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Thursday, April 3, 2014 Page B1
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Photos by Marisol Díaz
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, a blue sphere projects the reach of the first radio transmissions from the Earth, with small blue spheres marking some of the stars known to have planets; Jupiter and some of its moons’ orbits; Marc Taylor, manager of the Andrus Planetarium, at the console of the facility’s renovated computer system; the zodiac signs Virgo, Leo and Cancer; and our solar system featuring many planets’ and dwarf planets’ orbits.
Andrus Planetarium reopens with a big bang ahelms@riverdalepress.com nside the revamped Andrus Planetarium at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, the universe is opened up with just a few clicks of a mouse on a high-tech computer system. With the proper training, a curator can bring as many as 120 attendants flying through the galaxy, getting so close to planets, stars and constellations in awe-inspiring detail that one may forget their feet are still firmly planted on Earth. But the planetarium was not always equipped with modern equipment that can fire up different views of the universe without a hitch, as Planetarium and Science Programs Manager Marc Taylor explained. In fact, the planetarium reopened its doors to the public on March 8 after receiving a complete technological makeover starting last May. “Before a show, sometimes something wouldn’t work right and you’d have to reach in with your finger and turn a piece because it would get stuck,” Taylor said, speaking about the planetarium before construction. “Or we’d oil it and hope the oil wouldn’t drip and hit the bulbs underneath and burst into flames.”
The reconstruction was a delicate operation. Fewer than a handful of companies in the world can repair a planetarium’s delicate equipment. “It’s not like you can go to Best Buy and get a bunch of pieces and stick them together,” Taylor said. The new star projectors are bright with a high resolution, Taylor explained. They are similar to what movie theaters are equipped with, but pack four times the resolution of a Blu-ray DVD. Astronomers have been able to pinpoint other galaxies aside from our own as technology has advanced, Taylor said. Exhibit visitors can be brought on an intergalactic tour that is only possible from within the planetarium, all without leaving their seats. With the upgraded system, Taylor said planetarium curators can program their own scripts into the computer according to what planets, stars and galaxies they would like to show to an audience. Being able to save scripts makes it easier to train curators to use the system and enables them to present a show verbally while displaying the solar system at the same time. “The Sky Tonight,” which runs on weekends, is the planetarium’s premier show, drawing full crowds since its
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March opening date. According to Jennifer Patton, director of education at the museum, it is “a live show.” As Patton explains it, a live show spans 45 minutes and is steered by the attendees who tell the curator what they want to see. Though a visitor would still pick up a lot of fascinating information from something preprogrammed, a live show provides a hands-on experience. “It’s interactive with the audience and you get to learn so much in a short amount of time,” Patton said. “It’s not just sitting down and listening.” The outside of the planetarium also has exhibits to see. A piece of an old star projector is on display along with Milky Way wall art that was put together by high school students during weekends, Taylor said. Color-coded pieces of fabric that represent different natural occurrences in the Milky Way — like new stars and heated nitrogen — were placed on the wall to create the display. “We wanted [the planetarium] to have a historic element because this is a historic museum,” Taylor said. Planetarium star shows run every weekend, with various exhibits for children and adults to enjoy.
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By Ashley Helms