New planetarium, new worlds found at Penn-Trafford
More than three decades after the space race has ended, students' interest in what lies above the Earth's atmosphere hasn't dwindled.
A new projection system -- a Digitarium Epsilon fixed-dome planetarium system -- was installed in Penn-Trafford High School's planetarium in January. The old system could project only light points, but the new system is akin to a miniature IMAX theater.
"This is a much more interactive system," said teacher Charles Gates. "It's not just a planetarium. It can be used to show full videos."
Gates said the high school planetarium system always was a hit with students, but now he has the technology to make space even cooler -- and he wants the public to see it, too.
He and Ryan Tucek, another high school science teacher, received a $1,500 grant earlier this month to buy planetarium movies. Tucek said they plan to buy educational earth and space science movies geared toward people of all ages.
"Not only is this great for teaching, but it's something we'd really like to open up to the public," Tucek said. "Our plan is to bring in the public and try to get them involved in the school and have them participate in something that's really cool."
Tucek said he wants to hold public showings in the planetarium for a small fee, which would be used to maintain the equipment and buy new videos or programs for the system. At first, movies all would have educational elements, but eventually feature films might be purchased.
Gates said he thinks there will be public interest. He said interest in space science spiked in the early 1970s, as the nation's space race was drawing to a close, and several high schools installed planetariums.
The technology was advanced at the time, he said, but the original system just wasn't cutting it anymore.
That system -- installed in the high school in 1972 -- looked a little like George Lucas's famed Death Star. The heavy gray globe, covered in pinhole patterns to release constellations of light across the planetarium's domed ceiling, was suspended about a dozen feet above a platform in the middle of the room.
Parts and light bulbs to keep the 40-year-old system running were hard to come by, and Gates said its constellations were difficult to see. The new system can project color images of stars, planets, solar systems, galaxies and landscapes. It plays movies and runs programs that show deep-space stars, constellations and orbits from various angles.
"(The students) love coming down here," Gates said. "Every day, it's 'Are we using the planetarium?' We can't come everyday, but we use it as much as we can."
During the second half of the school year, the planetarium is used almost daily by earth and space science classes. It also is used by younger grades in the district for science classes. Gates, who plans to give a presentation about the system to high school teachers, said he hopes it can be used to teach other subjects.
"It's not just about earth science," Gates said. "I can picture projecting the Gettysburg battlefield or the Sistine Chapel on the ceiling and integrating art or a lot of other cross-curricular lessons."
