Tanner Conley
The Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium at the University of Wyoming kicks off its November lineup with a show Tuesday Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. The show, titled “November’s Night Sky” focuses on the distance of objects such as the Andromeda galaxy and constellations like the Seven Sisters.
Mark Reiser, the Planetarium Coordinator, highlighted the importance of the planetarium being available to all ages.
“[The Planetarium] is a combination of community outreach and public service
and giving the next generation of students access to a place where they can
learn about anything from current astronomy to what’s going on in the night
sky.” Reiser said.
But more than that, it is about the future and the next generation. According to Reiser, a focus of the Planetarium is to “get (younger students) excited about science, giving them a chance to be on a college campus and giving us a chance to engage with the community.”
Yet, the Planetarium isn’t only for kids. Despite the fact that the planetarium has a certain degree of anonymity among college students, it still serves to educate, regardless of age.
“It’s got great value for education and entertainment. It’s a fun, safe, very affordable activity that can kind of expand their horizons and introduce them to some new things.” Reiser said.
Unlike other planetariums, the Vaughan Planetarium is smaller and more intimate. This allows show presenters to specifically target areas of interest on any given audience and tailor the show to their needs. This allows for a unique show every time you attend.
“The interactivity and the ability to interact with the presenter is unlike any other. And for that show presenter to provide content that is tailored to that group, it’s just so much more flexible.” Reiser said.
This aspect of individuality is helped immensely by the planetarium setup itself, which features a digital system that is only five years old. This digital system is able to capitalize on any aspect of space one might be interested in.
“You can fly around the solar system, you can fly around the galaxy, you can change the time to thousands of years into the future. There’s a lot you can do to play into displaying and simulating.” Reiser said.
Combining this with the endless imaginations of students and adults alike, the planetarium creates a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave the audience in awe of our reality.
