Eyes to the Sky
February 26, 2009 • By Brittany Hale, Contributing Writer
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HARRISONBURG, Va. — There is a world within JMU where riding a snowflake, witnessing the lifecycle of the sun and finding the planet Venus among all the stars in the night sky is possible.
At the newly renovated John C. Wells Planetarium located in Miller Hall, children, students and adults are given the opportunity to experience a world beyond the telescope. Through the help of advanced digital dome technology, guests are immersed into a virtual world of endless possibilities.
“In terms of technology, this is the most advanced planetarium in Virginia,” said William Alexander, director of the planetarium and assistant professor of physics.
Although everything in the planetarium has been updated, the most advanced pieces of technology include the GOTO-Chronos, also known as the star ball and the Digistar-3, both machines work in tandem to accurately depict the night sky and project various simulations on the dome.
“The technology we have allows us to produce the same caliber of shows as the ones shown in the Air and Space Museum, just in a smaller dome,” said junior physics major and astronomy minor Patrick McCauley, who is also one of the planetarium’s employees.
According to Alexander, when renovations for Miller Hall started, the math and science department knew the equipment was old and functioning was limited; however, they were unsure as to whether they were going to keep the planetarium.
“We thought the space was going to be used for storage,” Alexander said. “It was very serendipitous that we fell into renovations for a new planetarium; somehow the stars aligned just right that funding was available.”
Funding for the improved planetarium, according to Alexander, came from the Miller Hall renovations, the College of Math and Science and various JMU sources.
Although the planetarium is a valuable tool for students at JMU, many groups outside of JMU utilize this digital space as well.
“Four to five school groups per week visit during the week and on Saturdays we provide a number of shows,” Alexander said. “On Saturday the 1 p.m. time slot is specifically for groups that aren’t affiliated with schools, like 4-H clubs and Boy Scouts.”
The planetarium also offers two shows every Saturday that are open to the public. The first show begins at 2:30 p.m. and is specifically geared toward children, and the second show begins at 3:30 p.m. All shows are free, but tickets are required due to limited seating. Tickets can be obtained by calling the Warren Hall box office before 4 p.m. the day before the show.
“There are a total of 14 full-dome shows,” Alexander said. “This semester we are showing ‘Molecularium’ and ‘Secrets of the Sun,’ but next semester we will have two new shows.”
During “Molecularium,” children and adults are immersed into the virtual world of molecules and atoms where they get to ride a snowflake and learn about the various states of matter with their animated friends: Mo, Oxy, Carbon and the Atom twins.
In “Secrets of the Sun,” planetarium guests witness a larger-than-life depiction of the sun, and its pivotal role within the solar system.
Each show is approximately 20 minutes long and both are followed by a star talk about any new comets that may be visible or seen in the near future and updates on planets and constellations.
Dan Simonson, a junior physics major and astronomy minor, also works at the planetarium and rotates shows with McCauley.
“I’m an astronomer at heart; always have been since I was little,” he said.
Both McCauley and Simonson enjoy all the planetarium has to offer, but agree that running the shows on Saturdays is one of the best parts.
“I think it’s fun teaching people a little bit about astronomy and a little bit about the subject I’m interested in,” McCauley said. “We really encourage everyone, even JMU students, to come and check out the planetarium because it’s here for them, too. There are so many things that we haven’t done yet and there’s a lot in store for the future.”
Contact Brittany Hale at halebn@jmu.edu
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