Author: mayrazamudio

We can give our planetarium the same information that Dr. Hawkins gave his computer. Right now the stars, Sun, Moon, (and planets, if you are using them) are positioned as they would be on today’s date, about 3500 years ago, about the time when the giant trilithons were erected. The first stages of Stonehenge were built […]

Well, there we are. We know what doesn’t work. It may be discouraging, but scientists who have an idea usually keep trying until they have exhausted every possibility. Optional: If you have time, you can call for other suggestions and try them now, like the Moon in different phases, or the planets.We have considered alignments […]

DIGITAL EFFECT: Slow Sunset. Slow diurnal motion so that sunset can be marked accurately. Will whoever is closest to the sunset point mark it for us please? We have now marked the four most extreme risings and settings of the Sun, the farthest north and the farthest south. We are now ready for the final […]

On The MoonIf the children have exited and returned, greet them at the planetarium entrance door. DIGITAL EFFECT: Land on MoonAs the children enter the planetarium, make a Moon panorama “grow” into place, simulating a “landing.” Welcome to the Moon! As you can see, the Moon seems like a strange and mysterious place. It is […]

Well, before we can land on the Moon, we’d better learn a little about what the Moon is like. Here are some real movies of people who have been to the Moon. DIGITAL EFFECT: Fly to MoonMove the Moon to the sweetspot (planetarium North), and then travel towards the Moon.Explain what is being shown during […]

Now let’s use our imaginations and pretend that we can take that same trip here in the planetarium. I think we’re just about ready to take off here. First we need to get into the Command Module, where we’ll be spending most of the journey. VISUAL 5 (movie): CM Insertion[Astronaut getting into the Command Module] […]

Hello, and welcome to the _____ Planetarium.My name is _________ and I will be leading you on a pretend flight to the Moon! Raise your hand if you think you might like to go to outer space and travel to the real Moon someday. What might it be like on the Moon? [Accept any answers.] […]

Now we’ll see how the Space Shuttle lands. First we’ll take a look at the cockpit, or the main control center, of the shuttle. VISUAL 14 (movie): Cockpit Watch the window, and you might see something interesting happening. Indicate window as it begins to glow. The outside glows red because everything heats up as the […]

VISUAL 13 (movie): EVAAstronauts also go outside the Space Shuttle to do work. When they do this, they must wear special space suits. There are two reasons why.  Who can tell me what they are? [So they can breathe and so they can stay at the right temperature.] These space suits have heating and cooling […]

It’s not all fun and games in space. Usually, there’s a lot of work to be done. One of the important things that the Space Shuttle is used for is to carry satellites into space and release them into orbit around the Earth. Satellites are machines that orbit the Earth and are used for taking […]