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Paper: |
Affordable Digital Planetariums with WorldWide Telescope |
Volume: |
443, Earth and Space Science: Making Connections in Education and Public Outreach |
Page: |
109 |
Authors: |
Rosenfield, P.; Connolly, A.; Fay, J.; Sayres, C.; Tofflemire, B. |
Abstract: |
Digital planetariums can provide a broader range of educational
experiences than the more classical planetariums that use star-balls.
This is because of their ability to project images, content from
current research, and the 3-D distribution of the stars and galaxies.
While there are hundreds of planetariums in the country, the reason
that few of these are fully digital is the cost. In collaboration with
Microsoft Research (MSR), we have developed a way to digitize existing
planetariums for approximately $40,000 using freely available software.
We describe here how off the shelf equipment, together with a WorldWide
Telescope client, can provide a rich and truly interactive experience.
This will enable students and the public to pan though multi-wavelength
full-sky scientific data sets, explore 3-D visualizations of our Solar
System (including trajectories of millions of minor planets), near-by
stars, and the SDSS galaxy catalog. |
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