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Details about the Planetarium
Details about the Planetarium
"The Astronomer"
Official Video Oh, The Story! a YouTube video. The words, libretto
to the song "The Astronomer." The planetarium is open
from Monday, August 21, 2017, until Friday, May 18, 2018.
There are exceptions though like Summer
Planetarium Programs. This is an academic institution so there
are a few holidays like around Thanksgiving and from Christmas to
new year's day and Spring break March 12-18, 2018 for faculty and
students; planetarium closed only on Thursday & Friday, March 15
&16, 2018. All evening planetarium programs include a star
party after the show, if it is clear.
Star party means we look at the sky with telescopes. We have a
13 inch
(33.02cm) Dobsonian, and 3
1/2 inch (8.89cm) Questar telescopes that we bring outside
the planetarium when clear. All minors coming to the planetarium for
public programs or grade specific school programs must be
accompanied by their teachers, or a parent or guardian. In April of
2016 the planetarium was improved. A new projector a Spitz
Scidome XD replaced the ancient Spitz 512, opto-mechanical
projector which only showed 1,864 stars maximum; now we have almost
no limit, effectively millions and millions not quite billion and
billions. We can now show stars, nebulae, and galaxies from
anywhere in the universe not just from the planet earth. We
can show stars locally 100,000 years in the past or future using
Starry Night with the new projector. We can further show the
planet Earth and put data on it using a full dome projection using
Layer Earth, so geology, geography, atmospheric science (including
climate change) can be faithfully shown. We can show full dome video
on the 24 foot dome. We have started production of full dome video
as well as have the ability to show full dome video produced by
other planetriums and science museums world wide. SciDome
sizzle
reel demonstration. We have a large video monitor at eye level
in the planetarium that is capable of not only 2D PowerPoint and
Keynote and YouTube, but capable of showing 3D movies with pass
circularly polarized glasses worn by the audience when
appropriate. We have already produced many 3D short educational
videos in astronomy and biology and geology as well as filmed Maker
Fairs in downtown Silver Spring, and lectures at the American Center
of Physics all in glorious 3D, thanks to Rupert Chappelle. The
College also replaced the imoveable chairs on an ugly carpet with
movable chairs on a beautiful floor so we can now do group work and
reconfigure seating. We can seat small children on blankets on
the floor while adults and older children can sit in chairs. You can
not do group work when you can only see the back of your neighbors
head. The new projector can be moved into a larger planetarium
dome when the new science center is built at the Takoma Park/Silver
Spring campus in a few years into a 50 foot dome. The college
was very responsible in planning ahead and spending money on the
current improved and planned future larger planetarium! If you would
like the planetarium projector or the current domed theather room
named after your company or family member please speak to the Montgomery
College foundation.
Return to Montgomery College Planetarium home
page.
Last edited 5:58PM on April 26, 2018 by Dr. Harold Alden Williams