NASA Exhibit
W.A. Gayle Planetarium
April 14-18 2006
(Call planetarium for hours of operation)
Purpose of the Exhibit
The Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) Experience trailer exhibit is a fun way to inform people of NASA’s plans for space exploration for the next 25 years and about the many ways the space program has benefited life on earth. Visitors enter at no charge and receive a free “moon” or “Mars” souvenir photo to commemorate their experience.
Description of the Exhibit
When visitors enter the Vision for Space Exploration trailer, their first stop is a cosmic waiting area where visitors will learn what they'll need to travel to the moon and Mars. After the "training session," holographic video screens display floating 3-D models of the moon and Mars, allowing visitors to control their destination and learn even more about their surfaces, the history of NASA's research on each, and future plans for exploration. The second section of the trailer includes a hexagonal, three-dimensional theater featuring a five-screen presentation on the Vision for Space Exploration. Its interior becomes a seamless floor-to-wall-to-ceiling window for a journey to otherworldly destinations. "Explorers" see themselves in space to fully experience environments in other parts of our solar system, and then have the opportunity to virtually walk on the surfaces of the moon and Mars before returning to Earth's environment.
Dimensions and Other Facts about the Exhibit
Length when hooked up to tractor: 72’
Length without trailer: 57 feet (this is because of the way the generator sits)
Weight: 80,000 lbs
Height: 13’6”
Traveling dimensions 72 feet by 8’6”
Width when set up: 28’6”
Minimum space needed: 80X30
Power: The display uses 200 amps of 240 Volt, single phase power.
Upcoming Planetarium Events
Astronomy Day: April 15 2006
9th Annual Astronomy Day Event
FREE
Tentative Agenda
3:00 PM - Solar viewing
Public Viewing of the Sun through Solar Scopes provided by the Planetarium and Auburn Astronomical Society..
5:00 PM - Telescope Clinic
Members from the Auburn Astronomical Society will host a telescope clinic to answer questions about different types of telescopes. If you have a telescope that you need assistance with, you are encouraged to bring it to this event.
6:00 PM - Mitzi Adams
6:45 PM -- Remarks from Auburn Astronomical Society President (Dr. Rhon Jenkins)
7:00 PM - "Tour of the Night Sky"
The Spitz STP projector in the auditorium will be set to display the stars as seen from Montgomery Alabama on April 16th, 2005. A brief tour of the night sky will be conducted to point out the constellations visible .
8:00 PM - Telescopic celestial viewing
The Auburn Astronomical Society (AAS) has agreed to support this event by once again bringing out telescopes for the public to view the wonders of the night sky.
Agenda