Planetariums Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Immersive cinema was made for modern storytellers and has inspired innovative ways to create films. Unrestricted by boundaries an immersive film maker places the audience at the center of a story revealing each scene through manipulation of our perceptions.
Storytellers and technicians are inventing a new language for this immersive cinema which may be expressed in many ways. This evolving experiential language is a synthesis of jargon and techniques from many disciplines, each contributing its own idiosyncrasies to our conversations.
As a common language for immersive cinema is translated and adopted, we should become more proficient in communications with our peers and will give our audiences more meaningful immersive experiences.

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- Virtual Reality (Computer Graphics), VR Panorama, Experience Design, Planetariums
- by Jessica Astridt Delgadillo Alvarado
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- Animation, Modeling and Simulation, Planetariums, Simulation

Humanity has always measured the stars and has built models of what was perceivable according to the technology available at that particular time. Through the advancement in various technologies it is now possible to look into deep space and to observe and discover planets, solar systems and galaxies that were not perceivable before. This means that there is much more data to be analysed and more effective and efficient means of data analysis are required. Sound has been used for measurement for hundreds of years, since it is a mathematical representation. Sound is an efficient and effective way of analysing data and we can hear layers of sounds simultaneously and easily make distinctions when changes occur. Many attempts to use sound with scientific data have been made. This was done without including the ‘end user’ and many of these sonifications were ineffective. In this study a sonified model of the 8 planets of our solar system was built and tested using an ‘end user’ approach. The end user was the Esplora Planetarium which is being built in Malta. The data was gathered from the planetarium and the sound was designed around that data. The sound design was tested on 11 participants and on a representative from the planetarium. The results show that listeners were able to discern various planetary characteristics without having any information about the planets they were listening to. Certain sound design parameters did not represent particular planetary characteristics correctly. These issues can be arranged and further testing can be done in order to fine tune the model.

- by Michael Quinton Ph.D
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- Planetariums, Sound Design, Listening, Astronomical data processing

This article introduces a selection of orreries collected in the Royal Observatory, Greenwich/National Maritime Museum, London. Eight items were investigated in this study. As important visual aids of astronomy developed in the eighteenth century and used in contemporary public philosophical lectures, the orreries provide a good case study through which to investigate the material culture in eighteenth-century Britain. A joint collaboration between instrument business and philosophical lecturing was formed in the eighteenth century marketplace, and this market was promoted by the politeness pursuit. This study shows how the orreries combined instruction with entertainment in eighteenth century polite culture context. Most of the orreries in the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, are small portable types. Among the eight selected items, William Lacy’s orrery (AST1066) is the most unique and was designated to be used in specific demonstration of the Saturn system. Item AST1055 made by W. and S. Jones was also probably for public demonstration. Other items were most likely for domestic use or private possession.

Indigenous people have nurtured critical relationships with the stars, from keen observation and sustainable engineering to place-based ceremony, navigation, and celestial architecture for tens of thousands of years. The Indigenous relationship and knowledge of the sky is exceptional in that it encompasses mind, body, heart, and spirit. This panel is organized by the IPS’s newly formed Indigenous Astronomy Working Group. It brings together Planetarium Professionals, Indigenous Star Knowledge Keepers, Indigenous Astronomy experts, Cultural Astronomers, and allies of Indigenous STEM communities from Canada, U.S., and internationally to discuss best practices for dissemination of indigenous astronomy specifically for science communicators and the planetarium community.

- by Duane Hamacher and +3
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- History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology
- by Pandu Satrya Wiranata
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- Planetariums

Quando um grupo escolar visita um planetário, espera-se
do público um conjunto de emoções: curiosidade, alegria,
arrebatamento. Mas, se entre os alunos, há um aluno cego, como
não deixar que esta experiência se torne fonte de frustração?
Muitos são os desafios de se produzir atividades de temática
astronômica para o público com cegueira e baixa visão, sobretudo
em ambientes de educação não formal. Especialmente quando,
mesmo bastante favorável ao tema, a instituição possui recursos
– tempo, financiamento e pessoal – escassos, e o investimento
em atividades acessíveis é incipiente. No entanto, a necessidade
de implementação de uma cultura de inclusão é urgente. Neste
texto, compartilho a experiência de criação de uma sessão de
planetário voltada para pessoas com deficiência visual, realizada
pela equipe do planetário do Museu Ciência e Vida em 2015.
Ao longo do texto, são descritos a sua metodologia de
apresentação, suas principais referências, as limitações
enfrentadas e o processo de construção dos modelos táteis e
sonoros que a compõem. Ao fazê-lo, espero demonstrar que a
adaptação de atividades para este público não é apenas possível,
mas também perfeitamente razoável, mesmo em condições
adversas. O importante é dar o primeiro passo

- by Carolina de Assis
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- Planetariums, Special Educational Needs, Astronomy, Divulgação Científica

Das Themenheft 'Berliner Welträume im frühen 20. Jahrhundert' untersucht Genese und Gestalt technischer Weltraumvisionen. Es fragt nach der Entstehung, Verbreitung und Resonanz von Astrokultur und Raumfahrtbegeisterung vor dem sogenannten Weltraumzeitalter, dessen Beginn für gewöhnlich auf den Start des ersten künstlichen Satelliten am 4. Oktober 1957 datiert wird. Am Beispiel des Wissenschaftlichen Theaters der 1889 eröffneten Urania (Jana Bruggmann), des seit 1926 bestehenden Planetariums im Zoologischen Garten (Katherine Boyce-Jacino) sowie des 1930 begründeten „Raketenflugplatzes“ in Tegel (Tilmann Siebeneichner) werden Formen und Funktion von Astrokultur im lokalhistorischen Kontext untersucht. Indem dieses Heft auf drei Produktionsorte ‚früher‘ Weltraumvisionen zwischen den 1880er Jahren und dem Ende des Weimarer Raketenfiebers fokussiert, verräumlicht es die Geschichte des Weltraums auf doppelte Weise. Einerseits werden die dort entworfenen und propagierten Welträume rekonstruiert, miteinander verglichen und auf ihre unterschiedlichen Charakteristika im technikhistorischen Kontext hin befragt. Andererseits werden die Orte des Weltraumdenkens in der Metropole lokalisiert, topographisch zueinander in Bezug gesetzt und in ihrer soziokulturellen Bedeutung für das Berliner Weichbild untersucht.

- by Werner Purgathofer and +1
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- Planetariums, Archaeoastronomy

Science centers such as museums and planetariums have used stereoscopic (“three‐dimensional”) films to draw interest from and educate their visitors for decades. Despite the fact that most adults who are finished with their formal education get their science knowledge from such free‐choice learning settings very little is known about the effect of stereoscopic film presentation on their science learning. We explored this issue by designing a quasi‐experimental field trial with a short film about the shape of the Milky Way galaxy. The film was produced based on a set of stereoscopic design principles derived from spatial cognition and cognitive load literature with the goal of lowering the audience's extraneous cognitive load. The film was randomly shown in either two‐dimensional (2D) or stereoscopic format to 498 adults who visited a large, urban planetarium. To investigate the extent of audience's change related to galaxy‐related spatial concepts, an identical set of questions was asked on iPads before and after the film was shown. A delayed posttest was given to 123 of those adults approximately 6 months later. Test performances were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of covariances (ANCOVAs) with demographic and spatial visualization ability measures as covariates. Results show identical short‐term learning gains in both the 2D and stereoscopic groups. However, only the stereoscopic group exhibited long‐term learning gains. Findings were interpreted through the lenses of cognitive load theory and the limited capacity model of mediated message processing.

- by Aaron Price and +1
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- Planetariums, Spatial Cognition (Psychology), Stereoscopy, Astronomy Education

Education is one of the most important pillars in shaping the progress of a nation. One important education is Astronomy. since ancient times Astronomy has become part of the culture that exists in Indonesia. The ancestors used this knowledge to explore the ocean, determine the cycle of growing rice and build ancient temples. But unfortunately the number of astronomical supporting facilities in the country of Indonesia is still very lacking so that people are still less interested in studying astronomy. Therefore the Planetarium design was made which has complete facilities and attractive designs. This project aims to facilitate the community and students so that their insights become more open, and facilitate young researchers to be able to advance astronomical science in Indonesia. This planetarium has a Futuristic design concept and Interactive education. The futuristic concept is chosen because it is more contemporary and modern, while the interactive education concept is used so that visitors can get more optimal knowledge because it is not boring. The facilities available in this planetarium are star theater and museums, plus observatories for researching celestial bodies.

- by wiwin winarti
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- Education, Educational Technology, Planetariums, Tugas kuliah

The Australian National Curriculum promotes Indigenous culture in school education programs. To foster a broader appreciation of cultural astronomy, to utilise the unique astronomical heritage of the site, and to develop an educational program within the framework of the National Curriculum, Sydney Observatory launched Dreamtime Astronomy—a program incorporating Australian Indigenous culture, astronomy, and Sydney's astronomical history and heritage. This paper reviews the development and implementation of this program and discusses modifications following an evaluation that was conducted by schools.

- by Duane Hamacher and +1
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- History, Cultural History, Space Sciences, Anthropology

During the Summer of 2016, the Planetarium of Rome organized a successful and innovative public observ-ing event: E Lucevan le Stelle. Intended to revamp the attention for the local Planetarium and Astronomical Museum – closed since 4 years for renovation works – the event was a call to citizens and amateurs to join the Planetarium astronomers at 8 different locations in the city with their own telescopes for free stargazing sessions, like a diffuse urban star party. Each place was selected in relation to an astronomical theme, with “guided tours” to the evening sky narrated by the Planetarium astronomers, illustrating the cultural rele-vance of each location with reference to the history of astronomy in Rome.
By connecting the squares and the parks used as observing spots, the circuit of E Lucevan le Stelle invited the public to create a new constellation over Rome and name it. Inspired by the historic effort of Pope Sixtus V, who traced the streets around the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore in the shape of a star, and by other astronomical readings of the network of churches and landmarks, the goal of this event was to bring to light the ancient connections between Rome and the stars, in the spirit of the European Year of Cultural Heritage. By switching off the main lights at each location, the project aimed at encouraging a direct participation to a collective repossession of the urban sky. The overall attendance to the event was estimated to be approximately 7000 people.

- by Giangiacomo Gandolfi and +1
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- Science Communication, Cultural Heritage, Planetariums, Astronomy

It is not uncommon in the effort to present data that the notion of absolute standards tends to be brought up. When art and science are coming together in the critical task of visualizing space and time it is perhaps not a bad idea to use more precise words that do not create obstacles between the disciplines that are coming together. In the realm of design, standards do not exist. What does exist are guidelines created for a given context, that is, when there is no designer at hand to articulate visual perception, guidelines are used to constrain the aesthetic possibilities to prevent, as much as possible, contradictions between scientific content and scientific visualizations. While guidelines are a kind of safe recipe, they tend to produce less expressive and less memorable planetarium experiences, and may excessively tone down the saliency of the data. This presentation will go over a number of examples, with the ultimate goal of promoting better interdisciplinary collaborations among seasoned and talented professionals.

- by Julieta C Aguilera
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- Semiotics, Perception, Design, Planetariums

During the Summer of 2016, the Planetarium of Rome organized a successful and innovative public observing event: E Lucevan le Stelle. Intended to revamp the attention for the local Planetarium and Astronomical Museum – closed since 4 years for renovation works – the event was a call to citizens and amateurs to join the Planetarium astronomers at 8 different locations in the city with their own telescopes for free stargazing sessions, like a diffus eurban star party. Each place was selected in relation to an astronomical theme, with "guided tours" to the evening sky narrated by the Planetarium astronomers, illustrating the cultural relevance of each location with reference to the history of astronomy in Rome. By connecting the squares and the parks used as observing spots, the circuit of E Lucevan le Stelle invited the public to create a new constellation over Rome and name it. Inspired by the historic effort of Pope Sixtus V, who traced the streets around the Basilica of S...

- by Stefano Giovanardi
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- Science Communication, Cultural Heritage, Planetariums, Astronomy

The problem of authority is vital for understanding the development of Protestant creationism. Two discursive fields have figured centrally in this religious movement's claims to authoritative knowledge: The Bible and science. The former has been remarkably stable over a century with a continuing emphasis on inerrancy and literalism, while the latter has been more mutable. Creationism's rejection of scientific evolution has endured, but its orientation to a range of scientific models, technologies, and disciplines has changed. Astronomy is a prime example; once relatively absent in creationist cultural production, it emerged as yet another arena where creationists seek to corrode scientific authority and bolster biblical fundamentalism. Drawing on archival documents of creationist publications and the ongoing media production of an influential creationist ministry based in Kentucky, this article illustrates how creationism has sought to incorporate astronomy into their orbit of religious authorization. Ultimately, the case of incorporating space helps clarify fundamentalism's machinations of power.

- by James S Bielo
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- Religion, Christianity, Anthropology, Anthropology of Christianity

This poster describes perceptual aspects addressed by Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) applications, and how these mediums reflect on the planetarium dome experience. Human senses are not equal in terms of space, and vision is the only sense capable of escaping Earth’s atmosphere. Telescopes extend vision even further. The data comes back to us to be scaled to what we can experience with our body, creating a virtual model that is real yet can never be realistic. Understanding the capabilities and vocabulary of the human body, accumulated by being in the world, and how the different senses come together in perception is part of the artist’s research. As AR/VR spread into public consciousness allowing us to experiment with spatial and temporal abstractions, astronomy visualization in the planetarium dome is enriched, further enhancing our connection to the Universe.

This paper frames best practices for developing planetarium shows in the context of experiences that take advantage of the human perceptual system through variables derived from natural experience. Also considered are art performances which expand ideas of embodiment in scientific visualization. Examples cited are efforts the author contributed to while researching, coordinating and producing interactive experiences at a planetarium for the past eight years. Recommendations for a multidisciplinary collaborative process are included as well.

This describes perceptual aspects addressed by virtual and augmented reality applications, and how these medi- ums reflect on the planetarium dome experience. Spatially speaking, human senses are not equal in terms of distance, and vision is the only sense capable of escaping Earth’s atmosphere. Telescopes extend our vision even further. Virtual reality (VR) and other experiential configurations are spreading into public consciousness through interactive and mobile applications, which experiment with spatial and temporal abstractions. In this context, astronomical data that lies beyond human perception needs to be scaled to what we can experience with our body, creating a virtual model that is real, yet can never be realistic.
Understanding the capabilities and vocabulary of the human body, accumulated by living in the real world, and how the different senses come together in perception and meaning, is part of artists’ research. An artist’s research being part of astronomy visualization development in the planetarium dome further strengthens our connection to the universe.

- by Julieta C Aguilera
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- Perception, Embodiment, Augmented Reality, Planetariums
- by Debora Cardador
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- Ergonomics, Museum Studies, Ethnography, Participatory Design
- by Buddy budhie
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- Planetariums

“Raritäten- und Wunderkammern” of the Baroque period were a microscopic image of the macroscopic world, in which astronomical instruments, orreries and celestial globes played an important role. The Gottorf globe in the ducal castle in Schleswig (1664) and, much later, the Atwood sphere in Chicago (1913) allowed demonstration of star rising and setting for several people sitting inside. An improved version of this idea, a more sophisticated device, was the projection planetarium, invented by Zeiss of Jena and inaugurated in 1925 in Munich. The “Urania” had already opened in Berlin in 1888, showing the real sky from a public observatory, as well as giving theatrical performances about the origin and evolution of the universe. And, since 1909, visitors to Berlin’s Archenhold Observatory have enjoyed stargazing with its impressive “20-m-long” refractor. All these models and instruments were successfully used for the public understanding of science and astronomy, and always created a strong attraction.

Computer-generated simulations and visualizations in digital planetariums have the potential to
bridge the comprehension gap in astronomy education. Concepts involving three-dimensional
spatial relationships can be difficult for the layperson to understand, since much of the traditional
teaching materials used in astronomy education remain two-dimensional in nature. We study the
student performance after viewing visualizations in an immersive theater and in non-immersive
classrooms for the topic of seasons in an introductory undergraduate astronomy course. Using
weekly multiple-choice quizzes to gauge student learning, comparison of curriculum tests taken
immediately after instruction and pre-instruction quizzes show a significant difference in the
results of students who viewed visualizations in the planetarium versus their counterparts who
viewed non-immersive content in their classrooms, and those in the control group that saw no
visualizations whatsoever. These results suggest that the immersive visuals help by freeing up
cognitive resources that can be devoted to learning, while visualizations shown in the classroom
may be an intrinsically inferior experience for students.

- by Ka Chun Yu and +3
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- Planetariums, Astronomy Education, Computer Simulation, Undergraduate Education

A common question planetarians get asked when virtually traveling through the Universe is whether what is being presented is 'real'. Scientific Visualization tools that include spatio-temporal navigation present adjusted versions of reality that allow us to comprehend planetary, galactic and cosmic realms seamlessly. In turn, our existence on Earth predisposes each of us to bring our planetary experiences as kinds of biases to the cosmic data we seek to understand. This paper will offer approaches and strategies to maintain, reconnect and establish new connections between our direct experiences and the scientific visualization techniques through which we explore the Universe.

- by Julieta C Aguilera
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- Scientific Visualization, Space and Place, Planetariums

The present contribution offers a first philological description of Durs Grünbein's ‘Vorlass’ at the German Literature Archive in Marbach, and examines in particular the palimpsest-like modus operandi of the poet, which aims at documenting every step in the genesis of his texts. Moving from the analysis of different papers from the time before and after Grünbein's literary consecration, the article poses the question of the author's consciousness about his future literary estate (‘Nachlassbewusstsein’). Special attention is thereby given to the self-archiving strategies he deploys as well as to the interpretational hints he seems to disseminate in his documents for later philology. Furthermore, the fact that as yet unpublished texts can be found in the ‘Vorlässe’ of contemporary writers encourages philologists to conceive of the literary estate more widely as a place where not only the past and posthumous, but also the current and anthumous dwell.
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Der vorliegende Beitrag bietet eine erste philologische Beschreibung des Vorlasses von Durs Grünbein im Deutschen Literaturarchiv Marbach und analysiert insbesondere die ‘palimpsestartige’ Arbeitsweise des Dichters, die auf die Dokumentation jeder einzelnen Stufe der Textentstehung gerichtet ist. Am Beispiel verschiedener Archivalien aus den Jahren vor und nach Grünbeins literarischer Konsekration wird der Frage nachgegangen, inwiefern von einem ‘Nachlassbewusstsein’ des Autors die Rede sein kann. Dabei werden Strategien der Selbstarchivierung und der Interpretationssteuerung durch Archivalien präsentiert. Zum Schluss wird über die Tatsache reflektiert, dass immer häufiger Werke von Gegenwartsautoren bereits vor ihrer Veröffentlichung in Archiven eintreffen. Dies erfordert eine Erweiterung des Nachlass-Begriffs, der nicht nur als Ort des Vergangenen und Posthumen, sondern auch als einer des Aktuellen und Anthumen verstanden werden soll.

- by Daniele Vecchiato
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- European Studies, German Studies, World Literatures, Comparative Literature

This poster focuses on the use of various spatial and temporal relationships in immersive environments, such as dome shows, stereoscopic displays, and interactive simulations, to effectively communicate the vast scales afforded in... more

- by Julieta C Aguilera
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- Scientific Visualization, Interaction Design, Embodied Cognition, Embodiment

Imagine the celestial vault covered with numerous circular apertures of small dimensions, crossed by light rays arising from a huge blaze located at the edge of the Universe. Each of these holes would lighten the sky like stars of... more

- by Karine GADRE
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- Photography, Planetariums, France, Astrophotography

This paper frames issues of trans-scalar perception in visualization, reflecting on the limits of the human senses, particularly those which are related to space, and describe planetarium shows, presentations, and exhibit experiences of... more

- by Aslı Şensoy
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- Planetariums, Astronomy Education, Astronomy Education in Turkey, Observatory

We discuss the philosophy and strategy of a modern planetarium lecture within the larger frame of
the communication of astronomy. The planetarium is a peculiar medium that requires a creative
and rigorous approach in order to balance the three motivating forces behind the ‘planetarium
experience’: scientific knowledge (method and contents), technological ‘sense of wonder’ and a
pre-rational (not necessarily anti-rational) sense of ‘enchantment’. While scientific and
technological resources are typically fully exploited in state-of-the-art domes, the latter concept—
introduced by Max Weber in order to categorize the mystic/aesthetic impact of nature on the human
mind—has not been sufficiently explored. To use it effectively demands an understanding of the
public perception of astronomy, stressing the crucial role of professional communication skills for
the effective communication of science. Rather than enforcing a narrow focus on pure science
and/or a crusade against astrology, we believe that the planetarium experience should be a
stimulating reawakening of curiosity and a holistic awareness of the sky and hence of the Universe.
Fine-tuning of the above three components makes the classical conflict between the boring
academic lectures under the stars versus disneyish, supertechnological shows obsolete. We present
some approaches for creating “fine-tuned lectures”, with examples from our experience at the
Rome Planetarium.

- by Giangiacomo Gandolfi and +1
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- Science Communication, Planetariums, Astrophysics, Astronomy