Planetarium
or Observatory?
Do you know the difference between the two? Maybe
you have gone to a planetarium to watch a show about the stars, planets, and
other objects in the universe. Perhaps you remember going to an observatory to
actually look through a huge telescope or smaller ones to see objects in the
night sky in real time.
A planetarium
is a theater built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows
about astronomy and the night sky or for training in celestial navigation.
Astronomy is the study of those objects and celestial navigation is the
position or where to find those objects to identify them in the night sky.
The dominant feature of most planetaria is the large
dome-shaped projection screen at the top of the room onto which stars, planets,
and other celestial objects can be made to appear and more realistically to
simulate the complex motions of the heavens. These scenes can be created by
using various technologies. For example there is the precision-engineered ‘star
balls’ that combine optical and electro-mechanical technology, such as
projectors, video, and fulldome systems and lasers. The technologies used are
linked together to provide the most accurate motion of the sky. The display can
depict the sky in the past or present as it would appear from any latitude on
Earth.
An observatory
is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Some of these
disciplines would be astronomy, climatology, meteorology, geology,
oceanography, and volcanology. The structure is designed to accommodate the
discipline that it is studying. When I think of an observatory I think of one
geared towards astronomy. This would contain an astronomical sextant and one
large telescope for viewing. Some larger observatories may contain more than
one telescope.
There are ground-based, radio, space, and ancient
(such as Stonehenge) observatories. If you’ve never been to one and want to
experience this firsthand, a planetarium is the best place to start. Some
college planetariums are open to the public during certain months; usually on a
Friday. Check their schedule for months, days, and times. There is usually a
small fee to view and listen to the show. At some colleges, if the night sky is
right for viewing, they may have a large mobile telescope they wheel outside. You
may see the rings around Saturn and some of its moons for the first time or the
hazy Andromeda Galaxy! Have you seen Mars? How about the great Orion Nebula? What
would you like to see? Get excited, go
see what’s out there!
Images and more information: http://floridaastronomy.weebly.com/planetariums-observatories.html
