ee Oe Re Planetarium Shows Offer Unique Experience, Provide Education Imagine traveling through space or watching the rotation of the planets from the surface of the sun, seeing the heavens as Galileo saw them or watching the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem. At least one of these experiences can happen in an average evening for audiences at the Layton P. Ott Planetarium on the Weber State College campus. DR. ALAN J. DAYLEY New Job Dayley Accepts Administrative Post at College Formerly dean of men, Dr. Alan J. Dayley has accepted a new position at Weber State College involving the assignment of administrative duties in the office of President Joseph L. Bishop. Dr. Dayley joined the staff of Weber State in 1962 as dean of men: and served in that post for three years before being made dean of students. Dr. Dayley will retain the title of dean of students during the remainder of the current contractural period which ends in June. He is attending meetings of the WSC Utah Institutional State Board Education, the Council, of Higher President’s Council and others. A graduate of Weber College and Brigham Young University with a major in English, Dr. Dayley earned both his master and PhD degrees in educational psychology at the University of Utah. His minor field was education administration. Comment Second-class postage paid at Ogden, Utah published by-monthly at Weber State College with editorial offices in the Administration Building, Ogden, Utah 84403 Vol. 1 No. 8, Jan. 1974. COMMENT is mailed at no charge to alumni of Weber State College. Officers and Directors Officers Dr. Russell W. Carruth, Pres. L. Kent Bachman, First Vice. Pres. Dr. W. Michael Burdett, Second Vice Pres. Directors - Dr. Joseph L. Bishop M. J. Deamer Alan R. Peterson Hazel Robertson Dr. David O. Hendrickson Tom Webber Wendy Turner Doug Brian DNancy Farrell Janith Wright Dr. Thomas O. Smith Merlon Stevenson Alan Hall, Executive Director Dr. James R. Foulger, Alumni Treasurer Dr. Joseph L. Bishop, WSC President Dean W. Hurst, Assistant to the President Reed Hellewell, Student body President The planetarium, located in the Science Lecture Hall, can seat 61 spectators who watch the shows in a semi-reclining position in comfortable padded chairs. A $27,000 projector lights the ceiling of the 30-foot hemispherical dome of the planetarium with lights of varying size to exactly duplicate the lights from heavenly bodies. Shows depicting different events or appearances in the heavens are scheduled each Wednesday evening at the planetarium for the public. Youth groups and other organizations find the experience instructive and enjoyable and_ the planetarium shows have been especially popular with Boy Scout and LDS Church groups. Admission Fee The shows begin at 8 p.m. with the doors open at 7:45 p.m. Admission fee is 50 centa per person. The planetarium is also available to groups for special shows for a rental fee of $20 per hour. These groups can request a show on any subject pertaining to astronomy and the college personnel will create a presentation to their specifications. Director of the planetarium is Dr. Robert L. Capener of the college physics department. Dr. Capener narrates most of the shows with the help of some students and other college personnel. David Trip; original director of the planetarium, is presently on Sabbatical leave, working on requirements for a doctorate in solarphysics. He will return to Weber State next year to resume his duties as planetarium director. The planetarium was built at a cost of about $45,000,with much of the total contributed by Layton P. Ott, prominent Utah businessman. It was completed when the building was finished, in current subjects as the space program or the energy crisis. Domed Ceiling Dr. Capener has created special projectors which are set up around the perimeter of the domed ceiling to make possible all types of special effects such as simulated space travel, the ap- 1969. The projector is produced by Spitz Laboratories of Yorklyn, Del., pearance of comets or meteors in space. Scenes of the local mountains or other landscapes can be projected onto the ceiling to give a background for different narrations. Of particular interest this year has been a show concerning the Kohoutek Comet which has been visible over the earth at different times since November. This presentation gives a deeper understanding of the appearance of the comet and exactly what a continue for the Model A-4 The A-4 projector can simulate the sky as it appears at anytime of day or night and can exactly duplicate the position of the celestial bodies as they appeared or will appear from any place on the earth. Courses in astronomy at Weber State utilize the planetarium facility on nearly a daily basis. Both introductory and teachereducation courses are offered and additional course work in space science and astrophysics will become part of the program in This presentation began on Jan. will is Simulates Sky comet is. 2 and and planetarium projector with a remote control system allowing it to be operated from a console in the- rear of the planetarium chamber. A stereophonic sound system over which lecture material and mood setting background music can be broadcast to the audience allows the lecturer complete control of space and time. approx- imately six weeks, with shows each Wednesday’ evening beginning at 8. It explains the origins of the comet and gives background of its past and its future journeys through space. This show is a combination of a recorded narration used by the Hansen Planetarium with additional original material created by Dr. Capener and his staff. future years. With Pioneer 10 some additions, “It is possible,’’ says Dr. Capener,’’ that we will be able to present a show in the future devoted to the Pioneer 10 flight to Jupitar.’”’ Dr. Capener says the college will likely receive copies of pictures taken from Pioneer 10 of the planet if the pictures are of good quality. modifications it will be and possible State, 399-5941, ext. 240. Some help in arranging the planetarium shows comes from the college media center; other material is obtained from the Hansen Planetarium in Salt Lake City, and special data comes from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The subject for the shows changes approximately every six weeks. The show topics deal with astronomy, astronomical events either from the past or scheduled at some future date, and such to simulate space flight and the approximation of space craft to celestrial bodies. Information concerning the ‘planetarium shows or making arrangements for _ special presentations can be obtained by phoning the Dr. Capener at Weber F a ir 4 4 cy : y PROJECTOR in the planetarium at Weber State College is shown here with nighttime scene and local mountains projected in the background. |