September 2017 Journal of the International Planetarium Society - Vol. 46, No. 3 - Canada celebrates 150th in fulldome
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Online PDF: ISSN 23333-9063
Vol. 46, No. 3 September 2017
Journal of the International Planetarium Society
Canada celebrates 150th in fulldome Page 20
Executive Editor
Sharon Shanks
484 Canterbury Ln
Boardman, Ohio 44512 USA
+1 330-783-9341
sharon.shanks@gmail.com September 2017
Webmaster
Alan Gould
Vol. 46 No. 3
Lawrence Hall of Science Planetarium
University of California Articles
Berkeley CA 94720-5200 USA
adgould@comcast.net 7 Vision2020 Update Jon Elvert
8 Illuminating the aurora: Exploring science communication
Advertising Coordinator
Dale Smith in the planetarium Jean Creighton,
(See Publications Committee on page 3) Danielle DeVasto, Sam Gallagher
14 A galaxy, a garden-An idea in Pamplona that works
Membership on so many levels Nieves Gordón
Individual: $65 one year; $100 two years
Institutional: $250 first year; $125 annual renewal 20 SESQUI picks fulldome to immerse people of
Library Subscriptions: $50 one year; $90 two years Canada in wonder and excitement Sean Moffitt
All amounts in US currency 24 One Earth: New Horizons Message Jon Lomberg
Direct membership requests and changes of
address to the Treasurer/Membership Chairman
28 Starry bridges over Cyprus George Troullias,
Alexandr Prokofyev, Katie Demetriou
Printed Back Issues of Planetarian 30 The Cosmic-Vis Package: Visualizing cosmological
IPS Back Publications Repository simulation data on planetarium domes Leigh Korbel,
maintained by the Treasurer/Membership Chair
(See contact information on next page)
William Kinney, Salvatore Rappocio, Mark Percy
34 Storytelling in an immersive environment: The secret is
Final Deadlines emotion Christoph Brandl, Peter Popp
March: January 21 38 The planetarium at Pilikula: India’s first 8K, 3D Dome
June: April 21
September: July 21
Judith Rubin
December: October 21 41 Under One Dome: La Cité des Sciences à Tunis
Riadh BEN NESSIB
Associate Editors 74 Tributes: Ivan Dryer
Book Reviews April S. Whitt
82 Tributes: Natalia Pavlova, Ken Perkins, R. Subramanian
Calendar Loris Ramponi
Cartoons Alexandre Cherman, Chuck Rau
Classroom Education Jack Northrup
Data to Dome Mark SubbaRao
Design+ Operations Tim Barry
Different Point of View Ron Walker
Education Committee Jeanne Bishop
Fulldome Matters Carolyn Collins Petersen
International Lars Petersen
Last Light April S. Whitt Columns
Live Interactive Karrie Berglund Book Reviews.................................................. 76
Mobile News Susan Reynolds Button
Calendar........................................................... 83
Sound Advice Jeff Bowen
A Different Point of View........................... 78
Fulldome Matters........................................... 44
From the Classdome..................................... 48
In Front of the Console...................................4
International News........................................ 54 Index of Advertisers
On the Cover: Ash Enterprises................................................ 46
Last Light......................................................... 84
LIP Service........................................................ 64 Astro-Tec Manufacturing.............................. 13
Mobile News.................................................... 66 Audio Visual Imagineering............................ 31
#1 The cinematically jaw-dropping and inspir-
ing Aurora Borealis in Yellowknife and north- Outside Space................................................ 72 Bays Mountain Productions......................... 36
ern Quebec, the choice of balloting in the VIA Partycles..............................................................7 California Academy of Sciences................. 61
Rail People’s Choice ballot for the fulldome President’s Message........................................6 ChromaCove..................................................... 18
film HORIZON produced for Canada’s Sesqui- Reverse Diurnal Motion............................... 79 Clark Planetarium............................................ 40
centennial. Image courtesy SESQUI; see story Seeking What Works.................................... 50 Digitalis Education Solutions...................... 47
on page 20. Waxing New.................................................... 80 Evans & Sutherland............. 33, 39, 42-43, 71
Inside back cover
Fulldome Festival Brno.................................. 57
GOTO Inc.............................Inside front cover
Konica Minolta Planetarium Co.................. 49
International Planetarium Society home page: LochNess Productions................................... 63
www.ips-planetarium.org Metaspace......................................................... 51
NSC Creative.................................................... 23
Planetarian home page: Planetarium de Saint-Etienne...................... 27
www.ips-planetarium.org/?page=plntrn RSACosmos.........................................................5
Sciss................................... Outside back cover
Softmachine.............................................. 53, 67
Spitz, Inc...................................................... 69, 81
Spitz Creative Media........................ 19, 59, 75
www.facebook.com/InternationalPlanetariumSociety You Can Do Astronomy................................ 77
twitter.com/IPS_Planetarium Zeiss.....................................................................37
Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Planetarian 1
Aff iliate Representatives Standing Committees
Awards Elections Publications IPS Permanent Mailing Address
Manos Kitsonas Martin George, Chair Dale W. Smith, Chair
Association of Australasian Great Plains Rocky Mountain Eugenides Planetarium Launceston Planetarium BGSU Planetarium International Planetarium Society
Off icers Brazilian Planetarium Planetarium Planetarium 387 Syngrou Avenue Queen Victoria Museum 104 Overman Hall c/o Ann Bragg, Treasurer
Planetariums Society Association Association 17564 P. Faliro Wellington Street Physics &Astronomy Department Marietta College
ABP APS GPPA RMPA Athens, Greece Launceston Tasmania 7250 Bowling Green State University 215 Fifth Street
Jack L. Northrup +30 210 946 9674 Australia Bowling Green, Ohio 43403 USA Marietta, Ohio 45750 USA
Shane Hengst Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. +30 210 941 7372 fax +61 3 6323 3777 +1 419-372-8666
Antonio Augusto Rabello Outreach Manager, University Planetarium Michele Wistisen mak@eugenfound.edu.gr +61 3 6323 3776 fax +1 419-372-9938 fax IPS Web Site:
Foundation CEU Universe Study of New South Wales Physics 3720 Florence Boulevard Casper Planetarium Martin.George@qvmag.tas.gov.au dwsmith@bgsu.edu www.ips-planetarium.org
President Center UNSW Australia Omaha, Nebraska 68110 USA 904 North Poplar Street Conference
Shawn Laatsch Rua Emílio Dalla Déa Filho, s/n. Sydney NSW 2052 Australia jlnorthrup@fbx.com Casper, Wyoming Current Officers Finance Please notify the Editor and Secretary of any changes
Emera Astronomy Center Portão 4 +61 (2) 9385 4053 82601 USA Upcoming conference host, past Current Officers on these two pages.
167 Rangeley Road Campos Elíseos Brotas, SP, Brazil +61 (2) 9385 6060 fax Italian +1 307-577-0310 conference host, any IPS member
Orono, Maine 04469 USA + 55 14 3653-4466 s.hengst@unsw.edu.au Association of michele_wistisen@natronaschools. appointed by the president Membership Contact the Treasurer/Membership Chair for
shawn.laatsch@gmail.com + 55 11 3812-2112 www.aps-planetarium.org Planetaria org Ann Bragg, Treasurer, Chair individual member address changes and general
www.fundacaceo.org.br IAP Conference Host-2018 Marietta College circulation and billing questions. Addresses
riker44@gmail.com British Russian Marc Moutin 215 Fifth Street also may be changed online on the IPS Web Site.
www.planetarios.org.br Association Loris Ramponi Planetariums Cité de l’espace Marietta, Ohio 45750 USA
www.planetariodorio.com.br of Planetaria National Archive of Planetaria Association Avenue Jean Gonord BP 25855 +1 740-376-4589
BAP c/o Centro Studi e Ricerche RPA 31506 Toulouse Cedex 5 ann.bragg@marietta.edu
Association of Serafino Zani +33 (0) 5 62 71 56 03
Past President Dutch-Speaking Mark Watson via Bosca 24, C.P. 104 +33 (0) 5 62 71 56 29
Joanne Young Planetariums Winchester Science Centre and I 25066 Lumezzane (Brescia) Italy Zinaida P. Sitkova m.moutin@cite-espace.com
Audio Visual Imagineering PLANed Planetarium +39 30 872 164 Nizhny Novgorod www.cite-espace.com
6565 Hazeltine National Telegraph Way +39 30 872 545 fax Planetarium www.aplf-planetariums.org
Drive, Suite 2 Jaap Vreeling Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 1HZ megrez58@gmail.com Revolutsionnja Street 20
Orlando, Florida 32822 USA Nova informatie centrum United Kingdom osservatorio@serafinozani.it 603002 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
+1 407-859-8166 Science Park 904 +44 (0) 1962 891907 www.planetari.org +7 831 246-78-80
joanne@av-imagineering.com 1098 XH Amsterdam M.Watson.BAP@gmail.com +7 831 246-77-89 fax
+31 0 20 525 7480 www.planetarium.org.uk Japan zsitkova@gmail.com
+31 0 20 525 7484 fax Planetarium www.apr.planetariums.ru Ad Hoc Committees
J.A.Vreeling@uva.nl Canadian Association
www.astronomie.nl Association of JPA Society of the Armand Spitz Immersive Audio Portable Planetarium
Science Centres German- Planetarium Education Fund Charles Morrow Susan Reynolds Button, Chair
Association of CASC Kaoru Kimura Speaking Finance Committee 1961 Roaring Brook Road Quarks to Clusters
President Elect French- Japan Science Foundation Planetariums Barton, Vermont 05822 USA 8793 Horseshoe Lane
Mark SubbaRao Speaking Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda-ku GDP Education Phone: +1-212-989-2400 Chittenango, New York 13037
Adler Planetarium Planetariums Frank Florian Tokyo, 102-0091 Japan Jeanne E. Bishop Fax: +1.206.222.2125 +1 315-687-5371
1300 South Lake Shore Drive APLF TELUS World of Science kaoru@jsf.or.jp Björn Voss Planetarium Director cm@cmorrow.com sbuttonq2c@twcny.rr.com
Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA Marc Moutin 11211 142 Street NW www.shin-pla.info LWL-Museum für Naturkunde Parkside Administration Building sbuttonq2c@gmail.com
+1 312-294-0348 Cité de l’espace Edmonton, Alberta T5M 4A1 Westphalian State Museum 24525 Hilliard Road International Relations
msubbarao@adlerplanetarium.org Avenue Jean Gonord BP 25855 Canada Middle Atlantic of Natural History Westlake, Ohio 44145 USA Martin George, Chair Presenting Live Under the Dome
31506 Toulouse Cedex 5 fflorian@twose.ca Planetarium Sentruper Str. 285 +1 440-871-5293 Launceston Planetarium Derek Demeter, Chair
+33 (0)5 62 71 56 03 www.canadiansciencecentres.ca Society 48161 Münster Germany +1 440-835-5572 fax Queen Victoria Museum The Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust
+33 (0)5 62 71 56 29 fax MAPS +49-251-591-6026 jeanneebishop@wowway.com Wellington Street Planetarium
m.moutin@cite-espace.com Chinese +49-251-591-6098 fax www.glpaweb.org Launceston, Tasmania 7250 Seminole State College of Florida
www.cite-espace.com Planetarium bjoern.voss@lwl.org Mail address: Australia 100 Weldon Boulevard
www.aplf-planetariums.org Society Jerry Vinski www.gdp-planetarium.org 3180 Oakwood Lane +61 3 6323 3777 Sanford, Florida 32773 USA
Executive Secretary CPS 110 E Union Street Westlake, Ohio 44145 USA +61 3 6323 3776 fax +1 407-708-2409
Rachel Thompson Association of Hillsborough, North Carolina Southeastern Martin.George@qvmag.tas.gov.au DemeterD@seminolestate.edu
rachelsusanthompson@gmail.com Mexican Jin Zhu 27278 USA Planetarium Emerging Communities
Planetariums Beijing Planetarium +1 919-241-4548 Association Dave Weinrich Planetarium Design and Operations Science & Data
AMP No. 138 Xizhimenwait Street jmvinski@gmail.com SEPA S250 State Road 35 S Ian McLennan Visualization Task Force
Beijing, 1000044 Nelson, Wisconsin 54756 USA #404-1275 Haro Street Mark SubbaRao
Ignacio Castro Pinal P.R. China Nordic John Hare dave.l.weinrich@gmail.com Vancouver, British Columbia Adler Planetarium
Ave. San Bernabé, 723, Casa 7 +86 10-5158-3311 Planetarium Ash Enterprises V6E 1G1 Canada 1300 South Lake Shore Drive
San Jerónimo Lídice, C.P. 10200 +86 10-5158-3312 fax Association 29 Riverside Drive, Apt 402 History +1 604-681-4790 phone + fax Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA
Treasurer México City, D.F. México jinzhu@bjp.org.cn NPA Cocoa, Florida 32922 USA John Hare, IPS Historian ian@ianmclennan.com +1 312-294-0348
Ann Bragg +52 (55) 5500 0562 +1 941 730 3434 Ash Enterprises ian.mclennan@gmail.com msubbarao@adlerplanetarium.org
Anderson Hancock Planetarium +52 (55) 5500 0583 fax European/ Aase Roland Jacobsen johnhare@earthlink.net 3602 23rd Avenue West www.ianmclennan.com
Marietta College icastrop@hotmail.com Mediterranean Planetarium Curator www.sepadomes.org Bradenton, Florida 34205 USA Vision 2020 Initiative
215 Fifth Street Planetarium The Science Museums +1 941-746-3522 Jon Elvert, Chair
Marietta, Ohio 45750 USA Association of Association C.F. Moellers Alle 2 Southwestern johnhare@earthlink.net Baton Rouge, Louisiana
+1 740-376-4589 Spanish EMP University of Aarhus Association of 70802 USA
ann.bragg@marietta.edu Planetariums DK-8000 Aarhus C Planetariums jelvert1@gmail.com
ASP Manos Kitsonas Denmark SWAP Planetarian (ISSN 0090-3213) is published quarterly by
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fees and advertising invoices 387 Syngrou Avenue aase.jacobsen@sm.au.dk national Planetarium Society, Inc., all rights reserved.
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should be made to Ann Bragg Javier Armentia 17564 P. Faliro Levent Gurdemir Opinions expressed by authors are personal opinions
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Membership fees also can be paid tional Planetarium Society, its officers, or agents.
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+34 948 260 056 Arlington, Texas 76019-0059 philosophy, management, techni- where in print or electronically. If the Copyright 2013 (or appropriate other material does not imply endorsement by the
+34 948 261 919 fax Great Lakes Benjamin Mendelsohn USA cal aspects, educational aspects, or submission has appeared elsewhere year) International Planetarium International Planetarium Society, its officers, or
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2 Planetarian Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Planetarian 3
In Front of the Console
Sharon Shanks
484 Canterbury Lane
Boardman, Ohio 44512 USA
+1 330-783-9341
sharon.shanks@gmail.com
A special shout-out to Planetarian columnists
If I had to point to one thing that makes Planetarian a value to IPS reflect this new ethusiasm.
members, it would be the core of faithful people who write the regular I also need to congratulate Carolyn Collins Petersen, who describes
columns. Four times every year they take the time to share their expe- the apparent lack of standards when it comes to judging fulldome festi-
rience and knowledge with everyone, either to make our jobs easier vals. Many writers for Planetarian, whether it is a column, a feature
or to simply bring a smile to our faces (many times, doing both at the article, or an opinion, often have to doff one hat and put on another,
same time). especially the vendors.
You know them, many of them past presidents of IPS and/or their local I value the words of the vendors in Planetarian’s pages as much
affiliates, those with “IPS Fellow” after their names. April Whitt, Loris as I did when I called them for help when I was working under the
Ramponi, Jeanne Bishop, and Susan Reynolds Button have been my virtual dome. Carolyn asks some hard questions that need to be answered to
staff companions since I became editor in September 2006. preserve the value of fulldome festivals (and they are becoming more
There has been, of course, a coming and a going since then, but valuable as time passes). If she draws input from Mark, her husband,
people whose names now appear under Associate Editors on page 1 then good for her; it saves a telephone call. I
provide the heart of every issue of Planetarian.
Introducing Outside Space Excellent book, off and hopefully on, the dome
And, I would like to introduce a new name to readers: Tim Barry, Every once in a while I run across something that makes me
architect. Tim is a member of the IPS Design and Operations Commit- regret being retired. Learning about the book Cassandra and
tee. He has been working for the past year on writing the IPS 2017 the Night Sky, supporting it through a crowd-funder, and then
Design+ Operations Guide, the long-awaited and needed update to reading is is one of those times.
1994’s IPS Planetarium Development Guide . What a delightful story for younger audiences! If I was still
If you look at the membership of the Design and Operations under the dome, I would already be turning the book into a
Committee, you might not realize the decades of experience represent- fulldome program, because any time I could add to my library
ed and now being shared with IPS. Chair Ian McLennan and members of meaningful children’s programs, I was all over it. With the
Bill Chomik, Mike Murray, and Manos Kitsonas have all “been there, author’s permission, of course!
done that” when it comes to planetarium development. Amy Jackson has the street cred to write the book. From
A vice president of the architectural firm Page Southerland/Page her biography at www.bookpeople.com/event/amy-jackson-
International, Tim, of course, has the academic and experiential back- cassandra-and-night-sky: The founder and director of Starry Sky
ground that this position implies. But what his biography doesn’t show Austin, she grew up in Houston with NASA in her backyard and
is his enthusiasm and passion for science, particularly for planetariums. a lifelong dream of becom-
Please check out his new column, Outside Spaces, on page 72, and ing an astronaut. After grad-
dare to explore the scary world outside the dome. uating from the University
Another new column is my contribution to the breadth of the mate- of Houston with a bache-
rial that Planetarian offers. I have called it Reverse Diurnal Motion, lors in physics, she attend-
something planetarians are never supposed to do because the stars ed Rice University and
don’t move that way. (I always told my audiences to “close your eyes graduated with a master’s
because I’m not supposed to do this” when I ran reverse diurnal to save in teaching. She has taught
time during presentations. It was a teaching moment.) at the Houston Museum
The idea was born when I stumbled across the picture of John Hare, of Natural Science and in
long-time chair of the IPS History Committee, working on Michi- private and public school.
gan State University Abrams Planetarium’s Spitz Intermediate Space A mother of 3, she has
Transit. Remembering our history and learning from it is something spent the past 8 years following her passion by inspiring Austin
that IPS takes seriously. Reverse Diurnal Motion will be a pictoral and the surrounding communities with hands-on astronomy
archive of some of this history. classes through Starry Sky Austin.
She currently is employed as an astronomy educator at Travis
A new beginning for another columnist County Milton Reimers Ranch Observatory.
You might note a change in the contact information for Jack Serendipitiously, the artist for the book is also her mother,
Northrup, editor of From the Classdome. He explains in true Jack style: Donna Paredes. Donna was never formally trained as an artistbut
“After 15 years at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Planetarium (Omaha, has enjoyed her artistic talent from an early age.
Nebraska) I am finally graduating from middle school. I have taken a Wouldn’t it be super if the planetarium community followed
position with an instructional and workshop company. My focus areas the crowd funding example and made the book into a fulldome
are science education, space studies, technology, and education peda- program? Each facility could contribute something small, maybe
gogy. The awesome thing is I am getting to do a lot of different hands $100, providing a nice budget to produce the program, and then
on and minds on activities for a variety of age groups.” receive the show at no charge. Sounds like a win-win to me. I
Sounds exciting and rewarding, Jack, and I’m sure your columns will
4 Planetarian Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Planetarian 5
President’s Message Vision 2020 Update
Shawn Laatsch
Emera Astronomy Center Watch for changes coming to the IPS website
167 Rangeley Road
Orono, Maine 04469 USA
shawn.laatsch@gmail.com Jon W. Elvert, Chair IPS shifting time limitations from volunteers onto a paid position to
Vision2020 Initiative deliver on-time results, thereby improving operations.
jelvert1@gmail.com Preliminary responsibilities for this position might be:
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” •• Help drive and advance goals
A meeting in Mexico; preparing for council Mahatma Gandhi •• Complete a comprehensive business plan
•• Lead the restructuring process
When the Vision2020 Initiative was established in 2014 during the •• Write grants
As you read this message, we are in between two phenomenal events: share, please send them digitally to Sharon Shanks and we will find IPS conference in Beijing, the initiative’s mandate was to provide a •• Assist in marketing
the upcoming total solar eclipse on 21 August (which, by the time you ways to share them on the IPS website and in Planetarian. roadmap, a strategic plan, to achieve alternative futures for building •• Coordinate fund raising and membership drives
read this, will be a memory), and the upcoming IPS Council meeting in The website is in the midst of redesign, and we hope to preview its membership and implementing innovative goals. •• Assist in providing foreign language translations on website and
St. Louis, Missouri, which takes place just prior to the Pleaides Confer- new look and features during the Pleiades meeting. Since Beijing, V2020 has forged a strategic plan to achieve its goals, other resources
ence, the first time all seven U.S. regionals will host a joint conference. and a number of key recommendations have already been implement- •• Liaison between relevant organizations (ASTC, AAM, AAS, ASP,
Before diving into these events, let me report on a few items which A full council meeting set ed, including vision and mission statements, four new membership IMERSA, etc.)
have happened since the last issue of our journal. IPS Council is meeting on 7-9 October in St. Louis and will be voting categories, collaborative outreach efforts with relevant organizations, •• Review fiscal reports (internal auditing purposes, and to gauge
on the IPS 2020 conference site, conducting our regular business session, term limits for officers, electronic voting by membership, and expand- overall fiscal health)
Enjoying a Mexican production and continuing work on the Vision2020 initiative. These sessions will ed professional development opportunities. •• Provide support to IPS Treasurer (including membership) and
In June Mark Subbarao and I attended and presented at the IV Inter- be exploring our governance, which is critical in our strategic plan to Following the Warsaw council meeting last year, V2020 began Secretary
national Planetarium Festival in Mexico City, Mexico. We had a chance move the organization to do more for its members. Do share your ideas working on strategies to clearly define IPS infrastructure and oper- •• Ensure a smooth continuity between newly elected officers
to meet with numerous planetarians there and see some of their new with your council representatives, and also your choice for IPS 2020 ational management intended to improve council governance and •• Ultimate responsibility to ensure tasks are completed correctly,
productions. conference from the options of 1) Bogota, Colombia; 2) Edmonton, member representation. The strategies included several scenarios for and in a timely manner
Mayan Archeoastronomy: Observers of the Universe is the first animat- Canada; or 3) Houston, Texas, United States. reorganizing the structure of council, and included the pros and cons Adequate and sustained funding for this position is essential, and
ed fulldome program made in Mexico and is now available free for Even while we’re voting on the site of the 2020 conference, now is for hiring an administrative support person. ultimately this appointment needs to pay for itself, at least within
download via the ESO website (www.eso.org/public/videos/MAA- the time to gear up for IPS2018 in Toulouse, France! By the time you These recommendations will be the focus of the joint V2020– two years. Several possible sources for continuous funding have been
show/). This program highlights six Mayan temples and presents the read this, the deadline for paper and workshop proposals will be nearly Council meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, prior to the Pleiades Conference. proposed, but this paid position item needs a thorough discussion.
story in a unique way. Kudos to Milagros Varguez Ramirez and her finished. If you are interested in presenting, make sure you get your In addition, a website developer was hired to totally redesign the exist-
team for producing this program and sharing it with the planetarium proposal in by the 27 September deadline. ing IPS website. Launch of a redesigned website
field at large! The conference program committee will be meeting in St. Louis prior Earlier this spring, three website design developers were asked to
While at the conference, Mark SubbaRao gave a presentation regard- to the Pleaides Conference to review abstracts and chose presentations Council governance submit proposes for redesigning the IPS website. Your Membership
ing IPS Data to Dome initiative and ways data can be used in a variety for the program. Marc Moutin and his team have a wonderful conference The IPS currently has five officers and 22 affiliate representatives (YM), our current content management service, was selected to do the
of presentations. This is one of many ways IPS is starting to provide planned, with a bunch of surprises you will not want to miss! The have that make up the Executive Council, the ruling body of the orga- work. The new website will feature:
professional development opportunities at regional conferences. (Mark been working on keynote speakers, special sessions, and much, much nization. The affiliates represent a country, region of a country, or a •• Access from mobile devices
also presented recently at LIPS as well; see LIP Service on page 67.) more. I’m looking forward to seeing you in Toulouse in 2018! I geographical area where a common language is spoken. •• Clear navigation in display, and user friendly
I was asked to present on the educational uses of planetariums and V2020’s SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) •• Flexibility with social networking
took time to highlight how our facilities are expanding beyond astron- analysis and responses from other membership questionnaires have •• Cloud-base access to the membership database
IPS President Shawn Laatsch has worked at planetariums around the world
omy and sharing many sciences. Planetariums have the opportunity and now calls the Emera Planetarium and Science Center at the University shown that this officer-affiliate representative structure may not be •• E-commerce (IPS store, credit card or PayPal transactions, renew
to be a very powerful informal educational tool that inspires further of Maine in Orono home. equitable in representing planetarians worldwide as it currently exists. memberships)
formal education. Mark and I both spoke to our colleagues about How much of the world is not represented by the current affiliate The redesigned website will eventually interface with the profes-
IPS membership and have encouraged them to consider bidding for model? There are geographical areas with planetariums that are not sional development and data-to-dome initiatives, as well as help drive
IPS2022 and beyond. members, and areas with members that have no representation. And new memberships. The launch of this redesigned site is expected to
A special thank you to Jesus Mendoza Alverez for inviting us to should the IPS consider a governance model that reflects more equita- take place during the St. Louis Pleiades conference.
participate and spend time with our Mexican colleagues! We had a ble representation of affiliates with fewer members by diminishing the V2020’s team continues to work on its other goals that support
chance to visit the impressive Teotihuacan archaeological site follow- dominance of larger affiliates? membership growth and sustainability, strategies for promot-
ing the conference with Carter Emmart from the American Museum Representation based on population/membership of an affiliate, or ing higher visibility and awareness, and ensuring financial sustain-
of Natural History in New York, who also presented updates on the a single representative from each member country/region might be ability for its future. More reports on these developments will be
OpenSpace software project at the meeting. alternative scenarios. In any case, council will have an opportunity to shared as they happen. I
discuss options on how it envi-
Hope you enjoyed the eclipse! sions its future governance.
By the time you read this the “Great American” solar eclipse of 2017
will be through, but I hope many of you who were able to see this spec- Administrative support
tacular event. This year was the first time since 1918 that the path of Research by V2020 shows
totality crossed the entire continental United States. It was a wonder- that organizations similar to IPS
ful opportunity for U.S. planetarians to share this beautiful sight with were initially all-volunteer, but
their visitors, as all parts of the lower 48 states experienced at least a then implemented paid staff to
partial eclipse in addition to those states in the path of totality. successfully grow their member-
The next time this happens in the United States is only seven years The planetarium of Toulouse, site of the 2018 IPS conference, reopened on 5 ship, visibility, and revenue. In
out, in 2024. Prior to that you can catch totality in Chile or Brazil in July with a new film, Auroras, Wonders of Light, which has wonderful footage the case of IPS, a paid staff may
of northern lights from northern Canada, followed by a short discovery of
2019, or in Antarctica in 2021. Start making your travel plans now for significantly reduce the work-
the Toulouse sky of tonight with a short quiz to be answered by the visi-
the next one! tors. With an attendance increased by 30%, the feedback from the visitors load of an all-volunteer Offi-
If you have pictures of the eclipse from this year you are willing to is very positive. Photo courtesy cité de l’Espace. cers-Council structure, therefore
6 Planetarian Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Planetarian 7
Planetarium Research
to be colorful, with varied forms (e.g., diffuse in the coloration of the lights. money had gone toward paying the expense.
glow or “curtains”); to be from different loca- The presenter walked the audience through The scenario was repeated four times, and
tions on the Earth (from Norway to New this concept with an in-house animation, input from the audience was sought.
Illuminating the aurora: Exploring science communication in the planetarium Zealand); and with an interesting landscape or showing a stream of solar particles coming To assess how well audiences had grasped
flora in the foreground. through (yellow colored spheres in Figure 1). the science, we designed a short questionnaire
We knew from delivering presentations on Only the particle with the correct amount that was distributed to audience members
northern lights in years past that the physical of energy would transition the electron to a following the conclusion of each presenta-
explanation of how they occur can be chal- higher energy level. When the electron tran- tion. (See Figure 3). Question types included
lenging because it involves several usually sitioned back to its lower energy level, energy true/false, multiple choice, and text.
Dr. Jean Creighton, jcreight@uwm.edu We measured understanding of north-
unfamiliar scientific components. Having was released as emission of a colorful light.
Danielle DeVasto, dmhartke@uwm.edu identified this aspect of the show as poten- This emitted light comprises what we call ern lights by a set of four questions. Three of
Sam Gallagher, gallag62@uwm.edu tially the most difficult for audiences to the northern lights. The color, we explained, the four questions were true/false statements
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee* grasp, we wanted to test two different ways is dependent on what element was being about the location, color, and cause of north-
of explaining electron transitions, the mecha- excited. ern lights. The fourth question required audi-
Creighton DeVasto Gallagher nism that produces the aurora. Each week that The second approach was to add an ence members to select the diagram that best
*The name was incorrectly given as Wisconsin-Madison in the print version. 10/2/2017
the program ran, we alternated the approach analogy comparing electron transitions to described how aurora form. If all four content
used, allowing each version of the program to bank accounts in an effort to make potential- questions had been answered successfully, the
Abstract more about the cosmos, the process of learn- do research of their own and think creative- improve over time. ly intimidating physics more accessible. After questionnaire was considered “correct.” We
This pilot study looks at best practices in ing to communicate with public audiences is ly about how greater attention to communi- The first approach was to just go through establishing a shared vocabulary and explaining also asked for demographic information and
explaining interesting astronomical concepts complex and we planetarians often shy away cation can improve the effectiveness of their self-assessment.
to a broad audience during live planetari- from interesting but technically-complicat- presentations. After the series’ completion, we entered all of
um programs, specifically using analogies, ed scientific concepts. While there are insights Figure 1 the raw data into a shared Google Sheets docu-
gestures, and animations in our program to be drawn from other informal and formal Program description ment. We wrote code that scored each response.
to explain the electron transitions that are public-science venues, such as schools or The Manfred Olson Planetarium is in a Using a mix of native functionality and custom
responsible for the creation of polar lights. We museums, planetariums are distinct (Peterson good position to translate astronomical ideas code, we looked at various frequency distribu-
evaluated the public’s understanding with 2005). In order to better understand the possi- for general audiences Not only is it located tions to understand both the responses and the
questionnaires. Our findings are applicable to bilities and challenges of these learning envi- at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee connections between them.
both live and pre-recorded settings. ronments, we need research studies specific to (UWM), it offers live presentations delivered All aspects of our research study were
planetariums. by an astronomer in a theater that seats 68-75 approved by the UWM Institutional Review
Introduction Responding to Plummer, Schmoll, Yu, people. These factors create a dynamic yet Board (IRB); this approval process is necessary
Scientists are increasingly recognizing and Ghent’s (2015) call to develop a research personal environment that enables the public to conduct and publish research on human
the need for better science communication culture in the planetarium field and imple- to interact with science and scientists. subjects. There are three levels of review:
(Druschke & McGreavy, 2016; Greenwood & ment research-based programming, we report This is unlike some other planetarium expe- exempt, expedited, and full. Because of the
Riordan, 2001; Leshner, 2003, 2007; Nation- the results of our research on strategies for riences, let alone most public-science interac- nature of our study and the low risk it posed
al Research Council, 2017; NSF, 2015; Suleski improving science communication. Specif- tions (e.g., public lectures, TV programming, to the participants, we were
and Ibaraki, 2010). Both the National Science ically, our study aimed to understand if the or YouTube), which are typically one-way reviewed at the exempt level,
Figure 1: Screenshot
Foundation (NSF) and the American Associa- use of analogy in a live, in-dome planetari- and impersonal. Such an environment has from northern lights
Figure 2 making the approval process
tion for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) um presentation could help a general audi- great potential to contribute to the build- animation. The yellow quite straightforward.
have proposed increasing the responsibility ence grasp a central but complicated scientific ing of scientific literacy and positive public- spheres are charged
particles streaming Program modifications
of scientific outreach. The NSF, for example, concept such as the electron transitions that science relations. And, with 25% of the UWM
from the sun. The elec-
requires broader impact statements for all are responsible for northern lights. In prin- Planetarium’s 10,000+ visitors a year attend- tron is denoted by e.
After the first two perfor-
proposed research, while the AAAS official- ciple, this study’s findings can inform the ing the live Friday night presentations to hear Figure 2: Screenshot mances, we thought it would
ly recommends public engagement that production of pre-recorded programs as well. about astronomical concepts or phenome- from banking analogy be wise to assess our audiences’
We also analyzed other factors, such as na, the potential impact in our community is animation, showing understanding so that we could
de-emphasizes one-way communication.
the person accept-
This need is also evident in the rise of personal connection to the topic or level significant. make IRB-approved modifi-
ing a check that
programs like Iowa State’s Teaching Respon- of education, that may also play a role Our study focuses on one such set of Friday exactly matches the cations if there were ambigui-
sible Communication of Science (Goodwin in comprehension. These investigations night presentations: the series on aurora grocery bill. The cell ties that we did not anticipate.
et al., 2014), Stony Brook’s Alan Alda Center occurred through a post-presentation ques- during November and December 2016.1 phone screen shows We realized that the transla-
the balance of the tion from the atomic structure
for Communicating Science (Grushkin, 2010), tionnaire of audience members. General audiences find the topic of north-
bank account. Photo
the AAAS’ Communicating Science program In addition to impacting the scientif- ern lights intriguing; most people have heard description during the presen-
credit: Sam Gallagher
(AAAS, 2013), and NSF’s Science: Becoming the ic understanding of our local planetari- about the colorful displays and want to learn tation to the diagrams repre-
Messenger workshops. Effective outreach—to um audiences, this study contributes to the more about them. These shows tend to be sold senting atomic structure on
schools, communities, and governments—can development of best practice guidelines out. the physics. To ensure a shared basic vocab- the interaction between the solar particles and the questionnaire was not as seamless as we
strengthen the scientific profession by ensur- for planetarium presentations. Specifically, We designed a program that combines ulary, we first introduced atomic structure— our planet’s magnetic field lines, the presenter thought. We were surprised to find that a
ing broad public support while also increasing our research suggests the importance of (1) beautiful imagery, a physical explanation of protons, neutrons, and electrons—using an guided the audience through an animation of significant fraction (45%) of people chose the
public knowledge of technical issues. thoughtful design, (2) layering several peda- how northern lights form, and information illustration. We explained how aurora form, our crafted analogy (See Figure 2). incorrect atomic structure option (c) in the
Planetariums are prime sites for public- gogical strategies, (3) considering the context about how to determine where and when to beginning with the interaction between the We described a situation where a person initial questionnaire, which showed light
science interaction, providing opportunities of the audience, and (4) investigating how see them. The imagery and video were chosen charged particles from the sun and our plan- could only accept paychecks that exactly entering and exiting the atom while the elec-
for the public to engage in various astro- helpful our explanations are to our audi- et’s magnetic field lines. The charged parti- match specific expenses; all other paychecks tron simultaneously jumps from a higher
ences so we can improve current and future 1 Being located about 43 degrees north, we natu- cles then move through the atmosphere, would have to be let go. Following a deposit, energy state to a lower one (See Figure 4).
nomical concepts, reflect on our place in the
rally use the term “northern lights” or Aurora Bore-
universe, be inspired, and become interested programs. interacting with the electrons in oxygen or the bank account (as seen on the cell phone In response, we made the following changes
alis most often in our presentations. The aurora, of
in science. We share our findings and recommenda- course, is also present in the southern hemisphere, nitrogen. Returning to the atomic level, we screen) would briefly jump up, and then it to our questionnaire: we labeled the nucleus,
Even though people are eager to know tions in order to encourage planetarians to where it is the Aurora Australis. explained electron transitions and their role would jump down to its base level after the the electron, and the squiggly lines enter-
8 Planetarian Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Planetarian 9
Planetarium Research
Figure 3 tron transitions. We thought it would be
better, especially in the analogy shows, to be
more explicit about the connection between Figure 4
the analogy and the electron transitions. As
a result, we included in all shows a revised Table 1
animation of the transition. Instead of just
one particle entering and interacting with the
Demographic measure Total
electron, the animation was revised to include
a whole stream of solar particles with differ- Age
ent energies. Then, only the particles with 17 or younger 49
the right energy were absorbed by the elec-
18-25 95
tron. The new animation better mirrored
the analogy to the paychecks with only the 26-34 76
one that exactly matched a bill being depos- Figure 5
35-50 87
ited. The presenter also included more specif-
ic verbal links between the analogy and the 51-70 112
technical explanation of northern lights as 71 and older 11
she did more programs.
Highest level of education
Results 6th grade 31
We collected 455 questionnaires during the
12th grade 69
study period. In total, 686 people attended
the shows, giving us a 66% participation rate. College 178
Because of the modifications made after the Graduate degree 138
first two shows, we excluded questionnaires
from those shows from our analysis, reducing
Figure 4: Close-up of initial diagram question, which asked the reader to identify the option that best Frequency of visits
describes northern lights. Figure 5: Close-up of revised diagram question as seen in Figure 3.
our total to 329. Then we excluded question- First time 279
naires that were completed by minors (per IRB
1-2 83
guidance) or were incomplete, resulting in a
We analyzed the data set to see if any demo- naires for the non-analogy shows was also 45%. 3-4 33
final dataset of 297 questionnaires (43% of the
graphic factors may have contributed to audi-
total attending audience). 5 or more 41
ence members’ successful understanding of Discussion
As is apparent in Table 1, our participants
northern lights. In general, understanding of These results suggest several things: First, it is Personal experience of aurora
were well distributed across the various age
aurora improved as the shows progressed (See important to explore audiences’ understand-
groups, though 51-70 year olds (112, 25%) were Yes 183
Figure 6). In the early shows, incorrect ques- ing at different depths. Some 91% understood
the most common. The majority (61%) of the
tionnaires far outweighed correct ones, but key facts about how northern lights form and No 264
audience was first-time visitors to the Manfred
in the later shows, there was a greater balance, how to determine where and when to see
Olson Planetarium. The large majority (69%) Table 1: Demographics of all questionnaire
often with more correct questionnaires than them. Another 45% went deeper, demonstrat-
of respondents reported having some kind of participants
incorrect. ing a more detailed understanding of the tech-
post-secondary degree. Overall, the audience
We found that frequency of visits correlat- nical concepts involved in northern lights
was more likely (58%) not to have seen aurora
ed with a better understanding of the astro- formation. We consider this a success. Table 2
before coming to the planetarium.
nomical concept discussed. 54% (15 out of Additionally, only 24% of those who
Across the final, cleaned dataset, only 45%
28) of the people who had been to the plan- completed the questionnaire (70 out of 287) Correct Incorrect
of the respondents correctly answered all of
etarium five or more times answered all four said they understood northern lights prior to
the northern lights content questions. And Highest Level of education
content questions correctly. In terms of age, the show, but 98% (282 out of 287) said they
yet, when we looked only at the three true/
18-25 year olds had the highest number of understood it better after seeing the show. 6th grade 0 4
false content questions, 91% of the respon-
correct answers in the questionnaires (51%, As we look to improve communication
dents correctly answered all three: likelihood 12th grade 24 26
or 35 out of 69). Understanding was inverse- with public audiences, simply decreasing or
by location, most common color, and that
ly correlated with age. Neither level of educa- translating the science content through the College 58 68
they are light released by electrons. This result
ing or exiting the atom as light, and we made one of their fists into a nucleus and the other tion nor previous personal experience seeing use of strategies like analogy is not neces- Graduate degree 48 53
is encouraging.
sure that the three depictions of the electron became an electron going around the nucleus. northern lights correlated with an increased sarily the best course of action. As discussed
We asked audience members which strat- Personal experience of aurora
transitions had one correct answer and two Given how cooperative the audience was, understanding (See Table 2). above, our use of analogy was not as helpful as
egies deployed during the shows were most
decidedly incorrect answers (See Figure 5). For she decided to add another component. She Of particular interest to our study was we had hypothesized it might be; there is no Yes 54 75
helpful. Some 55% said that the atomic struc-
example, one of the impossible choices was an had them take their electron from one state the role that analogy may have played in noticeable difference in audience understand-
ture visuals were most helpful, 23% selected No 78 82
emitted photon from the transition of an elec- (some random height in the air) to a higher helping audience members to better under- ing between the analogy and non-analogy
analogy, 10% selected gestures, and 4% chose
tron from a lower to a higher state. energy state and then turn their other fist into stand northern lights. Based on the cumula- shows. In fact, the audience indicated a pref- Table 2: Correlation of education and previ-
“other,” which included alternative respons-
In addition to revising the questionnaire, a burst of energy as the electron went down tive questionnaire results over the entire run, erence for the more technical explanation of ous experience with understanding of northern
es as well as listing multiple strategies. Of lights
we changed a few aspects of the program to its original state. The level of participation there is no clear difference in understanding northern lights using atomic structures over
those who said atomic structure was the most
itself. The presenter decided to try adding was very high (from visual inspection over between shows that included analogy and the analogy.
helpful, 55% correctly answered the diagram
gestures in the third show to foster audience 90% of the audience), so the presenter kept those that did not. (See Figure 7). While self-reported preference does not
content question. Those who selected gestures
engagement. The gestures were simple: one that strategy for the rest of the programs. When combined, the total percentage of necessarily indicate effectiveness, as the results
correctly answered it 41% of the time. Only
fist was a proton, the other was a neutron. She In addition to gestures, we changed a few correct questionnaires for the analogy shows was show, audience members who preferred
33% of those who selected analogy answered
asked the audience members to transform aspects of the animation showing the elec- 45%. The total percentage of correct question- atomic structure-based explanations were
the question correctly.
10 Planetarian Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Vol 46 No 3 - September 2017 Planetarian 11
Planetarium Research
most likely to answer all the questions correct- Along with the verbal dimensions of the may indeed make perfect. Ulteria - Derived from the word Ulterior,
ly. In other words, with the appropriate scaf-
folding, technical content can still be helpful
program, it is also important to consider the
visual. Science has long embedded graphics in References meaning hidden or invisible.
for deepening audience understanding. its communication, and supplementing tech- American Association for the Advancement
Given the limitations of our study, it is nical content with visuals is widely encour- of Science (2013). Communicating science:
difficult to pinpoint exactly why this rever-
sal of expectations happened. Scholars such as
aged. But how are these scientific visuals
received by public audiences? In examining
Tools for scientists and engineers. Retrieved
from www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/
Ulteria perfectly describes Astro-Tec seams
Gronnvoll and Landau (2009), Kendall-Taylor the four content questions, it was clear that Workshop_Flyer_2013.pdf under projection conditions. All of Astro-Tec’s
and Haydon (2014), and López (2007) point to audience members were highly successful Druschke, C.G. & McGreavy, B. (2016). Why
the complexities of crafting metaphors and with the true/false questions (91% correct). rhetoric matters for ecology. Frontiers in seaming processes are virtually invisible under
analogies, so the issue may be with the design
of the analogy itself.
The problem was the diagram question,
which required taking another step to deci-
Ecology and the Environment. 14(1): 46–52.
Goodwin, J., Dahlstrom, M.F., Kemis, M. projection, but none more so than the new
The issue might also be with the delivery of
the analogy. Testing the analogy on a sample
pher simple but technical images and iden-
tify which of the three reflected how aurora
Wolf, C., & Hutchison, C. (2014). Rhetor-
ical Resources for Teaching Responsible
Ulteria Seam.
audience as part of the development process happen. For this question, only 49% in the Communication of Science. Poroi, 10(1):
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issues. But even if the design and delivery were Whether this confusion can be traced back to Greenwood, M. & Riordan D. (2001). Civic
impeccable, there is never a guarantee in any a design flaw, a choice of visuals that was too scientist/Civic Duty. Science Communica-
communicative situation that the message technical, or a mismatch between the verbal tion, 23, 28–40.
being sent is the one being received. and visual, this is an important reminder to Gronnvoll, M. & Landou, J. (2010). From
take visual communica- Viruses to Russian Roulette to Dance: A
Figure 6 tion in planetarium shows Rhetorical Critique and Creation of Genetic
seriously. Images can offer Metaphors. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 40(1),
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public engagement with Grushkin, D. (2010). Try acting like a scien-
scientific content, or they tist: Actor Alan Alda teaches a new gener-
can become roadblocks. ation of researchers how to communicate
While audience under- with the public. The Scientist. Retrieved
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seem to be impacted by the articleNo/29190/title/Tryacting-like-a-
use of analogy, what we do scientist.
see is an increase in under- Kendall-Taylor, N. & Haydon, A. (2014). Using
standing overall as the shows metaphor to translate the science of resil-
Unsurpassed Strength
progressed. So, while perhaps ience and developmental outcomes. Public
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Figure 6: Percentage of correct questionnaires for each Friday night increase suggests that there Leshner, A.I. (2007). Outreach training needed. One Row of Rivets on Both Axes
presentation. Note that on December 16 for the second show, we
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had only 8 people (due to a snowstorm), so the last bar is not very
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significant.
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No Shiney Edge Lines from Trimming
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Figure 7
or repetition). This seems to National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, No Unsightly Gaps or Buckles
be specifically true, given and Medicine; Division of Behavioral and
the significant increase in Social Sciences and Education; Committee
understanding following the on the Science of Science Communication. High Quality Installation
modifications made after the (2017). Communicating Science Effective-
first two shows (See Figure 6). ly: A Research Agenda. Washington (DC):
It is difficult to say which, National Academies Press. 5 Axis CNC Precision Cut Panels
if any, modification was National Science Foundation (2015). Nation-
primarily responsible for this al Science Foundation Research Trainee- Larger panels than the competition resulting in less overall seams
increase. But the continual ship Program. Washington, DC: NSF. www.
improvement suggests that nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_
a certain amount of influ- key=nsf16503. Viewed 30 May 2017. Superior performance under the most advanced & brightest projection
ence lies with the presenter. Petersen, C.C. (2005). The Unique Role of the
In a setting where audienc- Planetarium/Science Centre in Science
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the information and little Astronomy with the Public 2005: Proceed-
opportunity to engage in ings from the ESO/ESA/IAU Conference. 14-17
Figure 7: Percentage of correct answers to the four content ques- dialogue mid-show, the June 2005. Eds. I. Robson & L. L. Christensen,
tions by show type (i.e., analogy vs non-analogy). Audience under- stakes are high for the deliv- 102-107. ESA/Hubble.
standing does not differ significantly based on show type. ery of the content. Practice
Astro-tec.com (330) 854-2209
(Continues on page 36)
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