Viewing Posts in Planetarium News
Plutoʻs Plight and the New Solar System
In the last decade, our picture of the solar system and its outskirts has changed dramatically. Once thought to be a lonely place only inhabited by Pluto and the occasional comet, we now know that there are a vast number of icy asteroids in Pluto’s neighborhood. The largest of these is Eris, sometimes called the “10th Planet” because it is larger than Pluto.
Awesome Light 1: Mirrors on the Mountain
Awesome Light 1: Mirrors on the Mountain is now available to planetariums around the globe. With unique access to their facilities and in cooperation with the PIs, this first in a planetarium series for general audiences showcases the latest discoveries from four major international telescopes. Voyage into Subaru, Gemini, Keck, and Canada-France-Hawai‘i observatories to explore exoplanet TrES-1, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, real-time observations of the galaxy SN2008D, and the One Square Degree Survey. Featuring stunning time-lapse footage from the mountain of Maunakea and dynamic astronomical simulations rendered in DigitalSky 2 make this program a visual feast. The program is being distributed exclusively by Sky-Skan, Inc. in both 3D stereo and standard 2D mono full dome formats. The program was produced by Sky Skan, Inc. for ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i.
Approximate running time: 22 minutes
Awesome Light 2
Awesome Light 2 is currently in production and features Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, Harvard Smithsonian Submillimeter Array, and the Very Long Baseline Array. The program looks at radio and submillimeter astronomy and how this area of astronomy reveals discoveries not possible in visible light. The program is scheduled to debut in March of 2010. After its debut, the program will also be available to planetariums around the globe and be distributed by Sky Skan, Inc. More information is coming soon.