Planetarium stars astro students’ work

No one can bring you the entire universe like an astronomy grad student, and lately they have been working to show you even more.

In addition to their regular Wednesday night planetarium shows, astronomy graduate students have been searching the skies for interesting and original presentations to bring to audiences each week.

With important donations from the department, secured about two years ago, the planetarium was given a computer and a data projector that allowed it to be used not only for planetarium shows but also for special lectures designed and presented by graduate students.

“All of the teaching assistants are required to give a presentation,” said Hornstein, “but everything else is volunteer based.”

Highly committed student presenters like Shelley Wright feel that the planetarium shows have been a great addition to their normal programs.

In addition to the public shows that are offered every Wednesday during the academic year, organizers of the planetarium have been presenting shows and special topics for elementary school classes and private groups throughout the rest of the week.

“It was nice to fix it up and use it for public outreach,” said Hornstein. “We do presentations for people from 3 years old to college age.”

Special topics are selected by the presenters themselves, so most are original creations.

Wright’s presentation, “Life in the Universe,” explores the possibilities of extraterrestrial life and intelligence.

“We get to choose whatever we’re interested in,” she said. “If someone else did a presentation on life in the universe, it would be an entirely different show.”

Next week’s special topic will be on galaxies, and creator Ryan Mallery shares Wright’s enthusiasm.

“I think the shows make the planetarium experience more informative,“ he said. “And it allows the presenter to talk about an area that he or she is excited to explain.”

The show will cover information about galaxies that Mallery feels most people will have a limited understanding of.

“I chose this topic because I feel the general public might not have much understanding or knowledge about galaxies, i.e., galactic structure, size, classification, composition, and the distribution of galaxies throughout the universe,” he said.