Enhancing the UW planetarium

The UW planetarium is a well-used resource that is strongly in need of technological upgrade. We propose to add special effects projectors, dimmable digital projectors, a dedicated image and animation library, along with an automated control console and computer that provide real-time input to the upgraded audio/video system. The proposed equipment will significantly enhance the planetarium experience for the entire UW community.

Background

The dome and starball of the UW planetarium were purchased in 1994, and have been maintained annually since then. The starball (a Minolta MS-8) was being discontinued by Minolta at the time of purchase, and is becoming more difficult to maintain as time wears on. Within another 10 years or so, we imagine that the entire starball (the unit which projects the stars onto the dome) will need replacing, likely with a modern digital planetarium. As an example, Western Washington University recently upgraded their old planetarium to a digital model using Student Technology Fee funding [<a href="http://www.wwu.edu/stf/proposals.shtml"> WWU - 2004 - 7</a>]. Our existing "analog" starball still has quite a bit of useful life, so rather than replacement, we propose a more modest extension of the capabilities of the existing planetarium, introducing digital projection, special effects, and automation.

The UW campus planetarium serves the student population in multiple ways. Planetarium presenters, who are primarily undergraduate and graduate students, use the planetarium to improve their speaking and presenting skills as well as their astronomy knowledge. Planetarium show attendees use the planetarium as a more interactive way to learn about and enjoy the wonders of astronomy. Student groups, such as FIGs and clubs, use the planetarium as an educational and recreational field trip. Other groups, such as staff retreats (or even STF committee members...), simply enjoy a visit to the planetarium as a fun way to spend an hour immersed in a simulation of the night sky, with the ability to “ask an astronomer” any of their burning questions about the universe.

Currently the planetarium consists of a dedicated room with an 8-meter diameter dome for a ceiling, a Minolta MS-8 “starball” projector, a sound system, and two slide projectors. The MS-8 projects the stars of the northern and southern hemispheres, the visible planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), the sun, moon, Milky Way, and the three nearest galaxies. Using various motors, the projector can show the audience the changes that take place in the sky on daily, monthly, and annual time scales. This allows presenters to give shows about rudimentary concepts such as the seasons, phases of the moon, and constellations. However, a more sophisticated setup is necessary for planetarium presenters to demonstrate the more complex concepts that intrigue people most: meteor showers, comets, eclipses, black holes, the big bang, dark matter, deep-sky objects, intelligent life in the universe, etc.

The improvements proposed here will add special effects projectors, dimmable digital projectors, a new audio/video system, specially mastered DVD's with astronomical images and animations, a library of additional images/movies/presentations, along with an integrated computerized/manual console which provides real-time input to the projectors and sound system. These components will make it easier for presenters to discuss difficult concepts by providing visualization tools that supplement the current setup. They will also greatly enhance audience enjoyment of the planetarium.

Seamless projection onto a curved dome without disrupting the starfield requires digital projectors and controls not available in off-the-shelf products. The equipment and price quotes described below are from a company whose sole mission is to maintain, enhance, and install planetarium equipment. We use their services for annual maintenance of the planetarium, and have every confidence in their ability to install a high-quality digital audio/video projection system within cost.

The Astronomy Department planetarium is a well-used teaching and outreach tool. The planetarium has been integrated into our Astronomy 101 and 150 classes with about 1,740 undergraduates a year being taught in the planetarium. It also forms a cornerstone of the Astronomy Department's public outreach program in which volunteers (mostly astronomy undergrads and grad students) give free planetarium shows to UW groups, as well as school groups and astronomy clubs from around the state. Well over 3,000 K-12 students and their teachers are served by this unique program, in addition to approximately 1000 UW students (outside of courses) a year. Through this outreach program, the planetarium is able to support students' experiential service teaching and professional development.

For more information about the planetarium or to a request a tour and/or planetarium show please feel free to contact Mark Claire (mclaire AT astro.washington.edu). Our outreach website is available via <a href="http://www.astro.washington.edu/planetarium"> http://www.astro.washington.edu/planetarium</a>.

Benefits

How does the UW planetarium benefit the student population?

The UW planetarium benefits both the presenters and the attendees. Planetarium presenters gain public speaking skills, improved understanding of astronomy, and experience in teaching and outreach. Presenters are undergraduate and graduate students who have been trained to operate the planetarium by taking <a href="http://www.washington.edu/students/icd/S/astro/497anamunn.html">ASTRO 497b</a> (only pre-requisite is one of our intro classes) or by approaching one of the senior presenters for personal training. They are students from any major who are interested in astronomy and express interest in giving planetarium shows. These trained volunteers give the bulk of all planetarium outreach shows.

Every year, hundreds of UW students attend planetarium shows outside of Astronomy classes. Those students are usually members of UW groups such as the Freshman Interest Groups and Astronomy Club. These students come to the planetarium to learn more about astronomy - a subject that intrigues and inspires people from all disciplines. In addition to campus groups, many other departments on campus including Astrobiology, Geology, History, and Women’s Studies use the planetarium.

Below are some statistics on who uses the UW planetarium. These numbers illustrate the widespread use the planetarium receives from members of the student population and general public.

Students who have used or visited the planetarium in the recent past
<ul>
<li> 17 currently active (i.e volunteers who give 1-2 shows per quarter) planetarium presenters, graduate and undergraduate
<li> 17 active undergraduate planetarium presenters over last 4 years
<li> 30 active graduate planetarium presenters over the last 4 years
<li> 7 members of the newly formed Astronomy club
<li> Over 150 UW students not affiliated with Astronomy (in Fall Quarter 2004 alone)
<li> Over 100 students from different departments incorporating the planetarium into classes and other learning activities this calendar year alone
<li> 1,740 students enrolled in Astro 101 or 150 each year
<li> Over 3,000 K-12 students and their teachers through outreach this calendar year
</ul>
 
UW groups and departments served by the planetarium this year
<ul>
<li> Freshman Interest Groups
<li> Astronomy Club
<li> Office of Minority Affairs
<li> History
<li> Women's studies
<li> Geology
<li> Astrobiology
<li> Physics
</ul>

How would the proposed improvements to the planetarium benefit the student population?

Our intention in requesting STF funds is to supplement the current setup with complementary equipment that will greatly expand the capabilities of the planetarium. The improvements proposed here will add special effects projectors, dimmable digital projectors, a new sound system, an automated control console, a dedicated image and animation library, along with a computer/manual console that provides real-time input to the projectors and sound system. These components will give planetarium presenters more flexibility in the material they cover in shows and allow them to tailor shows more to their own interests and the interests of their audience. They will greatly enhance enjoyment of the planetarium for all involved. The next several paragraphs describe the reasoning behind each type of equipment for which we are requesting funds and the benefits that equipment will provide to students.

Special Effects

Planetarium show attendees often ask questions about difficult concepts such as aurora, meteor showers, and comets. Explanations for these phenomena are simpler when accompanied by visualization tools. The special effects projectors we are interested in provide exactly that - clear visualization tools for difficult concepts. These specifically designed projectors use the planetarium's dome ceiling projection surface to show how these phenomena appear in the sky and change with time, providing a life-size simulation of the way these objects actually look in the sky. This type of visualization is only effective with full-sky projection from special effects projectors. Standard digital projectors cannot mimic it. The special effects projectors we are interested in provide visualizations that will demonstrate concepts that attendees who have lived in urban areas may never have experienced.
Video Projection System & Computer
For concepts that can be depicted on smaller scales (i.e. not requiring all-sky projection), a series of digital projectors displaying in different sections of the dome would be ideal. Currently the planetarium is outfitted with several traditional slide projectors and an outdated collection of slides. These are of no use when audiences want to know about more recent science, such as the comet impact on Jupiter or water on Mars. Presenters have recently started borrowing (STF funded!) digital projectors and laptops from other campus resources to enhance their presentations with digital images and animations. This setup is far from ideal. First off, a standard digital projector is too bright for the dark-adapted conditions in the planetarium -- most digital projectors do not have the ability to be dimmed. Second, because of the dome geometry, several digital projectors are needed to project in a way that everyone can easily see. And lastly, preparing digital slide shows and setting up projectors simply requires a large amount of preparation time and extra work for our all-volunteer effort. A permanent system of special dimmable digital projectors connected to a computer and dedicated astronomical DVD's would completely eliminate the need for an additional approximately 30 minutes of preparation/breakdown time for each user, and allow us to retire our ancient slide projectors and slides. It would also allow presenters to show images and animations from cutting-edge scientific research, and allow for the development of a shared library of effective movies, images, and PowerPoint presentations. Permanently sharing a digital library of effective tools will be a huge boon for all involved, allowing for fantastic shows with less time commitment from our busy volunteers.
Sound System
Planetarium shows at the UW have been lacking in sound for quite some time. The current sound system is overly complicated and too easily broken for the all-volunteer staff of presenters to use. The speakers are old and several are blown. The planetarium's sound library currently has two CDs (classical) and one tape (“Sounds of Nature”). A quality, easy-to-use sound system would enhance the experience of presenters and attendees. The planned incorporation of a computer terminal would make an enormous digital sound library available which includes radio signals from pulsars, solar oscillations, potential SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) signals, and other relevant sound clips.
Control Console

In order to make effective use of the new special effect projectors and new digital audio/video components, we must create a user-friendly console that consists of both a computer interface and physical buttons that control the various components. This console must be easy to use in low light conditions, and will be built adjacent to the existing fully manual control that drives our starball. A permanent networked desktop computer will be installed in the planetarium as part of the console, and a small graduate student stipend is proposed to create a "digital library" of additional movies, animations, sounds, Java tools, and PowerPoint presentations to supplement the special effects projectors and DVD's.

The proposed system additions would provide excellent versatility for teaching astronomy concepts and give the planetarium much needed multi-media capabilities. The experiences of planetarium presenters and attendees will be greatly enhanced by these improvements.


Why this proposal is not for "instructional use"

We are aware that the Student Technology Fee is not used to fund projects that are primarily for instructional use, so we thought we would conclude this section with some comments on this issue. Approximately one fourth of the planetarium's time is currently scheduled by classes (usually ASTR 101 and 150, although ASTR 497b and courses from other departments also use it occasionally.) However, the planetarium experience for the students should not be considered a typical lab class, and new materials are rarely presented when classes visit the planetarium. The planetarium is used to reinforce concepts that may have been learned abstractly through a textbook, in a way that only three-dimensional immersible technology can do. We all know that watching the motions of the night sky is difficult in a city environment due to light pollution – Seattle's lovely overcast skies only make this problem worse. Additionally, the planetarium can be used to visualize the motions of planets and stars over timescales of hours to days to months to millennia - profound concepts which must be experienced to be appreciated. Attending a planetarium show is a visceral, profound experience - one in which education happens not via an abstract lecture, but one grounded in physical reality. In this way, we see the planetarium as an enhancement of the overall experiences that compromise the courses, not as a lecturing aid.

The STF committee has looked favorably on other proposals for which the equipment is used by courses, but which provide a significant value-added boost to the both the courses and the other individuals who use the technology. Examples of funded proposals (which also include some classroom use) that we see as similar in scope and mission to this one are: 2004-050, 2004-067, 2003-021, and 2003-046. We would also like to make clear that the students who initiated and support this proposal are all volunteer planetarium presenters who use the planetarium for outreach.

Student Access

The planetarium is available to the entire UW community, although the level of availability is different depending on whether the person is a "trained presenter." The planetarium starball itself is a complicated and expensive machine that could be easily damaged if used by an untrained individual. For this reason, we require that anyone who wishes to present planetarium shows either take ASTRO 497b or seek training from a senior presenter. Trained planetarium presenters can check out a key to the planetarium anytime when a show is not scheduled. There are 92 trained presenters at the moment, 17 of whom routinely give planetarium shows as part of the public outreach program - 4 of these regular presenters are undergraduates. Of the 92 trained presenters, 48 are undergraduates, 27 are graduate students, 4 are post-docs, 2 are staff members, 10 are faculty members, and 1 is a member of the general public with extensive experience in giving planetarium shows.

While any student can become a trained presenter, most UW students will access the planetarium as attendees to a planetarium show. Any student group may request a planetarium show free of charge, and in that sense, the planetarium is available to all university students.

The planetarium is occasionally used as a teaching tool for introductory astronomy classes (ASTR 101 and 150). These classes have priority on any given day. The broader UW community and the Astronomy department's outreach program have access the rest of the time. From 10AM-2PM on Fridays, outreach presenters give free planetarium shows to K-12 school groups. UW groups, such as the Freshman Interest Groups also frequent the planetarium during this timeslot. UW and K-12 groups can request planetarium shows via a form linked off the <a href="http://www.astro.washington.edu/planetarium"> Planetarium Homepage</a>

In addition to these two groups, different departments on campus also occasionally use the planetarium. "Field trips" to the planetarium have been part of Astrobiology, Geology, History of Science, and Physics classes at the UW.

Available Resources

The planetarium occupies a dedicated room in the Physics-Astronomy Building (PAB-A220). Apart from the starball and console, the room is maintained by the Physical Plant as part of the astronomy department general budget. The Minolta MS-8 starball and console were purchased in 1994 as part of the start-up funds that came with the construction of the Physics-Astronomy Building. Yearly maintenance has and will continue to be funded by the Astronomy Department Facilities and Equipment fund, which is partially supplemented by optional donations from the K-12 school groups that visit the planetarium on Fridays. The additional resources we are proposing will come largely from the same vendor that services the planetarium annually, adding minimal costs to the current maintenance budget.

Installation Timeline

If funding looks likely, the vendor will visit our site in late February 2004 while on a trip for a different client. He will inspect the site and recommend any necessary electrical upgrades. If needed, the Physical Plant will complete these during spring 2004 (and paid for by the department). The installation of the new technology would take place over approximately one week during the spring or summer quarter of 2005, depending on the availability of the contractor. All work is expected to be completed by the start of Fall Quarter 2005.

Departmental Endorsement

The Astronomy department takes a strong role in maintaining the unique resource that is the UW planetarium. In addition to monetary support for maintenance, the Astronomy Department has a faculty member dedicated to the planetarium's upkeep (Dr. Toby Smith), another faculty member heavily involved in training presenters and maintaining the department's outreach program (Dr. Ana Larson), and a graduate student who coordinates the planetarium outreach program (Mark Claire).

Below is a statement of support from Dr. Toby Smith:


"One of my roles in the Astronomy department is to maintain and administer the planetarium. I heartedly give my approval to the improvements to the planetarium proposed. In my years in the department, the role of the planetarium, both in and out of the classroom and within and outside the University, has grown considerably. Unfortunately, the planetarium itself has technically lagged behind in its growing role. The proposed improvements to the planetarium will go a long way to increase its role to the University as a whole, and potentially open the resource to a much larger audience than it is currently serving. One particular aspect I am excited about is opening the planetarium to the Astronomy Club as a conduit to the larger University population. The Astronomy club is a group of students (both majors and non-majors) who have an interest in sharing their enthusiasm for astronomy to the larger University community."
 --Dr. Toby Smith, Dept. of Astronomy

Student Endorsement

Here are a few statements of support from students who use the UW planetarium.
 
<ul>
<li> "The Planetarium at the University of Washington is an amazing tool for the entire community. Since it is open to the public and the entire University undergraduate community for shows, it allows interest in astronomy to be explored easily. As a presenter, it has solidified certain astronomical concepts within my mind by teaching them to the community. I have given shows to people ranging from children to adults and everyone has always enjoyed the planetarium and what they learned. Having a new sounds system and
projectors would help me immensely because almost every show I do someone asks me about difficult concepts such as black holes and gravitational lensing. Having a digital projector would allow me to show better diagrams to the audience so they can have a full understanding of the concepts. Also having a sound system would allow for a more interactive show for the younger audiences, holding the children's interest longer and making for a far more exciting show for them." -- Shannon Schmoll, undergraduate 
<li> "The planetarium is unique in that is has the ability to spark an interest in students who may otherwise not even acquaint themselves with the sciences, providing a platform from which to consider pursuing a science major. The current equipment is only able to provide a certain level of interest but with increased technology, the opportunities to delve into topics such as black holes there will be much greater reason to use our planetarium. Don't let technology leave us behind!" -- Sara Vannortwick, undergraduate 
<li> "Access to the planetarium has already enhanced my graduate career in just the first year I have been here at the University of Washington. I've given several planetarium shows to my classes (as a Teaching Assistant) and also to private groups in the community. These shows have helped me to significantly improve my teaching skills by providing practice communicating complex astronomical ideas at a basic level. However, the planetarium could be greatly improved as a resource by updating some of the outdated equipment. For example, a digital projector would be a great help by providing opportunities to extend the experience of a planetarium show beyond discussions of constellations, planetary orbits, and rotations of the stars at different latitudes. Students tend to get very excited and ask a lot of questions about topics such as black holes and other galaxies which cannot currently be covered easily in the planetarium. The ability to show slides and movies would greatly enhance their enjoyment of the planetarium and provide more opportunities for me to improve my teaching and communication skills." -- Amy Kimball, graduate student 
<li> "Volunteering to give planetarium shows has been very helpful in developing my public speaking and presentation skills, which will be very important in my future career. It has also helped me become more familiar with the night
sky, which I find to be valuable knowledge personally because it helps me
relate what I do as an astronomer to looking up at night. The planetarium is the best way I have ever found to become familiar with aspects of astronomy that do not require a telescope. Adding new equipment to the planetarium will allow me to further develop my presentation skills by incorporating more elements into my shows, as the current options available in the planetarium are very limited." -- Stephanie Gogarten, graduate student 
<li> "Access to the UW planetarium has allowed me to practice and develop my ability to communicate the joy of astronomy to the broader public, a skill critical for aspiring professional astronomers. The ability to visualize complex sky motions and beautiful astronomical objects, as the
planetarium allows you to do, is a critical component of the UW astronomy department outreach efforts -- improving the capabilities of the planetarium will improve the experience both for astronomy students giving planetarium talks, as well as for the local off-campus audiences who utilize our outreach efforts." -- Kevin Covey, graduate student 
<li> "Giving planetarium shows has really improved my ability to communicate astronomical concepts to the general public. Giving shows for UW-related groups has also given me a chance to network with people from other departments, which has contributed a lot to my time at the UW. It'd be awesome to get some more modern stuff in the planetarium. It'd make it a lot easier to field people's questions about stuff like the big bang and the theory of relativity. It'd also make it possible for me to share my own research (high energy astronomy) with general audiences, which definitely can't be done with the equipment we've got now." -- Kristine Washburn, graduate student 
</ul>

Items

Below are the items making up the current proposal. The asterisk (*) beside items signify that they were approved by the committee. This however was not implemented correctly for our database before 2005, so earlier years may not show this.

Click an item's title to view details on that item, or show all item details.

	Title	Type	Price	Qty	Subtotal
*	Control/Automation System Core	audio/video-hardware	$12,900.00	1	$12,900.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: ECCS Hercules control card/software ECCS Custom computer ECCS Aquila SMPTE timecode generator ECCS Cygnus Brain Power switcher Panasonic Digital audio deck Racks/cabinets Shipping/installation/training Justification: This equipment makes up the core physical console and hardware necessary to control and manipulate the requested special effects and audio/video components. All items in this category are necessary for the smooth implementation and integration of the project. Additional details on the individual pieces of the system core and all other items listed below are contained within the vendor quote available via http://www.astro.washington.edu/planetarium/stf/quote.pdf Significantly, this line item also contains the full shipping, installation, and travel/lodging costs for the vendor during the few days necessary for all the equipment to be installed, configured, and calibrated.
*	Video System	audio/video-hardware	$56,675.00	1	$56,675.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: 3 Sony VPH-D50HTU CRT-type data video projectors 3 video projector stands/mounts 3 TV One video scaler 3 Pioneer DVD-V5500 DVD decks 3 Kramer video line amps 3 ECCS Virgo switcher/faders 2 ECCS video device controllers 1 ECCS Cygnus control panel Misc. cabling Shipping/installation/training Justification: The cost here is primarily in the CRT digital projectors. These high-end projectors have features that uniquely complement use in planetarium theaters. The lenses have a variable "fish-eye" feature to ensure that projection onto a domed surface looks right. In addition, the CRT's are fully dimmable, and can be configured so that black colors are not projected, allowing the image to co-exist with and appear to "float in" the starfield. The vendor recommends three projectors as being typical for installation into an 8-meter planetarium dome, although if the committee was concerned about the cost, this could be reduced to two projectors, which would reduce the total cost of this line item by approximately 1/3. With three projectors, all audience members would be able to view the projected images without moving from their seats or turning their heads excessively. With only two projectors, approximately 15 percent of the seats in the planetarium might be considered "restricted view" in which participants would have to move from their seats or turn their heads significantly to see the projection, while most participants would have no problem. The three DVD players are needed for ease of access. We propose in a different line item to purchase six DVD special effects discs. These discs contain multiple chapters, which take approximately 1-2 minutes to load into system memory, after which the presenter can bring any one of the multiple effects up instantaneously. As such, it will be difficult to swap DVD's in real time during the show, and the common way of handling this in planetariums is to have multiple DVD players that are loaded before the show. The DVD players cited here are mid-to-upper range commercial units costing approximately $500 each. This particular brand/model is used extensively in planetariums because it allows computer-controlled access via scripting languages and a remote console.
*	Special Effects Control System	audio/video-hardware	$2,725.00	1	$2,725.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: 3 ECCS Duhbe II 4-channel special effect controllers 1 ECCS Cygnus control panel Shipping/installation/training Justification: Necessary equipment to run the special effect projectors from the main console.
*	Special Effects	audio/video-hardware	$12,225.00	1	$12,225.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: SS 230 Bolide - $890 SS 404 Comet Impact Sequence (2 Projector Set) - $2035 SS 221 Curtain Aurora - $830 SS 222 Eclipsing Double Star (2 Projector Set) - $810 SS 231 Meteor Shower - $730 SS 405 Skip Entry Fireball - $830 SS 229 Ylem (4-6 Projectors For ALL Dome effect) - $730/Unit SS DVD Special Effects Video Disks - $895/Disk Justification: There are two main types of special effects we request - standalone astronomical special effect projectors and DVD's with multiple animations included. The DVD's are designed especially for planetarium use and contain approximately 30-40 animations per disc. Each disc costs approximately as much as a single special effects projector, and so provides more "bang for the buck." Some effects however cannot be fully reproduced by a static projector. The effect of a meteor shower or aurora, for example, cannot be realistically rendered in a static rectangular projection. The seven special effects projectors chosen above seem to us to be most suited to a standalone unit rather than what is available on the DVD's. Here are links to the proposed Digital Special Effect Projectors and < href="http://www.skyskan.com/Products/SPFX_discs/cont.html"> Special Effects DVD discs.
*	Constellation Projection System	audio/video-hardware	$2,000.00	1	$2,000.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: 1 Console Controller Machine Mounted Decoder Board 8 Machine Mounted Projectors Justification: The starball simply projects the background stars onto the dome. The ancient Greeks who "connected-the-dots" to form the constellations we still refer to were very imaginative (i.e. what looks like 5 stars in a pentagon to me is really the Greek constellation Auriga - supposedly a "charioteer holding a goat") These "constellation projectors" simply project dramatic outlines over the starfield to aid the less imaginative of us in visualizing the constellations.
*	Sound System	audio/video-hardware	$7,500.00	1	$7,500.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: 1 Alesis 12R mixer 1 CD/cassette deck 2 stereo amps 2, 1/3 octave equalizers 1 powered sub-woofer 4 studio monitor-type speakers Misc. cabling/mounts Shipping/installation/training Justification: The planetarium currently has a sound system similar to the components above, but all the components are 10 years old. Several of the speakers are blown, the subwoofer whines loudly if the mixer isn't set just right, and the tape deck has very loud controls. Sound effects can be a very pleasing part of the planetarium show, but our current system is cranky and old and often goes unused by presenters as a result. A new sound system will be necessary to interface with the new video equipment and project music, special effects, and computer animations.
*	Multi-media library compilation	Other	$855.00	1	$855.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: 10 percent graduate student salary for one quarter Justification: Salary at the Predoctoral Research Assistant I level is $2854 per month as listed on the UW RA Salary Schedule . A 10 percent appointment would compromise $285 a month or $855 over a typical quarter. The salary would be used during the spring or summer quarter of 2005 and would be used to provide dedicated time for a graduate student to compile and configure a library of animation, short movies, music, images, and powerpoint presentations on the planetarium computer, which would then be available for all presenters to use. Once the library was set up, it would be maintained and expanded by the individual presenters. As such, this is a one time cost which would also be used to compile a set of user instructions.
*	Computer	windows-pc	$2,398.32	1	$2,398.32
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: Dell Dimension XPS Gen-4 w/ Pentium4 3.2GHz, 2GB RAM, 15" Flat Panel Display, 160GB Hard Drive, Performance Video, CD-RW/DVD-RW Justification: This computer will be used to hold images, animations, and sounds used for planetarium shows. Currently planetarium presenters have to borrow and setup equipment from other departments to show digital images in the planetarium. This computer, along with the video projectors, would provide permanently installed equipment that greatly enhances planetarium show content. The equipment compromise a "Track B" computer, but with a "Track C" video card and a "Track A" monitor.
*	Production Software	software-operatingsystem	$500.00	1	$500.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: Digidome 4.0 Justification: This is a scripting language which interfaces with the various audio/video/sound components, and allows the user to package together commonly used effects and sequences into an automated set started by the push of a single button.
*	Taxes	tax/shipping	$8,604.49	1	$8,604.49
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - PAB A220 Description: We calculate the Washington State 8.8 percent sales tax on the entire cost. This is an overestimate as the vendors installation costs are self-contained. Justification:
	Production Software/Hardware	audio/video-editing	$1,374.00	1	$1,374.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Auditorium - A220 Description: $900 - Adobe Video Collection Pro 2.5 $474 - Osprey Ease Video Capture Card One of the primary benefits for the trained planetarium users is as a means to gain experience in presenting astronomical concepts. The hardware we have designated for installation will provide the robust backbone needed for such a process. The maximum benefit of this hardware will only be realized if the available video content and tools to manipulate it are both available and easy to use. Our vendor (who has performed many similar planetarium upgrades) has changed their recommendation for our software requirements based on a site visit in April. They had initially recommend the DigiDome software ( allows user to create automated "pushbutton" shows), but now recommend that we purchase the combination of Adobe Video Collection Professional and a Video Capture Card. This combination is much more suited to our style of interactive planetarium shows. With this combination of hardware/software, we will be able to set up compilations of short video clips, animations, slides, and audio clips, which can play in conjunction (via integrated time codes) with the special effects projectors. This allows the presenter to be able to program, in advance, unique sequences specific to their particular show. Once created, any presenter will be able to use the various sequences in their shows, allowing two great value-added scenarios: 1) a dedicated presenter can learn state-of-the-art video production skills and experiment with interactive video-enhanced educational methods and 2) we will be able to provide a selection of tested modular tools and options for a new (and perhaps nervous) planetarium presenter. Justification:
	Software/Hardware Training	Other	$2,750.00	1	$2,750.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Auditorium - A220 Description: This is a new request which covers three days of local training for a a collection of graduate students, undergrads, and faculty members who are interested in producing video materials for the upgraded planetarium. The cost includes travel and lodging for the trainer, Mark Petersen of Loch Ness Productions. According to our vendor, "Mark is one of the planetarium community's most experienced and talented producers of shows and software." This funding would help our UW presenters learn advanced technological skills that go into producing high quality materials, with the entire community benefiting from the resulting professional quality material presented in the upgraded planetarium. As part of the training, we will create high quality modular components for planetarium shows that can be incorporated into the video library, and be accessed by all presenters. Justification:
	Computer	windows-pc	$2,691.00	1	$2,691.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: Our original proposal requested a Track B computer with Track C video card and Track A monitor. In January, we priced a Dell Dimension XPS Gen 4 w/ Pentium4 3.2GHz, 2GB RAM at $2398. In June, we priced a Dell Dimension XPS Gen 5 with dual 3 GHz processors and otherwise similar components for $2691 (includes $55 for shipping) Justification:
	Multi-media library compilation	Other	$920.00	1	$920.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: 10 percent graduate student salary for one quarter. The graduate student targeted to compile the digital library has passed their general exam and is now paid at the PDRA II level, rather than the PDRA I level as calculated in the original proposal. Justification:
*	Special Effects Control System	audio/video-hardware	$3,075.00	1	$3,075.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: 3 ECCS Duhbe II 4-channel special effect controllers 1 ECCS Cygnus control panel Shipping/installation/training Supplemental: Same components, but 3rd party vendor (East Coast Control Systems) price has increased since the January quote Justification:
	Constellation Projection System	audio/video-hardware	$2,500.00	1	$2,500.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Bldg - A220 Description: 1 Console Controller Machine Mounted Decoder Board 8 Machine Mounted Projectors Supplemental: The quote for the custom work by the vendor (MS Services) has increased $500 since the January quote Justification:
	Multi-media library compilation - Produc	software-discipline-specific	$500.00	1	$500.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Auditorium - A220 Description: We would like to re-allocate ~$500 for the purchase of additional professional videos for inclusion into planetarium presentations (in addition to the ~$2000 for the SkySkan disks) These would be for DVD's such as the Alex Fillipenko astronomy course, Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time",or "Powers of Ten" all of which could be shown in their entirety or, more likely, individual clips could be spliced for specific shows. By identification of reconditioned hardware, we believe we can save money on the video and special effect subsystems. We wish to re-allocate these savings into the purchase of pre-mastered content that can be used to maximize our investment into the fantastic hardware upgrade. Justification:
	Video Projector Installation Mounts	audio/video-hardware	$7,240.00	1	$7,240.00
Location: Physics / Astronomy Auditorium - A220 Description: We've determined from an additional site visit from our vendor and the UW Physical Plant that we will need to be clever about installing the new video projectors in the planetarium. They found, after a detailed inspection, that we will need to modify some of the support structure to be able to install the STF-funded video projectors safely. We had a visit from the physical plant before putting the proposal together where they informally estimated "a few hundred bucks" for the projector supports, which our department chair agreed to cover. However, given the budget crisis and the recent end of the biennium fiscal year, he is unable to provide us with the more recent fixed-price contract amount of $7,240 necessary for the project to go forward We are on schedule for the work to begin in August. We have ordered $75K of equipment, and have coordinated the schedules of three contractors to install, calibrate, and train us on the new equipment. But unless we can obtain funding in the very near future to build these support shelves, we will have no place to put the projectors, which would limit us to only using the new sound system and special effects (~$10K of the award). We recognize that this is not a sexy request that will, by itself, support UW students in the way the STF typically seeks to invest. Taken in a broader context, though, this request for an installation cost provides the underpinning of the entire project, and at <7% of the total cost, should be seen as a building block for the goals of the proposal that the committee has already found worthwhile. Thanks for your consideration. Details: The fixed-price quote from Landon Conrad of the UW Physical Plant is available via FS-Works as Work Req# 968840 and Tracking# TN-53118. CAD drawings made by the physical plant in support of this work request are available via http://www.astro.washington.edu/planetarium/stf/planetarium_CAD.pdf Justification:

				Requested Total:	$127,432.81
				Approved Total:	$109,457.81
				Funding Status:	Fully Funded

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I definitely support this proposal. As a senior here at the UW, I’ve been benefiting from the planetarium for the past 3 and a half years and some new equipment would be an immense benefit to the student body.
My first class here at the UW was Astronomy 101 and as part of the course we stopped by the planetarium. I was immediately taken back by the facility and star field that could be created with the current projector. After class that day, I asked my professor if and how I could get access to use the planetarium so I could check out physical properties such as stellar motion, moon phases, and constellations. She referenced me to the Astronomy Outreach program and the planetarium has been enhancing my experience here at UW since.
Access to the planetarium not only has helped me develop a better understanding of our natural world, but through presentations, I’ve improved my public speaking ability and have been able to help instruct others. It has helped me improve my understanding of astronomy by actually being able to sit down and explore topics in class. Lecture can teach a great deal, but being able to sit down and use the planetarium to simulate something like the motion of the planets on your own is extremely useful. Outside of the classroom, I’ve taken many students in to the planetarium to not only teach them some basics of astronomy, but also get them excited about the science.
However the planetarium does have many limitations. In its current form it can only project a star field, planets, the sun and the moon. Adding more equipment would drastically improve the value of the planetarium to the student body. For example, many planetariums are equipped with digital projectors that allow a wider variety of images to be displayed. If equipment such as a new projector, dedicated computer terminal, and a better sound system were added, it would enable students to not only explore things such as the visible night sky, but also see what a solar eclipse looks like, study the details of motion from a position other than the surface of the planet or see the anatomy of a star. This would improve classroom instruction of course, but it would mostly help students improve their understanding of astronomy by actually being able to see and explore our solar system, galaxy and universe in a way currently not possible.

I think this proposal is a great idea. As a fifth year graduate student in the astronomy dept., I have used the planetarium in both teaching and outreach situations. My experience is that adults, students and young children all love visiting the planetarium - most students list it as their favorite activity during quarter-long intro astronomy classes.
This proposal addresses a crucial shortfall in the planetarium setup - I have lots of digital slideshows that I use in other situations that I can't incorporate into a planetarium show. I believe the addition of digital projection capabilities will significantly enhance the planetariums usefulness in teaching.

As a new astronomy graduate student at the UW, i have had the pleasure to use the planetarium to enhance the Astro 101 lab sections. There are many concepts in astronomy which are virtually impossible to understand without looking at a "real" sky and there are certain ideas which can really only be expressed when one has full control over the "night sky". Although the students loved their experience in the planetarium, it was clear to me that the hardware could use a major upgrade.

The planetarium is a terrific, but dated, resource, and deserves to be upgraded. Along with the campus observatory it is the principal way in which the department can teach the general public about astronomy, and it is certainly our most popular teaching tool! This is a great proposal, and I hope it will be approved.

As an astronomy TA, I've had the opportunity to use the planetarium as a teaching resource for my sections. I'd like to say that my students were most interested in my classroom activities, but the truth is that they got the most out of the class when concepts taught in the classroom were tied in with the night sky in the planetarium. The days where class was taught in the planetarium definitely had the most impact on the students and were some of the most productive parts of the intro astronomy courses. The equipment in this facility is certainly dated, however, and although it is a very useful teaching tool, it can be greatly improved.

The UW Astronomy Department is greatly enhanced by the wonderful Planetarium. As a graduate teaching assistant in the department, I have used the planetarium extensively and believe it is a valuable education and outreach tool. As such, the planetarium needs to be kept in good working order and even enhanced so that it's great educational strengths are backed by both technology and the department's human expertise.

As the instructor for the course that trains undergraduate students on the use of the planetarium -- both the equipment and the presentations -- I've been in the unique position to see dozens of students start out as cautious, fumbling trainees and end up as confident, outgoing teachers. But, there is just so much that anyone can do with white dots on a domed-ceiling! The slide projectors fail in that to have the audience's eyes dark adapted and then to turn on a slide results in painful eyeballs. The undergraduates being trained don't have a sophisticated enough background knowledge to fully explain such abstract concepts as black holes, the rotation of a galaxy, what an upcoming meteor shower will look like, etc. But, they could set the stage and then use the new digital equipment to take their audience to the next level of understanding and comprehension. The Student Tech Fee is about giving students an experience they would not normally get from a classroom, and I cannot think of anywhere else that this kind of experience could possibly be had! [Note: although the Pacific Science Center does have a planetarium, the employees are the only ones who can use it.] If funded, this proposal will definitely add to the planetarium operator's experience, knowledge, and ability to deal with multiple aspects of technology at the same time.
--Ana Larson, Lecturer--

The planetarium is an extremely valuable resource for explaining the night sky to students and the community at large. For many people, it is the most "stars" they have ever seen, and being able to explore the night sky is an experience that will not be forgotten.

The major importance of the UW planetarium is its ability to impact such a large audience. ANY group of students or public group has access to a free educational show. As such, we have a responsibility to ensure that the education is top quality. The planetarium needs to be brought into the 21st century, not only to enhance the enjoyment of the viewers, but to prepare the presenters for explaining cutting edge astronomy to the public and to use the latest technology.

As a fourth year grad student in the middle of working on my thesis concerning the formation of galaxies, I look forward to the prospect of digital projectors permanently housed in the planetarium so that I can examine the details of my most recent simulation. This will also enable the movies that we create from our simulations to be writ large on the planetarium screen so that others may gain insight into the processes that define how galaxies, stars and solar systems are formed. As simulations are a specialty of the UW astronomy department, it only seems right that the planetarium should be able to display our latest results in a beautiful format.

Planetariums have been a wonderful tool for astronomy outreach for generations -- but in the last 10 years we have seen a huge increase in beautiful digital images from Hubble and other telescopes. Although the planetarium is the basis and center of outreach the ability to show people amazing images of galaxies, nebula, and new views from the surface of planets is essential. the pllanetarium will remain relevant to the public and our outreach efforts when we can combine the star fields and planetary motions it reveals with detailed pictures and videos from the latest research.

I am a FIG leader and my FIG saw a show at the planetarium. It was amazing to see what a great resource we have here on campus. The FIG consists mostly of music students, but they all seemed very interested in the planetarium facility. I think the planetarium really helped them to diversify their interests and to work towards a well-rounded college education. With more advanced technology, I think the educational value of the planetarium would increase exponentially.

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