The general appeal and accessibility of astronomical topics and the profound philosophical questions that arise from the study of Astronomy, makes Astronomy the ideal vehicle to convey the latest developments of modern science to the general population.

In collaboration with the education outreach of the GSFC, we will bring recent High-Energy Astrophysics data from gamma ray, X-ray and cosmic ray NASA missions to the general population. We will organize planetarium shows focusing on the HEA aspects of modern Astronomy showing the sky as seen at different electromagnetic wavelengths and particle detentions. In these shows we will emphasize the current unsolved questions guiding research in HEA and Cosmology to the general public. We will create new planetarium lessons that can be used nation-wide.

The Norfolk State University Planetarium has provided a highly regarded program of space science-related sky shows and educational activities for over thirty years. Interactive planetarium lessons have been presented on the K-12, undergraduate and graduate levels. Workshops have been conducted for pre-service and in-service teachers. Public planetarium shows (sky shows) with topics that range from solar system exploration to intelligent life in the universe have thrilled enthusiastic audiences. Visiting astronomers, such as Cyril Ponamperuma, have given public lectures in the Planetarium. The NSU Planetarium’s public outreach has included such diverse groups as the mentally challenged, high achieving minority students in science, religious groups of all persuasions, the Boy Scouts, senior citizens groups, garden clubs, deaf citizens and pre-schoolers.

As we move into the 21st century, the NSU Planetarium will be required to make substantial improvements to its facilities, equipment and staff to meet the educational, public service and research missions of the University. The University has acquired funds to fully upgrade our Spitz A4 planetarium instrument to an A5 instrument that has a digital System 512 console which will accommodate an ATM-4 computer automation system. The ATM-4 with production software can provide automated control for programming all functions as well as special effects projectors, video projectors, laser disks, VCRs, and room lighting. In addition, a new stereophonic sound system, an ALLSKY projection system and a video special effects control system which includes one NTSC video projector, one DVD/CD player, one VCR-VHS format player/recorder, one video switcher and one 8 inch color monitor will be purchased. This equipment will provide the infrastructure for the production of state-of-the-art sky shows for the public and realistic, dynamic special effects for our educational programs. The University’s financial commitment of over $300,000 for the Planetarium upgrade and equipment is a tangible sign of its desire to incorporate space science in the undergraduate curriculum, science education programs, and in research.

The NSU Planetarium will play a major role in the outreach component of this proposed project. The Planetarium will be used as a sky theater to present to the public, in a creative and entertaining manner, scientifically accurate planetarium shows that deal with NASA’s missions to study and explain Sun-Earth interactions, exploring the solar system, determining the structure and evolution of the universe, and search for intelligent extraterrestrial life and extra-solar planets.

The modern public planetarium show combines science, the arts, technology and education in a complex, multimedia production. The show script must be written and actors have to be selected. Artwork for astronomical panoramas and other graphics must be produced. Music is selected to enhance the script and visual effects. Special effects projectors are used to show astronomical phenomena that are not displayed by the main planetarium instrument. Typically, 100-200 slides are shown. All of the above require a large professional staff that is beyond the scope of most school and university planetariums. Major commercial planetariums at a cost of thousands of dollars produce shows of this caliber. Fortunately, the major planetariums produce professional quality, appropriately scaled-down versions of these shows for sale to smaller planetariums at affordable prices. Such dramatic and scientifically accurate shows will be exhibited in the NSU Planetarium to bring the Space Science Enterprise’s missions recent research findings and the excitement of their discovery to the public. The NSU Planetarium has the capability to produce most of its sky shows and educational programs on site.

In addition to providing first-class planetarium facilities for this project, NSU has other astronomical equipment and facilities that are necessary for the successful completion of the project. There are 17 telescopes available for the Fundamentals of Astronomy course, the Observational Astronomy course, and for public viewing. These include a 4 inch fluorite refractor; twelve 8 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes (SCT), two 8 inch Schmidt-Newtonian telescopes, one 14 inch SCT, two 10 inch SCTs and one 16 inch Newtonian reflector. Other accessories and equipment such as wide angle eyepieces, moon filters, astronomer's flashlights, solar glass aperture and Mylar filters, dew caps, light pollution (nebular) filters, an astrocamera, a photoelectric photometer, a hydrogen-alpha solar filter and Telrad finders are available.

Several special effects projectors must be purchased or built in order to display many of the Space Science phenomena in the Planetarium. The main planetarium instrument (star projector) only shows naked-eye phenomena such as the star field, the Sun, the Moon, the naked-eye planets and their motions as seen from the Earth. The NSU Planetarium has a good collection of special effects projectors that display many phenomena from globular clusters to the rising sun. Projectors that show some of the popular and/or some of the more esoteric phenomena in astronomy and astrophysics must be purchased for this project.

More information will follow as programs become initiated.