GNSC
250
Planetarium Operations
Syllabus
| Description | Requirements
| Materials | Assessment
| Current Projects |
Related Pages
Course Information
- Prof. Kerry Magruder, 273-3989
- Credit: 1 semester hour, may be repeated once
for credit
- Prerequisites: None
- Type: Laboratory course, 2 hours per
week
- Planetarium, Rm 108, 878-2090 (information
line)
- Production Office, Rm 202 cubicle,
878-2166
- Science Division Office, Rm 202, 878-2028
Course Description
Welcome to Planetarium Operations! (We call it
Planet Ops for short.) The primary aim of Planetarium
Operations is to offer you an introduction to the various technical
systems of the OBU Planetarium and to make you at home in the night
time sky.
- Planetarium Operations is not an astronomy course, nor is it
equivalent even to just the laboratory portion of an astronomy
course. In the planetarium you will catch the romance of
astronomy, as you become familiar with the constellations, the
stories of the skies, and some of the astronomical jewels to be
observed among the stars. In this way Planet Ops can make an ideal
supplement to formal courses of study in astronomy (GNSC
250 Earth Sciences, US 311
Natural Sciences, or a Topics in Astronomy Education course by
arrangement).
- Nor is Planetarium Operations a tutorial course where everyone
engages in unlimited hands-on experience with one-to-one
instruction guaranteeing mastery of multimedia technologies in
fifteen easy steps! Working in small groups as much as possible,
you will gain an initial familiarity with the technical systems so
that they will not intimidate you, which may whet your appetite
for more. Our class numbers and time span will limit what we can
achieve on Monday nights, although the planetarium is accessible
to you for hands-on practice throughout the week on an optional
basis. We only scratch the surface of the technical systems in a
one-credit-hour course! It is my hope that Planet Ops will prepare
you for future hands-on experience in the planetarium as a student
worker, if you are interested in pursuing planetarium projects
after the second semester.
So what kind of course is Planetarium Operations? Planet Ops is a
special laboratory course in which students get a behind the scenes
glimpse into the operation of the planetarium and begin to
participate in its ongoing activity, all the while having the
opportunity to get to know the night sky. Planet Ops offers
nonintimidating hands-on experience in astronomy, educational
principles and multi-media technologies, as well as fine arts and
communication skills, and may be of lasting benefit to a variety of
students. Students of all majors are welcome to take this course, and
your various interests and diverse talents will all contribute to the
instructional resources of the OBU planetarium.
Materials
No additional materials are required for second-semester Planet
Ops students. First-semester students will find the following
supplies in the bookstore:
-
- Chet Raymo. 365 Starry Nights. Raymo
will help you become familiar with the night sky, to get to know
some interesting skylore and learn some basic astronomy. This text
provides the kind of content that would be conveyed in a Starstruck
Tonight planetarium show, organized seasonally.
- Planisphere
- You will need to make a red-light
flashlight and a star
clock. Bring these with you to every Astronomy Hour.
- Planetarium Operations Manual. Supplied via
pages on the world-wide web, which you can print as needed. Store
your notes and printouts in a three ring binder to keep them
integrated and properly sorted.
Meeting Times
Planet Ops meets Monday nights in the planetarium (Rm 108):
- Basic Training Hour, 7 to 8 pm.
Training in basic operation of planetarium systems (required of
first-semester students only).
- Astronomy Hour, 8 to 9 pm.
Training in basic observational astronomy. Required of both first
and second-semester students.
- Advanced Training Hour, 9 to 10 pm.
Training in telescopic astronomy and advanced planetarium systems
(second-semester students only).
Tentative Class Schedule
(Subject to change without notice)
*Presented by first-semester students.
**Presented by second-semester students.
Course Requirements
-
- FIRST SEMESTER:
Students enrolled in the Planetarium Operations course for the
first time will focus on the following priorities:
-
- Night Sky Orientation
Becoming familiar with the constellations and how the sky
moves, to the degree necessary for presenting a seasonal sky
tour.
- Use Raymo outdoors at least once each week as your
tourguide to the real night sky. Get together and observe in
small groups!
- At midsemester all students will present a five-minute
constellation presentation
to fellow students that involves at least one motion of the
star projector.
- At the end of the semester, students will work together
in several teams to produce semester projects, usually
consisting of constellation presentations involving
multimedia effects.
- Basic Training in Planetarium Systems
Introductory training in the various technologies involved in
operating the planetarium, including the star projector, slide
projection systems, special effects, automation and
programming, photography, video and audio systems, and
educational media.
- SECOND SEMESTER:
Students enrolled in the Planetarium Operations course for the
second time will focus on the following priorities:
-
- Night Sky Observation
Becoming more familiar with the constellations and the basic
operation of a telescope.
- Continue to use Raymo outdoors at least once each week
as your tourguide to the real night sky.
- In the early part of the semester all second-semester
students will present two five-minute constellation
presentations to fellow students.
- Twice during the semester, second-semester students will
host a telescopic star party for first-semester
students.
- At the end of the semester, students will present
individual or small group semester projects, usually
consisting of constellation presentations involving
multimedia effects.
- Advanced Training in Planetarium
Systems
Advanced training in the various technologies involved in
operating the planetarium, as indicated in the tentative course
schedule.
- Both first and second-semester students will
assist in the presentation of at least
one evening of Planetarium shows (ordinarily on a
Friday night). See guidelines for
assisting with shows. Students have the option of learning to
present various types of shows, and some of the semester projects
may be scheduled for a public show, if desired.
- Both first and second-semester students should obtain an email
account and email your address to me at KVMagruder@aol.com.
Please check your email roughly weekly.
- Program Production (Optional)
- Students may help set-up and produce the planetarium's
ongoing or pending shows. This production may require script
writing, lesson-planning, multi-media preparation, creation of
slides and special effects, computer programming, preparation
of educational materials, photography, computer graphics, audio
production, electronic and equipment set-up, etc. A second
semester student might elect to design a project involving one
or more of these tasks.
- Whenever a show is presented, students will receive full
credit for their work by having their names projected on the
dome. All programs will require intensive student activity to
complete their production.
Assessment
-
- FIRST-SEMESTER STUDENTS:
-
- Worksheets, 40%
- Each Basic Training Hour will be structured around activity
worksheets that guide students as they explore the technical
systems as much as possible in a hands-on manner (often in
small groups). Worksheets will be checked at the end of each
training period. (The systems are more thoroughly explained in
the technical pages of the Planetarium website. Students may
print assigned pages beforehand for reference but are not
expected to study them in full.)
- Skywatch journals, 20%
- Ten skywatch journals are required per semester. Turn them
in one at a time as you complete them during the course. The
weekly skywatch journal may take either of two forms:
- A record of one evening's skywatch in the outdoors under
the real sky, on the basis of Raymo:
- Record the date, time, and location at the top of the
page.
- Read the section in Raymo's 365 Starry
Nights for the current date. Try to spot whatever
Raymo mentions in the text. Record what you look for and
indicate whether you see it.
- List 5 constellations that are visible which you can
identify, and never repeat the same set of 5. Try to
identify at least one new constellation each week.
- First week suggestion: Practice using the Big
dipper as a skymark to find your way around. Print the
Big
Dipper web page and use it as your first skywatch
journal.
- When
are constellations visible? This page indexes them
month by month throughout the year.
- Record the phase
of the Moon if it is visible, and its location in the
sky.
- Record any visible planets and their location by
constellation. A current planet chart is always posted on
a planetarium bulletin board, or use the What's
Up? web page.
- Any other phenomena? Shooting stars, Milky Way,
auroras (if you're lucky!), etc.
- Will you vary your star-gazing times, or will you
carry them out at the same time of night (or
morning)?
- Optional: Use binoculars, if you have them, to
examine the surface of the Moon, a nebula, the Andromeda
galaxy, or some other deep sky object.
- Cloudy-weather "indoor skywatch":
- Browse the constellation
pages of the Basic Celestial Phenomena website.
Choose a constellation and print the page for
reference.
- Check to make sure all web-links are accurate (if any
don't work, please indicate them on the printed
copy).
- Read the indicated pages in Raymo that describe the
constellation.
- Are there any additional features of this
constellation, its deep-sky objects, or its skylore, that
need to be added to the web page? If so, please write
suggested revisions on the printed copy.
- Are there NASA descriptions and photos of deep sky
objects for this constellation we might add links to? If
so, indicate the address for these links on the printed
copy.
- If the weather is clear and the constellation is
visible from our latitude, please attempt to view the
constellation and note the date and time you attempted to
spot it.
- Turn in the annotated printed copy as a substitute
for the outdoor skywatch.
- Constellation Presentation, 20%
- One constellation presentation
will be required of all first-semester students about midway
through the semester, given in the Planetarium during the
Astronomy Hour.
- Semester Project, 20%
- See course requirements, above, for a description of
semester projects. Further ideas are suggested below.
- SECOND-SEMESTER STUDENTS:
-
- Worksheets, 20%
- Each Advanced Training Hour will be structured around
activity worksheets that guide students as they work with
advanced features of the technical systems in a hands-on manner
(often in pairs or small groups). The systems are more
thoroughly explained in the technical pages of the Planetarium
website. Students should print assigned pages beforehand for
reference but are not expected to study them in full.
Worksheets will be checked at the end of each training period.
- Constellation Presentations, 20%
- Two constellation presentations will be required in the
planetarium during the Astronomy Hour.
- Skywatch journals, 20%
- Ten skywatch journals are required per semester. Turn them
in one at a time as you complete them during the course. See
description above.
- Star Party Telescopic Presentations,
20%
- Two telescopic presentations will be required at the star
parties hosted for the first-semester students.
- Semester Project, 20%
- See course requirements, above, for a description of
semester projects.
- Contracts:
- For students with special interests and clear goals,
alternative custom formats are available for the second
semester. Talk with me before the end of the second week of the
semester if you are interested in taking the course on a
contract basis. Most contracts will involve a semester project
of some type, approved in advance. Contracts can be written to
concentrate exclusively on the project; for instance:
developing proficiency with some of the technical systems
(without participation in the Astronomy Hour); logging a
certain number of telescopic observation hours (without
participation in the Advanced Training Hour); or creating and
producing a particular show or project in the planetarium, etc.
Talk with me: the sky is the limit in your
planetarium!
- NOTE WELL:
-
- Erratic attendence may result in a failing grade.
- How to fail this course suddenly:
Extreme violations of Planetarium
Procedures can result, at the Director's discretion, in
expulsion from and/or a failing grade in the course.
- Disabilities
Any student in this class who has a disability should contact
Bobby Canty in the Student Services Center, GC 101, as soon as
possible to discuss possible accommodations.
Ideas for Semester
Projects
Semester projects may be constellation presentations, enhanced by
automated or manually-cued multimedia effects, or they may be more
ambitious. Possible projects may be quite diverse, touching on many
areas of interest:
- General Skywatching; e.g., a particular constellation &
its associated mythology
- Astronomy; e.g., the life cycle of stars
- Planetary sciences; e.g., Jupiter Collisions and Geological
Catastrophism
- History of Astronomy; e.g., Kepler's Cosmic Harmonies
- Mathematics; e.g., analemmas, conic sections, calendars,
etc.
- Education; e.g., What's in the Sky? (for preschool and
elementary children)
- Cultural interest; e.g., Space Travel
- Music; e.g., Gustav Holst, modern "space music," etc.
- Fine Arts; e.g., Vincent Van Gogh (set to "Starry Night" by
McClean)
- Special interest; e.g., Medicine Wheels, Star of Bethlehem,
etc.
- Philosophical or Theological; e.g., Science Fiction and Cosmic
Visions
Demand & Appeal of Course
The production of planetarium shows offers valuable experience to
a wide variety of students, including those majoring in
Telecommunication, Fine Arts, Graphic Arts, Music and Music
Education. Education majors or pre-ministerial students may be
attracted by opportunities for gaining pedagogical experience in live
presentations (as well as experience dealing with educational media
such as slide projectors). Students majoring in Language and
Literature can express their talents through script-writing. Those
with an interest in electronics or computers will find their
technical skills much needed in production. Students who want to
develop an amateur interest in astronomy will discover in this course
a unique opportunity to become familiar with the nighttime sky
(either prior to or supplementing US 320 Earth Sciences and US 311
Natural Sciences).
Necessity of Course for Planetarium Activity
A typical staff for a planetarium of our size and capabilities
would number at least 4 full-time professionals with specialized
training reflected in titles such as Director, Program Producer,
Technical Engineer, Photographer, Musician, Director of Education,
etc. The faculty staffing for the OBU Planetarium is one half-time
Director-Professor. Through the Planetarium Operations course, the
planetarium will gradually develop a corps of trained student workers
to assist the Director in all aspects of program production and show
presentation. Graduates of the course will be preferentially hired by
the Planetarium on a work-study basis.
Current Projects of the OBU Planetarium
- Cosmology and Cultures Project
- Egyptian cosmology
- Babylonian astronomy (see Christmas show, below).
- Islamic cosmology
- Medieval cosmology (see Dante's universe, below).
- Flat Earth show.
- Cosmic Visions. This show, one of many in the
Cosmology and Cultures series, will explore some of the
interconnections between cosmologies and world-views, including
heliocentrism and the vastness of space, plurality of worlds,
the search for extra-terrestrial life, Big Bangs and Big
Crunches, "Many Worlds" quantum theories, Black Holes and
singularities, etc.
- The Magi and the Messiah's Star.
Commercial shows are largely inadequate for this topic, being
historically inaccurate, theologically unsound, and religiously
insensitive or antipathic. Our own in-house production might
feature the faith of Johannes Kepler, who also wrote a treatise on
the star of Bethlehem. Kepler's explanation of the Star of
Bethlehem remains one of the most viable possibilities, but others
would be mentioned as well, and evaluated both astronomically and
historically in the context of recent studies of Babylonian
astronomy circa 300 to 1 B.C. By integrating the gospel story with
accounts of the magi and of Kepler, we might offer a Christmas
program that would more faithfully reflect the joy and meaning of
the season.
- Starstruck Tonight
- Especially needs work on soundtrack production.
- Modules change seasonally.
- Needs more visuals.
- Fine arts:
- Theater performance?
- Music performance and/or recording? Bison Hill Arts
festival?
- Concert under the Stars?
- Follow the Drinking Gourd.
- In connection with actual stories of African-Americans
fleeing slavery along the Underground Railroad, this show
explores the circumpolar constellations such as the Big Dipper
(the "Drinking Gourd") and simple techniques of celestial
navigation. If designed in an appropriate modular fashion, it
could be adapted for elementary, university, and general
audiences.
- Upper elementary; for February, Black History Month?
- Needs much adaptation; soundtrack needs redoing.
- More than Meets the Eye.
- Designed for use in conjunction with holding public
telescopic skywatches.
- A multi-media planetarium show from Loch Ness
Productions.
- Stars of our Neighborhood; Constellation Stories (with puppets
or actors).
For preschoolers, with stuffed constellation animals or puppets
and fun songs.
- Promotionals.
- A Day in the Life of Bison Hill (a 10-minute university
tour).
- A Day in the Life of the Wood Sciences Building (a
10-minute recruitment show).
- The Universe from OBU (a 5-minute intermission show touring
the planetarium).
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