Back	Using a Community Solar System Model Sheldon Schafer (Lakeview Museum Planetarium) Numerous museums and communities have created large true-scale models of the Solar System. At the Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, we inaugurated our model in 1992. (The Planetarian, Vol 22, No. 2, June 1993, pp 16-17) Initially, the model was regarded as a permanent museum exhibit which visitors were invited to tour. However, over the last five years, the model has become the focus of programming and fundraisers. These have included: The Interplanetary 5K Run/Walk - a fundraising event; The Interplanetary Bicycle Ride - a two-day bicycle tour; The Interplanetary Motorcycle Ride and Poker Run; teacher workshops on scale; and part of a planetarium preshow discussion and activity. This poster paper will describe the elements of these programs, activities and events.
Back	Using a Remotely Controlled Telescope in Public Planetarium Programs Mark Sonntag (Angelo State University) The Angelo State University remotely controlled and robotic observatory is used as a supplement to public planetarium programs. This facility was designed to fulfill the University's research, teaching, and outreach missions. The teaching and outreach functions are used in conjunction with and are conducted in the planetarium.
Back	The Rio de Janeiro Planetarium Experience: Teaching Astronomy in loco and at a Distance. Alexandre Cherman & Órmis Rossi (Fundação Planetário da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro) The Rio de Janeiro Planetarium, established in 1970, has recently acquired new equipment (a Zeiss Universarium VIII), housed in a brand new tilted dome, which opened in 1998 (the old dome is still open to the public, its Zeiss Spacemaster still functional). Riding the sudden media wave, the Rio de Janeiro Planetarium stretched its reach. A new branch of its already existing internet site was constructed, specially for children (and, to our knowledge, the only Astronomy site dedicated for kids and completely in Portuguese). The Planetarium also has a Remote Telescope, much like the TIE project sponsored by NASA. As we speak, a pre-selected group of students are able to observe the night sky from their computers accessing our telescope. This is the mission of the Rio de Janeiro Planetarium: teach Astronomy, whether the public comes to us or we go to them.
Back	The Application of Computer Multimedia Technology to Sky Show in Planetarium Zhang Xuekui (Beijing Planetarium) With the help of an overhead projector installed in the space theatre, what is shown on the computer screen can be projected on the dome. We employ computer multimedia technology to make sky shows more vivid and more visual, giving a new way to show the sky. Multimedia computers synthesize the newest technology of computer software and hardware, and make the production of programs easy and simple for employees of the planetarium.
Back	The Stars Shine Brightly in Nova Scotia Schools Mary Lou Whitehorne (Learning Technologies Inc.) Astronomy awareness is on the rise in Nova Scotia, thanks to The Atlantic Space Sciences Foundation (TASSF), a group of volunteer amateur astronomers, who have been working hard since 1990 to promote astronomy and space science in both the public and educational sectors in Nova Scotia. They have enjoyed considerable success through several different avenues and with a variety of partners.
Back	Hoshizora No Rentai: A Campaign of Simultaneous Observation in a Whole Country Yoshiya Watanabe (Osaka Science Museum) Since 1996, the author has sponsored a series of monthly stargazing campaigns - "Hosizora No Rentai," which means "fellowship under the starry sky" - for improving school teachers' astronomical literacy. During the campaign, participants observe the same objects at the same time in every corner of the country. Afterwards, participants report together and discuss their observations via computer networks. This low-cost campaign is a highly effective method of education and promotion of planetaria.
Back	Million Stars in a Dome! The Latest Report of a Special Planetarium Projector Takayuki Ohira It is taken for granted that the usual planetarium reproduces stars up to magnitude 6, faintly visible by the naked eye. However, if you look at the starry sky in a place where the air is clean, you will notice that the usual artificial starry sky is quite imperfect. Therefore, I have developed a new optical projector, MEGASTAR, which can reproduce stars up to magnitude 11 - approximately 1.7 million stars - to produce a more realistic starry sky similar to the real one. MEGASTAR reproduces the wonderful starry sky seen at the top of Mauna Kea and it even depicts the Milky Way as a group of stars. Furthermore, this projector can be easily moved.
Back	IGBT-Based Intelligent Cove Light System Ed Lantz (Spitz Inc.) Dimming systems are notorious for producing switching noise which can wreak havoc in the planetarium, causing buzzing in audio systems, noise bars in video, and false triggering of other dimmer circuits. European directives for radiated and conducted emissions are quite strict. Toroidal filters are commonly used in dimmers to limit switching rise time and reduce electrical noise, but they emit an audible hum, and are bulky. This poster presents a design that replaces Triacs with IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) devices to dim and limit rise time, thereby eliminating the need for filtering. The dimmers are packaged with an intelligent processor to create a cove light controller module capable of dimming 15 red, blue and green incandescent bulbs up to 60 watts each, and an additional 500 watt auxiliary dimming channel for dome lighting. The unit successfully passed testing for low voltage European directives.
Back	Bringing the Sun Down to Earth Philip M. Sadler (Learning Technologies Inc.) Using a telescope to observe the sun is usually an elaborate ordeal. One must employ the correct filters or use eyepiece projection. Either way, safety is a major concern, especially while working with children. We have redesigned Janosik's legendary Sunspotter, an unusual, folded-Keplerian telescope that can be easily used for group viewing. Students can quickly draw the positions of sunspots using the bright, projected image and compare them on a daily basis. This kid-friendly instrument is a much safer alternative to using other telescopes for solar observation. We will demonstrate how it works (weather permitting) and donate our Sunspotter to one of the viewers (chosen at random).
Back	Tactiles for Planetariums - A "Sight" to Behold David Hurd (Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Planetarium) Most of us take the beauty of the night sky for granted. However, some of our audience may have a visual impairment that prevents them from seeing the stars clearly, or at all. Because of a high number of students with visual disabilities here at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, our tactile lab created a 1.5-m tactile dome for students who are blind or have other visual impairments. With this "dome" persons with visual impairments and those that are blind can "feel" their way through the night sky. For those persons without impairments, we painted the dome for easy identification of stars, constellations and other items of interest in the night sky. This poster is to show you some of the variety of resources the Edinboro University Planetarium can create for you. We only charge for materials, and would be happy to help you out in any way we can.
Back	Starlight Productions Aaron McEuen (Starlight Productions) This poster will show who/what/when/where about Starlight Productions. Focused on Digistar I/II and the All Dome Video systems.