Hiroshima and theMunakata Yurix Planetarium near Fukuoka.So many people contributed to making myvisits there very enjoyable, but specialthanks are due to Junko Onoda from theMunakata Planetarium for her assistance inorganising my visit. At each place, the “bub-bly” enthusiasm of the staff was very obvi-ous!

My last official engagement as IPS presi-dent took place on December 10, when I hadthe very great pleasure of opening a newportable planetarium in Queensland,Australia, on Hamilton Island. Ray and LibbyJohnson have been the driving force behindthe establishment of their dome, which willbe used at the resort and will be taken to

schools in the area. Their enthusiasm forastronomy also extends to conducting spe-cial stargazing evenings near the resort,adding to the enjoyment of visitors to one ofAustralia's famous tropical island getaways.

As I now move through my own two-yearperiod as past president, I am looking for-ward to the continuation of my work as anofficer and intend to press on with some spe-cific tasks. We are now very close to havingtwo new affiliates—China and Brazil—and Iam hoping very much that this will be con-firmed by the time of the council meeting inAugust. The first official meeting of the newChinese planetarium group will hopefullytake place around mid-year. I am hoping toattend that meeting, which will likely beheld in Beijing.

A very happy Autumnal or Springequinox to you all, depending on your hemi-sphere! �

The staff of the Munakata Yurix Planetarium in Japan (left); JPS members gathering in the plane-tarium at the Nagoya City Science Museum, where the Japanese Planetarium SocietyConference was held.

The Heureka Science Centre in Helsinki, Finland.

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Sweden experienced real space fever inDecember. Sweden's first astronaut, Dr.Christer Fuglesang, made his first space tripwith the Discovery space shuttle 9-22December, spending many days onboard theInternational Space Station. Among othertasks, he made three space walks outside thestation. Both the launch and the landing,and an interview with Fuglesang in-betweenby the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria,were broadcast on Swedish TV in real timeand viewed by hundreds of thousands ofSwedes (in spite of some awkward times; thelaunch happened in the middle of the night,Swedish time). Many comments by Swedishpoliticians and astronomers included hopesthat this event will make more youngSwedish pupils choose a study and job careerin science, helping us planetarians along!

The International News column is depen-dent on contributions from IPS AffiliateAssociations all over the world. Many thanksto Agnès Acker, Bart Benjamin, TonyButterfield, Ignacio Castro, Gail Chaid, AlexDelivorias, Jack Dunn, Alan Dyer, John Hare,Tom Mason, André Milis, Loris Ramponi,Zinaida Sitkova, and Gopinath Subramanianfor your contributions. Special thanks aredue to Loris Ramponi, [email protected],who contributes the Calendar of Events. You

are welcome back with new reports, and Ilook forward to contributions from otherassociations as well. Upcoming deadlines are1 April 2007 for the June Planetarian and 1July for the September issue.

Association of Dutch-SpeakingPlanetariums

Have you already visited buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/oldestplanetarium.html?The Buhl Planetarium staff is pleased to con-firm that the oldest operational planetariumprojector in the world still fascinates anincreasing number of visitors! The BrusselsPlanetarium of the Royal Observatory alsomaintains its outreach program at severalscience fairs, information and educationstands, workshops, and live presentations ininflatable domes, as given atec.europa.eu/research/researchersineurope/index_en.htm, www.vlaamsewetenschapsweek.be, www.vlaamseruimtevaartdagen.be, and www.brussels-eureka.be.

At Brussels Eureka, the 55th WorldExhibition of Innovation, Research and NewTechnologies, the World Organization ofPeriodical Press (OMPP) awarded the interna-tional prize to the planetarium of the RoyalObservatory of Belgium "for all activities andespecially for the Planetarium's shows." Thiswill strengthen all planetarium incentives tocarry on!

The Dutch Royal Eise Eisinga Planetariumis expanding! The planetarium, located inFraneker, the Netherlands decided to expand

with the acquisition of the monumentalproperty next door, De Tuinkamer (TheGarden Room). Originally Eise Eisinga's pri-vate house 225 years ago, the planetariumnot only continuously enlarged its collec-tion but also welcomed a growing numberof visitors. At present, about 35,000 peoplefrom the Netherlands and abroad annuallyvisit the planetarium.

The historical character of De Tuinkamerperfectly matches the Eise EisingaPlanetarium atmosphere. Its actual formdates from 1745 and it previously housedseveral professors of the Franeker University.Both buildings will join at the rear andinclude extra museum space and a café.Completion of De Tuinkamer redesign isplanned for next winter 2007-2008, withoutdisturbing planetarium visits. This EiseEisinga Planetarium’s 225th anniversary yearhas been crowned by its Royal predicate andcitation in the canonical books on Dutchhistory.

Association of French-SpeakingPlanetariums

The Planetarium of the Cité des Scienceset de l 'Industrie (CSI), La Villette-Paris,opened its new configuration on 14November. A new projector and a digitalmultimedia environment have beeninstalled by R.S.A.Cosmos, the French plane-tariums company. The opening was focusedon a show created by the HaydnPlanetarium in New York, Search for Life: AreWe Alone? and presented in a beautifulFrench version by Nelly Dumas, head of theplanetarium. The show was admired by a lot

Lars BromanDalarna University

SE 791 88 Falun, Sweden+46 2377710

[email protected]

International News

Photo caption: De Tuinkamer and the Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker, the Netherlands. Courtesyof Combi Hommema, Franeker.


of people (five presentations were doneunder the 273-seat dome).

“ALMA and the planetary systems forma-tion” is a new project arises in our communi-ty, a show which will be created by APLFand ESO (European Southern Observatory),and technically conducted by a consortiumof four planetariums: Montpellier (PI) ,Toulouse, Saint-Etienne, and Bruxelles.

A first meeting on the project was held inJanuary in Montpellier. The presentation ofthe show in different countries is planed forspring 2008. If you will be interested by theEnglish, the German, the Italian, the Spanish,the Netherland, or the French version, pleasecontact Jean-Philippe Mercier (head of theMontpellier Planetarium) [email protected].

Also in development is The Constellationsof the Arabes, a 5-minute video that willshow a well-known part of the sky (the greatbear), with different representations alongthe centuries by various civilisations with afocus on Arabic figures created by RolandLaffitte. The project is being conducted withSELEFA (the Société d’EtudesLexicographiques et EtymologiquesFrançaises et Arabes) and the PlanetariumScientific Center of the Alexandrian Library,Egypt. Distribution of the mini-show, in vari-ous languages, is planned for spring 2007. Formore information, contact [email protected].

The 23rd APLF Conference will take place17-20 May 2007 in Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Michel l’Observatoire. Youare kindly invited; contact Marie-FranceDuval at [email protected].

Association of MexicanPlanetariums

The Luis E. Erro Planetarium, the largest inMexico City with 150,000 visitors annually,has undergone a full renovation, moderniz-ing its projection equipment and infrastruc-ture, thanks to a $1.4 million grant from theAlfredo Harp Helu Foundation and match-ing funds from the National PolytechnicInstitute, the planetarium's parent institu-tion. The planetarium retired its 40-year oldZeiss IV projector and installed an Evans andSutherland Digistar 3DLP Digital projector,along with a new 18m perforated aluminumprojection dome built within the original20m dome to improve visual images with

high reflectivity and a surrounding soundsystem.

New programs currently being shown areThe Pharaoh's Stars and The Sun's Secrets, andnext May new programs will open about thesolar system and on pre-Columbianarcheoastronomy. The purpose of scientificactivity diffusion is to incite the new genera-tion of researchers at their earliest age onnew fields of scientific knowledge.

The XXXV AMPAC Annual Meeting washeld on 23-24 November at the ArcadioPoveda Ricalde Planetarium in Merida,Yucatan. Newly elected officials are Juan JoseNajera, director of the Arcadio PovedaPlanetarium Mérida, Yucatán as presidentelect; Francisco Javier Alcaráz as secretaryand Vanessa García as treasurer, both fromthe Lic Felipe Rivera Planetarium, Morelia,Michoacán.

The them of the meeting was “DifferentPlanetariums, same Goal.” Various lectureswere given by noted researchers andastronomers, among them “The Universe asa Membrane” by Eddy Salazar, “AstronomyAmong the Yucatan Maya” by OrlandoCasares, and “The Chixulub Crater” by DrArcadio Poveda Ricalde, astronomyresearcher. The Merida Planetarium isnamed after him since he is a notedastronomer of Yucatan. Workshops weredivided into Digital Theatres, MobilePlanetariums, and OptoMechanical Systems.

Members noted with sadness the deceaseof Gabriel Muñoz, director of the MoreliaPlanetarium since its inauguration in 1974till his departure to teach engineering at theUniversity of Morelia in 2005. Muñoz was anIPS Fellow and will be remembered as aneager and active member, always willing torepresent AMPAC on IPS Council Meetings

Representation of the Great Bear, painted by Roland Laffitte, inspired by the descriptions done by Al-Sûfî from the Arabic constellations Nasch and Gazelles placed in the same part of the sky as the GreatBear. Courtesy of Roland Laffitte, SELEFA.

Participating planetarians at the XXXV AMPAC Meeting with the Arcadio Poveda Ricalde PlanetariumDome, Merida, Yucatán in the background. Photo by Antonio Sánchez Ibarra.


at IPS International Conferences and at odd-year Council Meetings.

He was instrumental in obtaining the IPSInternational Conference Meeting held atthe Alfa Cultural Center, in MonterreyMexico, in 1984 and presenting AMPAC'srequest to be accepted as an IPS AffiliateMember Organization. He contended twiceproposing the Morelia Planetarium to be des-ignated as official site for the 2000 and 2008IPS International Conferences, always trans-mitting to all of us the warm hospitality ofhis native land Morelia , Mexico. He will beremembered as a good friend and an enthusi-astic promoter of astronomy for children. Heis survived by his wife Cielo and daughter.

.British Associations ofPlanetariums

Bob Mizon mentions his involvement in adark skies project organized by theCampaign to Protect Rural England(www.cpre.org/BAA). The Clean Sky projectis part of the Campaign for Dark Skies NewYear Star Count event (see www.dark-skies.org), a national star count held inJanuary 2007. It is a sad reality that light pol-lution from poorly-directed and over-brightlamps is present in the starry sky almosteverywhere in the UK, and has steadilyincreased since the 1950s. The CPRE's NightBlight initiative in 2003 drew attention tothis, and the British AstronomicalAssociation's Campaign for Dark Skies (CfDS)works continuously to publicize and allevi-ate the problem.

To gauge the visibility of the stars fromvarious parts of the UK — and with a view torepeating the experiment in the future to tryto assess any trend — the CPRE and the CfDSjoined forces to set up a national night skysurvey (see websites above) by observers inboth rural and urban locations. Variablessuch as atmospheric conditions and differingvisual acuity come into play, but meaning-ful results can emerge if enough people takepart now and in the future.

Mario DiMaggio informs that ThinktankPlanetarium held its first birthday this pastDecember. During its first calendar year ofoperation, Birmingham's new planetariumwelcomed 60,963 visitors. This is a signifi-cant achievement for a small, 70-seat theatre,as the international average for 10m domesis around 41,000 visitors.

Thinktank Planetarium had 20,000 morevisitors than this international average fig-ure. It is also worth mentioning that 60% ofThinktank's shows are presenter-led, as eval-uation consistently shows that visitors pre-fer a skilled, live interpreter over a film.

The curator's post at Mills Observatory,Dundee, will fall vacant when Bill Samsonretires in March 2007. Any Planetarian read-

ers who are interest-ed should email Billat bill.samson@dun-d e e c i t y . g o v . u k ,requesting him tosend out the detailsas soon as theybecome available.

Steve Tidey hassent news that aspart of his continu-ing freelance workhe has written thefirst of what will bea series of shows forAaron McEuan’s SaltLake City-basedS t a r l i g h tProductions (Utah,USA).

CanadianAssociation ofScienceCentres

The MontrealPlanetarium hasopened a new showtitled The ExoticUniverse. Black holes,quasars, gamma raybursts, supernovae—our universe is fullof objects with sur-prising and some-times unsettlingproperties. Andwhat about darkmatter and the ener-gy that is driving itto expand ever morequickly? This showinvites Montreal patrons to discover anunexpected cosmos—the universe as they’venever imagined it before! Work is underwayon two new shows slated to open in 2007. InMay, a new afternoon show called The NewSolar System will open. With all the commo-tion following the new planet definition,and after years of fantastic discoveries aboutour neighbour worlds in space, it's time topresent a new and updated vision of oursolar system. Marc Jobin, astronomer at theMontreal Planetarium, is producing theshow.

November 2007 will see the start of InSearch of the Galaxy (working title), a newshow for kids 8-10 years old that will replaceThe Little Prince’s Universe in Montreal'sschool show roster. In Search of the Galaxywill also be presented to the general publicon weekend mornings. The premise: in theyear 3025, a young scientist has discovered away to produce an almost infinite amount

of energy without producing dangerouswaste, using a rare crystal found only at thecentre of our Milky Way Galaxy. Two youngfriends start on a journey to get this crystal,using an ill-tempered teleportation machinethat will swing them across the Milky Way,only to discover colourful nebulae andyoung star clusters. Fortun-ately, their robot-computer will help them find their wayback to the black hole at the centre of ourgalaxy. Will they be able to catch the crystalwithout falling into the black hole? As JohnLennon once wrote: a splendid time is guar-anteed for all! This show, which is closelytied with Quebec schools’ new astronomycurriculum, will be produced by PierreChastenay. For more info, contact him [email protected].

In Winnipeg, the Manitoba Museum'sPlanetarium will be in production through2007 for a fall show and exhibit celebratingthe first 50 years of spaceflight. The exhibit

Top: The Perm Planetarium (photo by A. Evsyukova); Bottom: mounting ofthe observatory dome of the Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium (photo by A.Mityugov). For the Russian Planetarium Society news, see Page 84.


will celebrate the 50th anniversary of thelaunch of Sputnik 1 in October 1957, andhighlight the space program's impact on themodern world. The planetarium programwill follow the space program, but also willhighlight the many achievements in astron-omy carried out from the ground. For thepast several months, the planetarium pro-duction team has been involved in exhibitdesign and construction for the accompany-ing Science Gallery, so they comment "It willbe great to get back to planetarium produc-tion again!" Contact Scott Young at [email protected].

The major news in Calgary at the TELUSWorld of Science was the opening in fall2006 of a new addition to the building, theCreative Kids Museum. This unique chil-dren's museum focuses on exhibits and activ-

ities related to creative and performing arts.The popularity of the addition helped driveattendance to record levels for 2006, surpass-ing the planned goal of 250,000 early inDecember with a month still to go. As such,attendance at the Discovery Dome theatredid very well this past year, too, thoughthere is some concern that not as high a per-centage of visitors are choosing a dome showoption in their ticket purchase.

The coming year will see a lot of activityin longer-term planning for what is dubbedDiscovery Dome II, a new digital dome the-atre in a planned new science centre built ata choice site elsewhere in Calgary. However,for the next three years, the intention is toalso use the present dome (now 10 years old)to try out new styles of programs and for-mats as part of a plan to prototype ideas and

exhibits for the new facility. Contact AlanDyer at [email protected].

In Vancouver, the line-up of shows at theH.R. MacMillan Space Centre over Christmasfeatured a new Christmas on the Coast pro-gram. Produced by Craig McCaw fromRoundhouse Productions with great newimages by the Space Centre’s producer MikeKoziniak, the 35-minute show blended famil-iar scenes of the west coast with all-Canadianmusic ranging from Bruce Cockburn andDiana Krall to Lorne Greene’s classic readingof The Night Before Christmas. Contact ErikKoelemeyer at [email protected].

In Victoria, the Centre of the UniverseInterpretive Centre developed a new culturalastronomy program this past summer aboutMayan astronomy. The centre had both amulti-media show and a new Mayan plane-tarium show, both of which were wellreceived. This past year the CU also tooksteps to strengthen its ties to its parent orga-nization, the Herzberg Institute ofAstrophysics. To that end, not only did theschedule feature guest speakers from HIA,but many programs showcased the contribu-tions made by HIA engineers andastronomers to projects such as ALMA(Atacama Large Millimetre Array), JWST(James Webb Space Telescope), and the TMT(Thirty Metre Telescope). This focus was longoverdue—with so many interesting cuttingedge projects underway, the CU looks for-ward to more exciting shows in the future.Contact: Steve Ewald at [email protected].

European/MediterraneanPlanetarium Association

As we welcome 2007, the EugenidesFoundation's festive activities to commemo-rate its 50th anniversary are coming to anend. On 7 December 2006, in theFoundation's large auditorium and attendedby Greek university provosts and representa-tives of the higher education and researchcommunities in Greece as well as ministersand other political dignitaries, Greek PrimeMinister Konstantinos Karamanlis inaugu-rated the Foundation's brand new Scienceand Technology Permanent Exhibitions onMatter and Materials; Communicating:Sound and Image; and Biotechnology.Spanning three floors and covering 1,500square meters, these interactive exhibitionswere designed and constructed by La Citedes Sciences et de l'Industrie in Paris, France.

During this same event, the EugenidesFoundation honored renowned composerVangelis Papathanasiou with its commemo-rative medal and the Eugenides Planetariumpresented a special planetarium show, forwhich Vangelis graciously allowed use of

Top: Group photo of Western Alliance Conference 2006 atendees outside the University of NebraskaState Museum. Photo by John Nollendorfs. Bottom: Some delegates at the WAC display the T-shirtspromoting this year's WAC in Fairbanks, Alaska. Photo by Wilgus Burton. More about the WACConference on Page 84.


parts of his Mythodea composition, whichwas originally composed for NASA's 2001Mars Odyssey space mission. On 12December the planetarium released its newChristmas planetarium show, The ChristmasStar, and awarded its millionth visitor, a 10-year-old girl, a special pass that will allow herand her twin sister unlimited and lifelongaccess to all of its shows.

Perhaps more importantly, not only forthe staff of Eugenides Planetarium but for alltheir planetarium colleagues around theworld, this was the first ever demonstrationof the capabilities of a full-color, 3D stereoprojection in fulldome organized by Sky-Skan and hosted in November. The 3D stereosystem consisted of four high-resolution (4k)SXRD Sony projectors equipped with Sky-Skan’s definiti HD lens that filled the domewith over 10 million unique pixels which,for stereo 3D, translates into 10 million times2! In the reception that followed, colleaguesfrom around the world exchanged viewsand opinions related to the new planetariumtechnologies and the future of our business.

Finally, the Athens-based Foundation ofthe Hellenic World, a non-profit culturalinstitution whose mission is the preserva-tion and dissemination of Hellenic historyand tradition, inaugurated its Tholos (mean-ing dome) in December. Tholos is a brandnew, 14m dome theatre of 135 seats thatresembles a planetarium, but whose showswill invite its visitors on a tour the variousvirtually reconstructed sites of ancientGreece. When fully operational, Tholos willbe able to project 3D content utilizing itsSEOS immersive and interactive system.

Great Lakes PlanetariumAssociation

IIlllliinnooiiss.. The William Staerkel Planetariumin Champaign recently premiered Adler'sSpirits in the Sky, Thunder on the Land, alongwith Winter Prairie Skies and Follow theDrinking Gourd. They also hosted lectures onalternative energy, science in landscaping,and bird flu. Beginning in January, theLakeview Museum Planetarium in Peoriaoffered its Basic Astronomy Series, whichadapted some of its school shows for publicpresentation. The Cernan Earth and SpaceCenter in River Grove enjoyed clear skies forits public viewing of the Transit of Mercuryin November. In January, the Cernan Centerpremiered three all-new presentations:Staerkel's Stellar Extremes, the Sky Tellersseries, and LFI's Beatles Laser Anthology lasershow.

IInnddiiaannaa.. The Evansville Museum andKoch Planetarium in Evansville received agrant from the National Science Foundationto develop and deliver space-related activi-ties to rural audiences. The $2.5 million

award will be shared by nine U.S. museums.The Merrillville Community Planetarium inMerrillville has completed the installation ofan all-dome video projection system andLED cove lighting. The new equipmentmade its debut at the recent GLPA confer-ence. The PHM Planetarium Air & SpaceMuseum in Mishawaka had a very successfultransit of Mercury viewing session with thehelp of favorable weather, local amateurastronomers, and the local media.

Dayle Brown of South Bend reports thatshe is hard at work on the new book Skylorefrom Planet Earth: Stories from Around theWorld...Milky Way. B. J. Harper, retired plane-tarium director at Northrop High School inFort Wayne, received a grant to conduct atelescope making workshop during the sum-

mer of 2007. The Jefferson High SchoolPlanetarium in Lafayette will be monitoringthe quality of the night sky in the sprawlingLafayette area. They hope to demonstrate aneed for a countywide lighting ordinance.The SpaceQuest Planetarium in Indianapolisreports that all of its automated shows havebeen converted from their old Alesis ADATto the new HD24 digital format.

MMiicchhiiggaann.. Late last year, the CranbrookInstitute of Science Planetarium inBloomfield Hills began offering HolidayMagic, which was their first foray into full-dome program production. In early 2007they taught an astronomy course at nearbyLawrence Technological University andoffered a telescope users workshop. AtSouthfield's Vollbrecht Planetarium, MikeBest, who was one of 83 field investigatorsfor Dr. J. Allen Hynek in the 1970s, gave a talktitled UFOs Are Real in January.

This winter, the Kalamazoo ValleyMuseum Planetarium ran Calgary's In MyBackyard, as well as in-house productions fea-

turing the winter sky and the UndergroundRailroad. Installation is now underway fortheir summer show, Dinosaur Chronicles. TheLongway Planetarium in Flint opened theyear with LFI's Lasers of Oz. In February, inconjunction with a nearby exhibit, they pre-miered Bozeman's Lewis and Clark and theHigh Frontier. Girl Scout merit badge pro-grams and new telescope owner workshopsreturned in January.

During the holiday season, the AbramsPlanetarium presented the classic programSeason of Light and George and Oatmeal SaveSanta. Returning in January was The LastQuestion, a show based on the short story byIsaac Asimov. The Chaffee Planetarium staffis producing a new show titled Solar SystemSafari and are collaborating with two lasershow companies to develop an all-new sea-sonal multimedia experience titled HolidayMagic. In early 2007, the Shiras Planetariumswitched to their new MediaGlobe full-domeprojection system. The planetarium recentlyadded an 8-inch telescope and solar filter totheir collection of telescopes.

The Delta College Planetarium celebratedits tenth anniversary in February of 2007.NASA exhibits now grace the lobby. Themedweeks were dedicated to various segments oftheir patrons, including senior citizens, thelocal astronomy club, the college's own staffand students, local teachers, and donors.Work continues on the Dassault SystemesPlanetarium's new show Bad Astronomy:Myths and Misconceptions, which is based onDr. Phil Plait's book. This new planetariumshow will be open in the summer of 2007,and will be made available as a show kit toother planetariums.

OOhhiioo.. The Cleveland Regional Associationof Planetariums (CRAP) met at the EuclidSchools Planetarium in September (FranRatka, host) and in November at theMidpark High School Planetarium (LenMuni, host). Clouds covered Ohio during theNovember transit of Mercury, but visitors atthe Bowling Green State UniversityPlanetarium saw the Moon regardless of theweather during the planetarium's publicshow run of Once in a Blue Moon . At theWard Beecher Planetarium at YoungstownState University the staff ended the yearwith George and Oatmeal Save Santa, HolidayLights (an in-house holiday program), andFirst Night Under the Stars for the local FirstNight celebration. Shows in the new yearinclude Pittsburgh’s Women Hold Up Half theSky, the in-house Evolution: Galaxies, Stars,and Life on Earth , and the popular“Astronomy 101” series of live talks on allthings astronomical.

WWiissccoonnssiinn//MMiinnnneessoottaa.. Brian Wallace atthe Forestview Planetarium in Brainerd,Minnesota reported a successful first year of

The year 2007 logo of Day of Planetaria.Courtesy of Italian Planetarium FriendsAssociation.


operation. Over 2,000 people saw shows inthe new planetarium, which sports a 7.5m(28 ft) Spitz dome with an E&S Digistar 3 SP 2Projector. Dave Weinrich at the MinnesotaState University Moorhead Planetariumrecently ran Strasenburgh's Star of Bethlehemprogram in December, followed by Jon Bell'sBear Tales and Other Grizzly Stories.

Dave Williams at the St. Cloud StateUniversity Planetarium introduced the newshow Black Holes, based on a show producedby the Science Museum of Virginia. Since hedoes not have multiple video projectors,Dave merged the show into a single 17-minute iMovie. The University ofWisconsin-La Crosse Planetarium received aone-year extension while the Universitydecides whether to continue funding thatfacility. Gordon Stewart was hired to operatethe planetarium following Bob Allen's retire-ment.

The Allen F. Blocher Planetarium at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Stevens Pointrecently presented Winter Wonders andSeason of Light. In February, they began offer-ing Staerkel's Stellar Extremes. At the CharlesHorwitz Planetarium in Waukesha, TheStarGazer was presented in October,Staerkel's Stellar Extremes was presented inNovember, and Season of Light concluded2006. Nearby Gary E. Sampson Planetariumin Wauwatosa presented Black Holes inNovember, Tis the Season in December,Stellar Extremes in January, andZubenelgenubi's Magical Sky in February.

Italian Planetaria's FriendsAssociation

30 June will be the final date to participatein the X issue of the international competi-tion “Shadows of Time” for sundial makers,promoted also by Lumezzane Planetariumand Observatory (Brescia). More informa-tion, also in English, is found at the addresswww.ombredeltempo.it.

The next Day of Planetaria will be held on18 March 2007.

Nordic Planetarium AssociationPer Broman reports that Broman

Planetarium has delivered no less than fourSTARLAB Fibrearc planetariums during thelast three months of 2006: two planetariumsto Fyn Amt (County) in Odense, Denmark;one planetarium to Viborg Amt,Viborg,Denmark (their second STARLAB); and oneplanetarium to the Department of Physics atthe University of Göteborg, Göteborg,Sweden.

He has also delivered one smallEurodome—just 2.5m (8 ft.) diameter—toDalarna University, Borlänge, Sweden; thiswill be used in training both science com-munication students and solar energy engi-neering students. It was inaugurated whengrade 8 pupils from many schools inBorlänge attending Framtidsmuseet'sEnergijakten (the Energy Chase) visitedScience Communication during eight daysin January 2007.

Pacific Planetarium AssociationPPA is hosting the next Western Alliance

Conference of Planetariums 22-27 September2007 in Fairbanks, Alaska. Dr. Neal Brown,University of Alaska Space Grant Director, isAlaska chairperson and is collaborating withmany experts in Fairbanks to make this con-ference unique. The InternationalGeophysical Year and Heliophysical Yearand the 50th Anniversary of Sputnik launch-ing will be highlighted at the conference.Susan Kramer is events coordinator. Susan isworking on the pre-conference tour, whichwill begin in Anchorage, Alaska about 15September.

Those taking the tour will be driven fromAnchorage to Denali National Park by busthrough the spectacular scenery of Alaska.Two nights in Denali will allow for two toursof different areas of this unique nationalpark. Conference hotels in Anchorage andFairbanks are the Westmark ($68 per nightper room in Fairbanks for the conference).Lots of update information is available onthe Independence Planetarium website. Keepaccessing the information for the latestupdates for the conference, or call Gail Chaidat Independence Planetarium in San Jose,California at (1) 408-928-9604,planet.esuhsd.org or planet.esuhsd.org/news/wac_ak.html.

Alaska Airlines is giving WAC conferenceparticipants 10% off regular flight prices.Check the Alaska Triphub Website atalaska.triphub.com/trip/31402.aspx forAlaska Airlines WAC discount information.Formal information will be sent out 1 April2007 for members of PPA, RMPA, SWAP,GPPA, and vendors. If you are not a memberof these associations or a vendor but wish toreceive a packet, please contact Gail Chaid atthe number above or [email protected].

Meanwhile, with the transition of slidetechnology to digital, Director Chaid atIndependence Planetarium has been work-ing with the planetarium’s webmaster topreserve old slide programs. Slides have beendigitized, as have the old soundtracks. Theyare then re-mastered in Final Cut Pro and puton DVD. The result is a new presentationthat audiences can enjoy. Lesson plans aremade and teacher packets put together tosupplement the presentation in coordina-tion with California state standards, whichhas resulted in attendance increases at theplanetarium because there are so many newprograms offered that coordinate with thestandards. The staff has also increased pro-grams that meet the standards for history aswell as science.

Near Independence Planetarium in SanJose, California is the planetarium at De AnzaCollege in Cupertino. The sister city in Japan

Eighth graders learn about the Sun in Dalarna University's new 2.5 m planetarium. Photo by LarsBroman


is Toyokawa, where the Konica-Minoltaplanetarium factory is located. In honor ofthe original gift of the Minolta projector, theplanetarium has been called Minolta. Withchanges in the industry and the recentupgrades for this 36-year-old planetarium, anew name for the planetarium will be select-ed. A new Infinium-S Projector will beinstalled in March along with a new KonicaMinolta Super MediaGlobe all-sky digitalsystem, AstroTec dome, LED cove lighting,surround sound, new seats, and a new the-atre arrangement. Although the planetarium

will open sometime in April, the grand re-opening will occur in the fall of 2007.

A three-day hands-on symposium onteaching astronomy will be held 3-5 August2007 at Pomona College sponsored byAstronomical Society of the Pacific.Participants will exchange ideas, techniques,and materials for improving astronomy edu-cation. Much of the meeting will be devotedto hands-on techniques so successful forastronomy education, especially in smallerplanetariums. For more information, go toastrosociety.org/events/cosmos/html.

The planetarium at Los Angeles ValleyCollege has served the community well for40 years but needed upgrades. After a lot ofresearch, Director David Falk and othersdetermined that the most flexible system fortheir needs was the Evans &Sutherland/Spitz SciDome. It has now beeninstalled and students, teachers, and thecommunity are enjoying the new system.David and his colleagues have started a sci-entific visualization certificate programwith campus partners Media Arts andCommercial Music departments.

Planetarium Society of IndiaA series of lectures were held at the

M.P.Birla Planetarium, Kolkata conducted incollaboration with the Alliance Francaise. Itincluded a lecture by Dr. Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Nobel Prize winner in Physics for1997. Other very interesting lectures includ-ed one on astrophysics by Dr. Jean Audouzeand on quantum mechanics by Dr. AlainAspect.

Prof. R.Subramanian was in Thailand fordiscussions on the setting up of a very largeobservatory in Chaingmai. Prof. Gopinath,secretary of the Planetarium Society of India,along with Prof. Subramanian, visited theRangsit Science Centre, a new facility com-ing up in the outskirts of Bangkok. Locatedin Pathun Thani, it is just after Rangsit andlocated close to some of the new themeparks. Coming under the Ministry ofEducation of Thailand, it boasts a tilteddome planetarium and an observatory hous-ing a 16-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope.The complex has a huge Science Centrewhich has galleries on various topics. Mr.Suranant Supawannagit, director of theRangsit Science Centre, explained the vari-ous facilities available.

The first floor houses study rooms on vari-ous topics where students will be exposed topractical aspects of lessons learnt in theschools. An exhibit on the Sun is impressivewith a walk through the interior segmentsuntil one suddenly enters into a compacthigh-tech lecture hall inside. There are areasspecifically dedicated to children, where thetiny tots can enjoy themselves. Mr. Suranantexplained that the planetarium has beenequipped with a Zeiss projector along withthe Sky-Skan projection system so thatastronomy classes could be conducted forthe students using the Zeiss projector.

The Planetarium Society of India isproposing to hold an international meetingwhere lectures on the theme of develop-ment of planetariums in India will be thecentral focus. The PSI will be sending infor-mation to the affiliate organizations soon, sothat those intending to visit could makeplans well in time. The PSI will look into pro-

Top: The Zeiss projector at the new Rangsit Planetarium.; and Bottom: Prof. R.Subramanian , directorof M.P.Birla Planetarium, Kolkata, along with Mr. Suranant Supawannagit, director of the RangsitPlanetarium and Science Centre. Both photos by Gopinath Subramanian. Another picture of the newRangsit Planetarium appears on Page 89.


viding local hospitality for a few partici-pants. It is proposed to have the meetingsometime in early 2008, when the weatherwill be very pleasant in India. Prof.Subramanian is also looking into the possi-bility of having one of the sessions inBangkok, since he is currently stationed inBangkok. Most flights to India could be rout-ed through Bangkok with a stopover there.

Russian Planetarium AssociationMMoossccooww:: A conference on the Faulkes tele-

scope program was held in September 2006at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute ofthe Moscow State University. Scientistsdoing astronomical research and about 70specialists in astronomical education fromMoscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg,Nizhny Novgorod, Cheboksary, and otherRussian cities attended this meeting.Activities on this program in NizhnyNovgorod planetarium will start in 2007.

UUrraall:: The latest planetarium show festivalwas held in Perm in October 2006. Staffmembers representing planetariums ofBarnaul, Bryansk, Ekaterinburg, Kaluga,Kirov, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm,Saratov, and Vladimir were present. Over 10new planetarium shows were demonstratedduring the festival.

VVoollggaa rreeggiioonn:: Construction works in themain 16m (53 ft) dome and in the observato-ry of the Nizhny Novgorod Planetariumresumed in November.

Southeastern PlanetariumAssociation

SEPA officers as of 1 January 2007 areAdam Thanz, president; Patsy Wilson, pastpresident; Jon Elvert, president elect; MickeyJo Sorrell, secretary/treasurer; and John Hare,IPS council representative. Terms run fortwo years.

The 2007 SEPA conference will be held 9-13 October in Wheeling, West Virginia, ajoint conference with SEPA, MAPS, andGLPA. Conference Host is Steve Mitch, direc-tor of the Benedum Planetarium.

Lafayette, Louisiana has been selected asthe 2008 SEPA conference site. This will

mark the second SEPA conference for hostDave Hostetter. The conference dates are 22-26 July. Further information regarding SEPAis available at the website www.sepadomes.org.

Southwestern Association ofPlanetariums

The opening of the newest show It's AboutTime in November at the Burke BakerPlanetarium at the Houston Museum ofNatural Science marked the third upgrade tothe theater's full-dome system in the past 8years. The new show was a part of thethe+ater's change over from Barco CRT videoprojectors to new Christie DLP video projec-tors. In a few short weeks the complete plan-etarium show library was converted over toa new format of edge blending.

For the ultimate upgrade, wedding bellswere in the air for the marriage of ScottYoung, son of Dr. Carolyn Sumners, insidethe planetarium on 27 December 2006. If therecent full dome upgrade wasn't enough of atechnology challenge, the wedding wasvideo conferenced using projectors in thetheater to show images from the bride's fami-ly in China and a high definition camerasent a video stream from Houston back toChina.

Western Alliance ConferenceSome 67 planetarians gathered in

September in Lincoln, Nebraska at MuellerPlanetarium for the Western AllianceConference. Highlights included two greatworkshops by Alan Gould and Dr. CherilynMorrow and a trip to Omaha to visit theKing Science Magnet School Planetarium. Dr.Morrow also led the musical group AstroJazzin concert. One lesson learned: The staff atthe Mueller Planetarium now knows that ifthey go full dome, they really need to paintthe dome gray. You can't believe how reflec-tive a pure white plaster dome is until youstart throwing light all over it!

The banquet speaker was Dr. James Rice Jr.of the Mars Exploration Rover science team.Dr. Rice has been a lifelong fan of space trav-el, both human and robotic, and he gave astirring talk, now available to the delegateson DVD video. Rice is open to other speakingengagements and can be contact at MarsSpace Flight Facility, Arizona StateUniversity Department of GeologicalSciences, Moeur Building Room 131, PO Box876305, Tempe, AZ 85287-6305 USA, [email protected], (1) 480-965-3205.

Mueller Planetarium's current show iscalled What the Heck Is Happening With thePlanets? It is an in-house production basedon the number one question Cirector JackDunn has been getting since this summer. Itfeatures some incredible new animationsfrom space artist Joe Tucciarone that camefrom GeoGraphics Imaging. The flight intothe Orion Nebula is particularly effective.Since the planetarium has a good CRT pro-jector with real black, the beginning of theflight looks really three dimensional whenthe constellation of Orion starts zooming atthe audience, blending well with the starfield.

One more bit of news: Dr. Jose Mena-Werth at the University of Nebraska atKearney is getting a new 9m (30 ft) planetari-um. Their current facility is a 7m (24 ft)dome with a Spitz A-3p star machine andbench seats. The new planetarium will bepart of a new classroom building on thecampus. �

Adam Thanz, incoming SEPA President. Photoby John Hare.


pressed dome master frames played back atnormal speed from a workstation. Armedwith faster commodity hardware today andusing such a playback tool, a productionteam can see not only when objects enterinto frame (and the timecode), but exactlywhich part of the frame and whether theyare noticed by audience members.

• FFiillee MMaannaaggeemmeennttSuccessful file management played a criti-

cal role in ensuring that the BH was finishednot only early, but under budget. Besides thefilm and HD footage, the show was con-structed from CGI from three different con-tent providers. Colorado-based James L.Arthurs, Inc. provided the dome masters forthree animation sequences that added up to17% of the final show. Spitz Inc. created a 75-second kayak sequence that combined greenscreen live action and computer animation.Andrew Hamilton from the University ofColorado, Boulder used his real-time soft-ware, the Black Hole Flight Simulator, to ren-der 16% of the show, including more than 3.5minutes of the finale. Finally, NCSA provid-ed not only a whopping 41% of the totalrunning time, but did so by integrating theresearch results from three separate scientificteams as well as creating five unique visual-ization sequences of its own.

Throughout the production, dome mastersequences were transfered via hard drivesshipped through the mail. The productionteam came up with an efficient procedurefor transferring files off the drives and thenpushing them through the split, qubifying,and upload pipeline. For a show that wouldeventually have a final dome master countof 41,189 frames, even the filename conven-tion proved to be important. A final assem-bly of the individual scenes was not settledon until three months before opening, near-ly 90% of the way through the 2-year projecttimeline. Up until then, scenes were shuffledaround, and live footage was inserted as wellas dropped. Using a filename conventionthat was based on the relative frame countin the final show was unwieldy and confus-ing, since scenes were moved about in thechronology so frequently. The solutionturned out to be simple: place all of the filesfor each scene within its own individualfolder, and number the files within eachfolder the same, i.e. sequentially and alwaysstarting with “00001.” The scene foldersthemselves could be reordered into anysequence, but the filename numberinginside each folder would stay the same.

Because the different content providerswere sending their sequences at different

stages of completion, including final direc-tor’s approval, there were often multiple ver-sions of whole scenes on the local produc-tion hard drives. Towards the end of thefinal edit assembly, up to three times thehard drive space necessary for the finalframe count were filled up at any given time.This included not only full resolutionframes, but 512 x 512 versions for quickscrubbing, a full HD re-render of the domemaster for marketing purposes, and backupcopies.

• NNeeww CCaappttuurree TTeecchhnnoollooggiieessAlthough 70 mm film was mentioned ear-

lier as the format for future live footageacquisition, the technology for video cap-ture continues to advance. HD cameras with2k resolution have been used to shootHollywood feature films (e.g., Panavision’sGenesis camera for Superman Returns; Gray2006), while new 4k cameras are currentlybeing developed (e.g., RED Digital Cinema’sRed One3, Vision Research’s Phantom 654).

Wider availability as well as lower costsfor 4k HD cameras will help speed the cre-ation of 2k fisheye dome masters. Althoughthese are still not quite at the resolution oflarge format film, workarounds are possible.Shots that are carefully designed and com-posed, with attention paid to what objectsare on or off frame, can be the source fordome masters using the techniques devel-oped for BH. Shooting on video also allowsthe footage to be immediately played backand verified, so that the camera crew cancatch compositional mistakes that occur as aresult of the unfamiliarity of fisheye film-making. Film scanning costs would be elimi-nated, since the image sequences wouldalready be in a digital format. Frame rateconversions to a video rate will also not benecessary. The post-production task ofremoving dust and defects from individualframes will also be less of an issue, since mostof the dust was introduced originally by thefilm scanning.

Finally, several companies have beendeveloping multiple-camera arrays that canrecord a 360° video environment map.Immersive Media’s Telemmersion uses 11cameras to do nearly spherical live capture.However, because the individual cameras areat VGA (640 x 480) resolution, the imagequality of a dome master fragment of thetiled image stream would be insufficient fora large dome. Other companies are concen-trating on the defense and security markets,such as iPix’s a double fisheye camera pairwith capture for each at 1600 x 1200 resolu-tion5, and iMove’s six-camera array.6

The most resolution from a multiple cam-era array is still, at the time of this writing,

Micoy’s 84 camera stereo live capturesystem7. This technology was actuallybriefly considered for BH, and test framescreated by the Micoy system looked quiteacceptable in the Gates dome. However, atthe time of the production, the additionalcosts for crew and operation of the camerarig as well as post-acquisition stitching of thevideo streams were more than the show bud-get could accommodate.

Although promising, multi-camera cap-ture systems do not seem like a viable futurealternative to single-camera techniques atthis time. The capture resolution needs tomatch the 2k and (more likely) 4k domemasters, and the price has to come down tomake it attractive compared to 4k HD and 70mm. Much of the high costs for the Micoyarray appear to be associated with the engi-neering staff required to maintain and runthe complex systems, the enormous file stor-age needs, and the image stitching overhead.The bulkiness of the camera rig, nearly ameter across, also makes it difficult to use inthe field. Finally, joining together multiplevideo streams into a seamless scene can beimpossible if bright light sources (e.g., theSun) create internal reflections and lensflares across multiple CCDs. Even thoughhard drive prices continue to drop whilemulti-core processing speeds increase, engi-neering complexity and lighting concernswill remain limiting factors for any multiplecamera system.

AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to Rich Lerner for

providing answers to some of our technicalquestions; Greg Downing for the use of hisimages; and Nigel Jenkins for providing newversions of the fisheye distance tests whenthe old ones were unavailable.

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Zettl, H. 1999, Sight, Sound, Motion: AppliedMedia Aesthetics, Belmont, CA: WadsworthPublishing Co.

Endnotes1The exceptions that we know of are: The

Heart of the Sun (2006; dir. John Weiley), afulldome documentary that makes heavyuse of footage from the IMAX filmSolarMAX; Dinosaur Prophecy (2006; dir.Tom Casey), which contains HD videocomposited into computer graphics (CG);Optical Nervous System (2004; dir. DavidMcConville), a 2-minute short; R+J (2003;dir. Harald Singer), a fulldome retelling ofRomeo and Juliet from LivinGlobe; andPopmania (1998; Spitz), a music retrospec-tive show for a partially filled dome usingvideo composited into CG. Note that onlythe first two in this brief list are documen-tary science programs.

2A dome master is a standardized file formatby which fulldome movies are distributed.It consists of content inside a circle withina square image. The image inside the circleis mapped to the hemispherical displaysurface of the dome using an equidistantpolar azimuthal projection.

3red.com4www.visionresearch.com/phantom65.html5www.ipix.com/cv_360.html 6www.imoveinc.com/press/030505.pdf#

search=%22imove%20geoview%203000%22

7www.micoy.com/immersive_video �

2200007718 March. IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall DDaayy ooff PPllaanneettaarr--

iiuummss. www.planetaritaliani.it22-23 April. Annual Meeting of German

Speaking Planetaria, Zeiss SchwazPlanetarium, Schwaz, Austria.

17-20 May. Meeting of Association ofFrench-Speaking Planetariums (APLF),Marseille - Aix en Provence - St. Michell'Observatoire, France. [email protected], http://www.aplf-planetariums.org.

31 May-2 June. European collaborative forscience, industry and technology exhi-bitions (ECSITE) Annual Conference inLisbon, Portugal. www.ecsite.net

16-20 July. Spitz Digital Institute, ChaddsFord, PA, USA, Contact: Joyce Towne [email protected] or www.spitzinc.com/institute

4-5 August. International PlanetariumSociety Council Meeting, Rio de JaneiroPlanetarium, Brazil. Host: AlexandreCherman.

6-8 September. Forth European Meeting forItinerant Planetaria: Bratislava, Slovaki.Contact Vidovenec Marian at [email protected] [email protected]; seealso www.suh.sk/ips2007

20-22 September. Western AllianceConference (all planetariums west ofthe Mississippi River), Fairbanks, Alaska.

Contact: Gail Chaid [email protected] October. XXII National Meeting of Italian

Planetaria, Milan, Italy, www.planetari-taliani.it

9-13 October. Triple Conjunction Planet-arium Conference with the Mid-Atlantic Planetarium Society (MAPS),South Eastern Planetarium Association(SEPA), and Great Lakes PlanetariumAssociation (GLPA). Host: BenedumPlanetarium, Benedum Natural ScienceCenter, Oglebay Resort, Wheeling, WestVirginia USA. Contact: Steve Mitch,[email protected], www.ogle-bay-resort.com/goodzoo/planetarium.htm

13-16 October. Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) AnnualConference, California Science Center,Los Angeles, California, USA.www.astc.org

31 December. Deadline for entries for the2007 IPS/Eugenides FoundationScriptwriting Competition.

22000088January. Nordic Planetarium Conference,

Jaermuseet, Stavanger, Norway. HostIvar Nakken, [email protected].

15-20 June. 1199tthh IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall PPllaanneettaarriiuummSSoocciieettyy CCoonnffeerreennccee, Adler Planetarium,Chicago.

15-19 June. 5th Science Centre WorldCongress, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

22-26 July, Southeastern PlanetariumAssociation (SEPA) annual conference,The Lafayette Natural History Museum& Planetarium, Lafayette, Louisianna,USA. Contact: [email protected].

18-21 October. Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) AnnualConference, The Franklin Institute,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.www.astc.org

DDeeaaddlliinneess ffoorr ““AA WWeeeekk iinn IIttaallyy””15 April 2007, planetarians from the United

States31 August 2007, planetarians from France30 September 2007, planetarians from SpainFor more information on the “Week in

Italy, go to:www.astrofilibresciani.it/Planetari/Week_in_Italy/-Week_Italy.htm

For corrections and new informatio forthe Calendar of Events, please send a mes-sage to Loris Ramponi at [email protected]

Planetarian’s Calendar of Events


Upgrades, Upgrades, UpgradesWell I finally did it…I went out and I got

myself a camera phone! My old phone wasbroken and I was resisting going to thephone store since I knew how crowded theycan get right after work. Once inside thephone store, I’d have to sign a new 2-yearcontract to get a new phone for free.Working for so many years for a non-profittends to make you a bit of a spendthrift.

Now I understand that a lot of you arejoining an online community called SSKKYYPPEE(www.skype.com), where you can make longdistance calls for free! I can remember PastIPS President TTeerreennccee MMuurrttaagghh giving a talkat the IPS conference in Cocoa Beach, Floridaback in 1994. He took pictures of conferenceattendees as they were entering the banquethall and then ran back to download themonto his computer so that he could displaythe images during his address to attendees.

“Ooooooooh! Aaaaaaaah!” went the crowd! I’ve resisted upgrading my cell phone

because I want to avoid the trap that thephone company is setting for me. Once I cantake pictures with my cell phone, then I’llwant to send them to friends and family,increasing my phone usage and increasingtheir profits. I even waited until the digitalcamera I wanted to buy for the planetariumdropped in price by $300 before I would pur-chase it. I resisted fulldome video until Ithought that the projectors could come asclose to film resolution as possible.

Now I weigh the difference betweenimage quality and file size in my 4kx4kdome and I wince when I see the photos my1.2 mega-pixel camera phone takes. My newphone can take pictures and movies, playsongs and download ring tones, and evenhelp me find the nearest pizza shop. Its iconsand navigation buttons are too small, but asthey say, “less is more,” right? But it is fun tohave my dad’s photo pop up when he callsme on my new phone. Isn’t technologysomething? I now wonder if I can have hisvoice as a ring tone shouting, “Jaaammeesss,”when he calls?

It Was Once Cutting EdgeI recently purchased some vintage

NNaattiioonnaall GGeeooggrraapphhiicc magazines at a churchbazaar. They were mostly from the mid-1950s and they have some great advertise-ments inside. The desert climates of Arizonaand California are prominently featured inthe travel ads, as are the job offers from allthe high-tech aerospace companies thatsprang up in that region of the country atthe dawn of the space age.

Other ads extol the joys of 3D photogra-phy and slide shows and one KKooddaakk ad fea-tures the picture of a proud-looking slideprojector, its lens thrusting out from thephoto, with the words “The Showman” bla-zoned underneath! Wow, I thought, withthat one brown bakelite beauty you couldposition a constellation picture anywhereyou needed to with the right number ofwooden wedges and a properly opaquedslide.

Now I simply click on a little box and Ican fade up a constellation picture in any ofone of a million colors and I don’t have toworry about breathing in all the dust fromthe cove shelf that I fear may have beenlined with asbestos fireproofing material. Foras much as technology has changed, I stillrely on an artist, a light bulb, and a lens toproject my shows. I wonder how many ofyou are holding onto those single shot pro-jectors and you would be interested in set-

ting up an internet store to make them avail-able to others who need them, similar to thefolks I mentioned in my last column downin Florida at the BBCCCC PPllaanneettaarriiuumm?

New at GLPAThe members of Great Lakes Planetarium

Society have a new oonnlliinnee ssttoorree where youcan purchase items and pay for membershipusing a credit card. Purchases are safe andsecure, and made through PayPal, but youdon't need a PayPal account. Membership,show kits, videos, tips booklets, scripts andresource materials can all be bought onlinethrough the GLPA Online Store simply byvisiting it at www.glpaweb.org/index.htm.There are even a few items that are availableto non-members.

Ah, That First ConferenceMy first planetarium conference was at

the original HHaayyddeenn PPllaanneettaarriiuumm at theAAmmeerriiccaann MMuusseeuumm ooff NNaattuurraall HHiissttoorryy inNew York in 1985 for a Middle AtlanticPlanetarium Society Conference. I took aPeople’s Express flight from Pittsburgh toNew York via Newark, New Jersey. People’sExpress was a walk-up airline and they eventook your payment right on the plane. My,how times have changed! I took the bus intothe city from Newark and tried to walk fromTimes Square up to 81st street. Okay, so I wasa little naïve, but you should know that myhometown downtown area can be crossedon foot in about half an hour.

After getting a city bus to help relieve myaching feet, I arrived at the planetarium andwandered inside in amazement. There weretalks and lunch and a special evening perfor-mance by space music artists MMaarrkk PPeetteerrsseenn,,JJoohhnn SSeerrrriiee, and BBaarrrryy HHaayyees. The keynoteaddress was “Why I Hate Astronomers” byIIssaaaacc AAssiimmoovv. I left a little early to catch atrain over to Brooklyn because I was tryingto pinch pennies by staying at the house of arelative of a coworker, so I missed Asimov’stalk (wince again), but the one part of theconference that had a huge impact on mewas having the chance to go inside the pro-duction offices of the planetarium and standshoulder to shoulder with HHeellmmeett KK..WWiimmmmeerr. I had seen his work in planetariumshows that we had purchased from theHayden—panoramas that looked three-dimensional, even though they were slides.He not only illustrated Hayden shows, butwith his talent and proximity to the NewYork publishing community, he illustratedastronomical concepts for countless maga-zine articles and books.

During my behind the scenes tour,Wimmer revealed his technique of sculptingon the illustration board so that the artworkliterally jumped out at the viewer. I was

James P. HughesPlanetarium Producer

Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium& Observatory

Carnegie Science CenterOne Allegheny Avenue

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15212 USA

(1) 412-237-3348(1) 412-237-3395 fax

[email protected]

Gibbous Gazette


hooked, and I knew that I needed to look nofurther for what I wanted to do with the restof my life. He passed away last March at theage of 80 at his home in Florida; see Page 91for a tribute. I’d like to pay special thanksand send our condolences to his friends andfamily on his passing. We also send ourthanks and…

Condolences to……the friends and family of DDrr.. RRoollff EErriikk

ZZiimmmmeerrmmaann, who passed away on January26, 2007. For 27 years, since its founding in1974 until his retirement in 2001, Erik servedas the director of the RRoobbeerrtt JJ .. NNoovviinnssPPllaanneettaarriiuumm at Ocean County College inToms River, New Jersey.

Born in 1941 in Newark, New Jersey, Erikdeveloped a life-long interested in astrono-my and built a small planetarium at hishome when he was in junior high. He builthis first telescope while in high school, andalso founded a high school astronomy club.He went on to Pomona College inClaremont, California, and received his PhDfrom the University of California-LosAngeles in astrophysics, the first to do sofrom UCLA cum laude.

He was a lecturer at the Adler Planetariumin Chicago while on summer breaks fromschool while still an undergraduate.

After receiving his PhD, he was a professorat Michigan State University in East Lansing,Michigan and at Kean College in Union,New Jersey, before taking the position atOcean County College. He continued toteach after retirement.

He was a founding member of ASTRA, theAstronomical Society of the Toms RiverArea, and served as its president from 1977 to2001. He also was a longtime officer of theMiddle Atlantic Planetarium Society and amember of the International PlanetariumSociety.

He is survived by his wife, Gayle; sonsBrad, Brendan, Stephen, and Erik; a sister;eight grandchildren; and many nieces andnephews.

His family requests that memorials takethe form of donations to the Susan G.Komen Foundation.

…to the friends and family of BBrraaddffoorrddWWaasshhbbuurrnn, founder of the MMuusseeuumm ooffSScciieennccee in Boston, who passed away onJanuary 10, 2007. He was 96. Washburn isknown for his adventurous spirit and hisnumerous mountain climbing expeditions.The Museum of Science was opened in 1951and was the model for the popular sciencecenters of today. After later adding theCharles Hayden Planetarium and the world-famous 2.5 million-volt Van de Graaff gener-ator, the Museum of Science continues tofulfill Washburn’s intent to bringing science

to life. He retired in 1980.

Do You Blog?We’ve recently added a blog feature to

our website, and I am curious how many ofyou are starting a similar feature on yourwebsites. I know that today’s young peoplespend a lot of time blogging and I’m not sur-prised that the word processing programthat I am using to type this column in does-n’t even recognize the word blog. It asks meto correct it—giving me the following sugges-tions for correction; bog, bloc, blot, blob andblow. Blogs invite the establishment of acommunity—just like a professional organi-zation (like IPS).

As planetarians, we get together four timesa year through this publication and weexchange ideas and information. I know thatblogging and online communities are chang-ing the way we communicate, just like digi-tal projectors are changing the way we edu-cate.

Last year we did some special musical pro-gramming and quite a few of the peopleattending said they learned about the showon the bands page on myspace.com. Doingsome research on the web, I found a fewblogs that may be of interest to you. One hada nice description of a planetarium at astroprofspage.com/archives/99, although it iswritten by an anonymous astronomy profes-sor (he may be from the west coast, since hehas advertisements for real estate near SanFrancisco) who states that he doesn’t have aplanetarium and probably never will due tothe high cost. This is a perfect example of anonline journal.

With all the various download options

and with plenty of topic links and additionallinks to other space-related blogs, this siteputs the “web” in “website.”

Another online journal that I like is fromsomeone very familiar to our group, RRyyaannWWyyaatttt from the Hayden Planetarium in NewYork. His Visualizing Science page at ryan-wyatt.livejournal.com is a science visualizer’sanswer to the Astronomy Picture of the Daysite. Let me know if you have a favorite blogor online journal.

Music Under The Stars!I had hoped to hear from a few of you

about your special musical programming,but alas, I didn’t hear from a single person. Idid, however, stumble across a fine programthat is being run out of MMoonnttggoommeerryy CCoolllleeggeePPllaanneettaarriiuumm in Takoma Park/Silver Spring,Maryland. DDrr.. HHaarroolldd WWiilllliiaammss, an astro-physicist and planetarium/physics lab coor-dinator, runs a very active live music pro-gram on selected Saturday nights through-out the academic year. With bands withnames like UUnnlluucckkyy AAttllaass,, AAlliiggnniinngg MMiinnddssand SSppaacceeSSeeeedd, it sounds as if you’ll be in fora cosmic good time. If you’re in the area anytime soon and would like to attend, checkthe website at www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/shows.html for schedule details. Star partiesfollow the live musical and laser show per-formance on clear nights!

The rock band GGuusstteerr performed at theCharles Hayden Planetarium in Boston thispast December. This alternative rock playeda thank you concert for Bostonians to pro-mote its latest album Ganging Up On The Sun.The group formed in the city 15 years ago.

The new Rangsit Planetarium in Bangkok, Thailand; see related story on Page 83. Photo courtesy ofGlenn Smith of Sky-Skan Inc.


Book ‘em Dan-OJJaacckk HHoorrkkhheeiimmeerr of the MMiiaammii MMuusseeuumm

ooff SScciieennccee aanndd PPllaanneettaarriiuumm recently cele-brated the release of his first book, Stargazingwith Jack Horkheimer: Cosmic Comics for theSky Watcher. This comic-book style, 87-pagebook is designed for children and includes avariety of lessons on science and astronomy.

MMaarrttiinn RRaattcclliiffffee (IPS past president) is theeditor of a new book out titled State of theUniverse 2007. Jointly published by Springerand Praxis Publishing from the UK, State ofthe Universe 2007 is promised to be an annualsurvey of astronomical images, discoveries,and events. The book contains chapters writ-ten by leading astronomers and educators.

Are you working on a special project orpublication? Tell us all about it here in afuture issue byemailing me all thedetails.

Did you know……that a planetari-

um called theNNiihhoonnbbaasshhii HHDD::DDVVDD PPllaanneettaarriiuummopened onDecember 15, 2006in Tokyo, Japan?Designed as a tem-porary installationthrough June 30,2007, this specially-created facility willpresent a showcalled Hokusai’sUniverse (Hokusai noUchu). Produced byplanetarium creator TTaakkaayyuukkii OOhhiirraa withstage direction from AAmmoonn MMiiyyaammoottoo, thisshow also features artwork by HHookkuussaaiiKKaattuusssshhiikkaa, famed for his Edo Period (1603-1867) Ukiyoe art of Japanese woodblockprints. The soundtrack features the voice tal-ents of several Japanese actors and actresses,including Ken Ogata, Ryuta Sato, and EErriikkooSSaattoo. The show also features a Megastar IIplanetarium projector capable of projectingprecision images of about 5 million stars!Visit them on the web (if you read Japanese)at www.tfm.co.jp/star/

…that there is a website devoted toAAbbaannddoonneedd && LLiittttllee KKnnoowwnn AAiirrffiieellddss? Thereis, and it can be found at www.airfields-free-man.com/index.htm. PPaauull FFrreeeemmaann has com-piled a list of 1367 airfield in the UnitedStates and includes photos of some prettyinteresting domed structures used for radarequipment.

…that the RRaannggssiitt PPllaanneettaarriiuumm inBangkok, Thailand is now complete after a 5-year delay? An opening ceremony tookplace on February 21, 2007 to unveil a new

Zeiss STARMASTER projector and a 6-projec-tor full dome projection system from Sky-Skan, Inc.

…that DDrr.. LLaauurraa DDaannllyy is now the curatorof education at GGrriiffffiitthh OObbsseerrvvaattoorryy in LosAngeles, California? Dr. Danly was formerlythe senior manager of astrophysics educa-tion at the American Museum of NaturalHistory in New York and most recentlyserved as curator of space science at theDenver Museum of Natural History. Danlyalso has been an assistant astronomer andproject scientist for education at SpaceTelescope Science Institute in Baltimore, andassociate director for public outreach at theMaryland Space Grant Consortium, also inBaltimore.

…that staff members of the BBaarrnnaauull

PPllaanneettaarriiuumm in Russia have been recentlyinundated with calls regarding falling fire-balls in the region? News reports have men-tioned that Natalia Pavlova and her otherresearch fellows are collecting sighting infoto determine possible meteoric landing sites.

…that a new planetarium is now open atthe MMuusseeuuoo EEllddeerr iinn LLaass PPaallmmaass , GranCanaria? Located on the third largest of theCanary Islands off the west coast of Africa,you can take a virtual tour with a veryimpressive flash presentation atwww.museoelder.org/indexflash.html. I real-ly like their slogan: “The Museum is not aMausoleum, it is a Fair for the Intelligence!”

…that the VVeerriizzoonn FFoouunnddaattiioonn has given a$500,000 grant to the DDiissccoovveerryy CCeenntteerr ffoorrSScciieennccee aanndd TTeecchhnnoollooggyy in Thousand Oaks,California at the Thousand Oaks CityCouncil meeting on January 9, 2007? TheDiscovery Center plans to use some of thegrant money to fund the creation of theVerizon Community Clubhouse, the center-piece of the Sci-Tech Exploration Center.The Verizon Clubhouse will feature hands-

on workshops and studios filled with cut-ting-edge technologies, many developed inVentura County by schools and businessesin fields such as telecommunications,biotechnology, and aerospace. The ceiling ofthe Verizon Clubhouse will be domed toaccommodate a digital planetarium projec-tion system.

The Discovery Center is already using thisSTARLAB projector to offer planetariumshows at schools and community events,using a portable dome also funded byVerizon. The Discovery Center still needs toraise another $45 million required to buildthe Clubhouse, which it plans to design overthe next two years. Okay, so now I don’t feelso bad about the high cost of my phone bill.

Out of Town VisitorsNow that I have been initiated into the

fulldome community, I also have had thepleasure of meeting some new planetarianswho were out and about looking at new sys-tems. Late last year I was visited by SSaamm TTssooii,senior technical officer from the HHoonngg KKoonnggSSppaaccee MMuusseeuumm; CChheeee--KKuueenn YYiipp, chief sciencecurator from the HHoonngg KKoonngg SScciieenncceeMMuusseeuumm; and GGuu JJiieeyyaann, deputy director ofthe Public Eduation Department of theSShhaanngghhaaii SScciieennccee && TTeecchhnnoollooggyy MMuusseeuumm. Itturns out that they all arrived on the sameday, leaving no time for me to get any pho-tos to share with you. If only I had my newcamera phone back then, I could haveuploaded them to a MySpace page andshared them with you all online!

Also, don’t forget to plan on attending theTTrriippllee CCoonnjjuunnccttiioonn EEaasstt CCoonnffeerreennccee thisyear in Wheeling, West Virginia at theOOgglleebbaayy RReessoorrtt aanndd CCoonnffeerreennccee CCeenntteerr fromOctober 9-13 with a side trip to my real spaceon October 11. Members from MAPS, SEPAand GLPA with all be coming to this rarealignment of planetarium professionals, andI hope that a few of our international col-leagues will also attend!

With all of you descending on our arealater this year, I’m wondering if I shouldn’tset up a rummage sale of my own since westill have a lot of equipment we aren’t usinganymore. Let me know if you have anyinterests or needs.

I’d like to take one final opportunitythank all of you who remember me eachquarter with your news and pictures for thiscolumn. I couldn’t do it without you. I hopeto make some changes over the next fewissues and I’d like to know what type of newsand features you’d like to see here. Pleasesend me your ideas. I look forward to hear-ing from you at the address listed at thefront of this column! �

Dr. Laura Danly, new curator of education at the Griffith Observatory in LosAngeles, California. Photo courtesy of Marcus Weddle of Sky-Skan Inc.


Planetarium art—indeed, astronomical art—owes a great debt toHelmut Wimmer. After a recommendation from long-time HaydenPlanetarium lecturer Henry Neely, Helmut was brought on to theAmerican Museum-Hayden Planetarium staff as art coordinator in1955. Neely had encountered Helmut by chance, and was impressedby his obvious talent and personality. At the Hayden, Helmut devel-oped many innovative art techniques for the Hayden sky shows. Itwas there that he began to perfect his use of the airbrush. Onlysuperlatives can describe his ultimate career.

Helmut Karl Wimmer was born in Munich in 1925. At the age of14 he was apprenticed to a sculptor and architectural model maker.While serving in the German army at 18, he was captured by Czechpartisans and turned over to the Russians. As a prisoner of war, hewas sent to Gorky, where his talents were noticed by the overseers.He was soon assigned to a team to repair the ornamental plasterworks of the government buildings inGorky. He was freed in 1949 and madehis way to Munich, a story in itself.

Seeking what he hoped would be abetter life for his wife, Francie, andtheir daughter, Monica, he made hisway to New York in 1954. A seconddaughter, Nina, was born a few yearslater in the US. He soon began hiscareer at the American Museum-Hayden Planetarium, retiring fromthere in 1987.

Though skilled in painting, his seek-ing a view of the third dimensionrequired something beyond the ordi-nary paintbrush. He could achieve bet-ter results by using the airbrush, eventhough it was unfamiliar to him at thetime. He used masks and templates toget sharp lines, like edges of sphericalstars and planets. Raising the maskswould permit a softening of the edgesfor nebular boundaries. Helmut wasbold in his experimentation with dif-ferent materials and techniques.When an astronomical concept wasexplained, he visualized its illustration. He then transferred his viewto paper. To experiment with composition, Helmut often sprayedplastic over the finished portion of a work. If unsatisfied, he couldwipe it off without damaging the good part and add something dif-ferent. The result was always closer to the desired concept.

Over the years, Helmut drew so many pictures of the Earth thathe could paint it from any point of view, no longer needing a globeor map. He could also represent constellations from memory. Ofcourse, Helmut learned his English along with his astronomy whilehe did all the art illustrations for the shows. A problem, however,surfaced in Germany. He could not tell his family and friends thereabout his astronomical work, because he didn’t have the technicalGerman vocabulary.

One of the Hayden staff members, Franklyn M. Branley, was avery successful author of science books for children. Many of hisastronomy books were illustrated by Helmut. This exposure gotHelmut numerous assignments from other authors and publishers,

including illustrating several textbooks. His skill often earned him aco-author credit on the books he illustrated.

His work frequently appeared in the American Museum maga-zine, Natural History, as well as many others. His colorful schematicconcept of black hole phenomena has been copied extensively,sometimes without proper credit. But those of us familiar withHelmut’s work can identify it almost immediately in any publica-tion.

It was the practice at the Hayden to change shows over one night.Technicians would change the various projectors and special effects.Helmut would change all the slides in the several slide projectors,and everywhere else a slide was needed. What went where was in hishead. For hours each change night, Helmut would climb a ladderscores of times. It was ultimately made easier when a wheeled scaf-fold was used, but he had to climb it, too, just not so often. There

were times when the staff tried to makethe work a bit less onerous by playinghis favorite song, "Dark Moon" byLoretta Lynn.

One show was titled Six Men WhoChanged the Universe. For a hallwayexhibit, Helmut made busts of the six,Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton,Einstein, and Hubble. He was a sculptoragain, perfecting the clay busts beforecasting them in plaster. He workedfrom illustrations of each of the men,except for Ptolemy, of course. InPtolemy’s case Helmut was accused ofmaking him look suspiciously likeHelmut himself.

His humor was infectious, and onceused in a show. We had wanted to havea movable Earth projected onto thedome. He coated a glass ball with wax.In the wax, he scraped the geographicfeatures. Fluoric acid was to be used toetch the exposed glass. He had almostfinished it on a Friday afternoon, butthe technicians etched it Mondaymorning before he got to work. In

shows, we were able to joke that our German artist had succeededwhere Hitler failed: He had wiped the British Isles off the map.

Helmut’s last years were troubled by Alzheimer’s disease, and hehad suffered a stroke. Although his vigor failed him toward the endof his life, his lively work will last for years, well beyond the end ofour own. His significant contribution to the reputation of theHayden, and to the field of astronomical art, cannot be suggested bythis brief note. He is most definitely a pioneer in the field. His namemay not have been listed among the staff members of the Museum,but he was always a well-respected colleague of ours.

Helmut Wimmer is survived by his wife, Francie, daughtersMonica and Nina, and by three grandchildren.

by Kenneth L. FranklinFormer Chairman and Astronomer Emeritus

American Museum-Hayden Planetararium

Helmut K. Wimmer, 1925-2006image provided by Hayden Planetrium

Helmut K. Wimmer1925-2006


December’s issue had news from theAustralia conference. This one has bits andpieces from the Pluto issue. Our audiencesare still asking, “How do you feel about Plutobeing demoted?” Hmmmm.

Dave Hostetter shared some news fromthe South Eastern Planetarium Associationmeeting in Florida last June. Phil Groce fell 4feet down the elevator shaft in the planetari-um, pulled the cartilage in his right ribs, andsprained his left wrist. He had to go to thehospital emergency room, but showed uplater in the hospitality suite all wrapped upbut having a good time.

We heard his crash in the dark (it was dur-ing the constellation shoot-out), then theplaintive words, "It's Phil. I fell. It hurts."

By the time the lights came up, someonehad already coined the phrase "Fell Groce."

"At least he's talking." "Yes, but that's normal." "Maybe it's an involuntary response." By the next day we had signs posted: "Phil

Groce finally fell fully four feet." "Phil Groce slipped here." All I can say is that it's a good thing he has

a sense of humor. He took the "ribbing" verygracefully. The very best part is that after allthat, he was the winner of the CampbellAward, so he got some actual respect, too. Ofcourse, when he won his door prize, the "FreeFall Phil" chanting started.

��

Time exists so everything doesn't happenat once.

Space exists so it doesn't all happen to you.Signature tagline from Scott Young,

Manitoba Museum

��

From Jim Beaber: “I enclose a quote fromthe following article in the New York TimesPicayune that might make us all want to stopand think:

FOOTIE-ON-THE-WATER, ENGLAND - Freshon the heels of the Pluto coup, theInternational Astron-omcal Union (IAU) isconsidering new regulatory language thatwould redefine how personnel and workersin planetariums are termed.

The IAU's head of the Supercommitee forNon-necessary Items and Terms (SNIT), Dr.Margaret Watcherskies, announced that theIAU is considering whether planetariumworkers and personnel are truly"astronomers" and/or "astronomy educa-tors". Dr. Watcherskies cited blogs, variouspostings in internet chat rooms, and othermaterial as examples that planetarium work-ers and personnel are confused and hostilepeople, and are likely causing confusion andhostility in the general public over Pluto.

Frankly, we're a bit disappointed in theplanetarium community," said Dr.Watcherskies. “We expected full compliancewith the only official governing body fornaming stuff. In the universe, I mean. This isrebellion, and we mean to crush these peo-ple."

The proposed change would have plane-tarium workers and personnel now classifiedas "Citizens Related to the AstronomyProfession" (CRAP). Response in the astro-nomical community has been varied, withmany astronomers frankly surprised thatplanetariums actually still exist.

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With thanks to Don and Nancy, and cour-tesy of insider Betsy Wilson:

PRAGUE - The international committee ofastronomers decided this week to removePluto from the list of planets. A spokesmanreleased this statement, "We're awfully sorryto have to let Pluto go, but this restructur-ing is necessary to move this solar systemforward. We've got to tighten our asteroidbelt and make difficult decisions. We've real-ly enjoyed working with Pluto in the pastand wish it no ill will. We look on this eventas a great opportunity to revitalize our sys-tem."

Behind the scenes, however, things werereportedly more heated. Rumors aboundthat Pluto orbited slower than other planets,often appearing sluggish and possibly intoxi-cated. Some have reportedly complained

about off color jokes directed at Uranus.Lawsuits by several asteroids demandinginclusion in the solar system reportedly alsomotivated the committee to take a hard lineon planet definition. An original plan to usethe world "Pluton" was rejected by theirlawyers as demeaning and discriminatory.

Others have defended Pluto, claiming thedecision to downsize was based on unjustdiscrimination. One anonymous insiderclaimed, "It's a new solar system, and ifyou're not wearing rings, or you're too small,you're just not flashy enough for the kidstoday. Besides, the committee was alwaysuncomfortable with the attraction betweenPluto and its long-term partner, Charon. It'sjust prejudice, I tell you."

Pluto's press agent released this state-ment, "While Pluto is saddened by this turnof events, it's not bitter, rather Pluto lookson this as an opportunity to explore new andexciting projects."

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To: Dome L I'm sure that by the time this is posted,

there will already be a decision made aboutwhat is, or is not, a planet. It's already evidentthat any decision is going to leave somegroup or other upset. Part of this attachmentmight be based in fond memories in learningabout the solar system, and perhaps (at leastsubconsciously) on the association of theplanet with Mickey Mouse's dog. It mightseem as though history and tradition havecreated a deep and abiding love for this lone-ly little planet, but this is a mistake. At best,any feelings we have can only be plutonic.Jim Beaber

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BURBANK, CALIF - In reaction to news todaythat Pluto was demoted to the status ofdwarf planet, the Seven Dwarfs issued theirown short statement:

Although we think it's DOPEY that Plutohas been downgraded to a dwarf planet,which has made some people GRUMPY andothers just SLEEPY, we are not BASHFUL insaying we would be HAPPY if Disney's Plutowould join us as an eighth dwarf. We thinkthis is just what the DOC ordered and isnothing to SNEEZE at.

As Mickey Mouse’s faithful companion,Pluto made his debut in 1930, the same yearthat scientists discovered what theybelieved was a ninth planet.

Said a white-gloved, yellow-shoed sourceclose to Disney’s top dog, “I think the wholething is goofy. Pluto has never been interest-ed in astronomy before, other than maybean occasional howl at the moon.” �

April S. WhittFernbank Science Center156 Heaton Park Drive NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30307 [email protected]

Last Light

With Digistar 3 you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to learn about one of NASA’s space probes. With the click of a mouse you can see just how the Huygens probe found its way to the surface of Saturn’s moon, Titan.

Digistar 3 comes with nearly 200 real-time astronomical examples, and with our comprehensive training that comes with each Digistar 3, you’ll be charting your own course through the stars in no time at all.

Simple Elegant Powerful AD ONEPA1 1 1/29/2007 11:0

Documents

Live action in fulldome . . . Page 6€¦ · [email protected] IPS Planetarium Development Group Ken Wilson, Chair Ethyl Universe Planetarium Science Museum of Virginia 2500 West Broad