high sky videos
Nehru Planetarium will have all-sky videos
MUMBAI, June 22/2003:
The Nehru Planetarium at Worli here will soon have new digital equipments in place making education in astronomy more thrilling, its Director Dr Piyush Pandey said today.
"We are in the midst of the installation of the new equipment," he said. The equipments had been designed and made by Evans and Sutherland of America and will be the first of its kind in the country.
Dr Pandey revealed this to UNI at the sidelines of the three-day second International Conference for Science Communicators, that concluded at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre here today.
He said that the equipment is capable of running all sky videos and is more advanced than the conventional equipments. However, he said that education in astronomy will be the focus of the planetarium.
Earlier presenting a paper at a discussion on ‘astronomy education through planetaria’, he said that soon there may be a new generation of planetarium that will have a dome and seats with no equipment in sight.
"One day you will find a person standing with a small device in his hand. Once everybody is seated, he will press the button and the audience will be immersed in universe - literally," he said.
Dr Pandey adds, "If no other follow-up activity takes place in such planetaria of future, and such planateria do not take place of the old ones and this becomes the norm then this will be the death of education in astronomy through planetaria."
Dr Pandey said that a new trend has been noticed with the arrival of new equipment in India.
"There is nothing wrong with new equipment. It has more features and striking panoramas compared to the type that populated and dominated the scene earlier," he said pointing out that the programmes had to be more educative.
"The bad part comes when the programme gets over and you wish to ask some questions to someone. You find yourself face-to-face with a button pusher. He does not know astronomy," he said.
Another aspect that is unique to Indian planetaria is that we live in splendid isolation. "There is no interaction, there are no confederations or associations of Indian planetaria," he said.
Dr Pandey, who has the experience of working with several planetarium across the country, said that there are 26 planetaria across the country. The last one was inaugurated at Lucknow in the month of may this year and within the next three years, the total may go upto 30. (UNI)
MUMBAI, June 22/2003:
The Nehru Planetarium at Worli here will soon have new digital equipments in place making education in astronomy more thrilling, its Director Dr Piyush Pandey said today.
"We are in the midst of the installation of the new equipment," he said. The equipments had been designed and made by Evans and Sutherland of America and will be the first of its kind in the country.
Dr Pandey revealed this to UNI at the sidelines of the three-day second International Conference for Science Communicators, that concluded at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre here today.
He said that the equipment is capable of running all sky videos and is more advanced than the conventional equipments. However, he said that education in astronomy will be the focus of the planetarium.
Earlier presenting a paper at a discussion on ‘astronomy education through planetaria’, he said that soon there may be a new generation of planetarium that will have a dome and seats with no equipment in sight.
"One day you will find a person standing with a small device in his hand. Once everybody is seated, he will press the button and the audience will be immersed in universe - literally," he said.
Dr Pandey adds, "If no other follow-up activity takes place in such planetaria of future, and such planateria do not take place of the old ones and this becomes the norm then this will be the death of education in astronomy through planetaria."
Dr Pandey said that a new trend has been noticed with the arrival of new equipment in India.
"There is nothing wrong with new equipment. It has more features and striking panoramas compared to the type that populated and dominated the scene earlier," he said pointing out that the programmes had to be more educative.
"The bad part comes when the programme gets over and you wish to ask some questions to someone. You find yourself face-to-face with a button pusher. He does not know astronomy," he said.
Another aspect that is unique to Indian planetaria is that we live in splendid isolation. "There is no interaction, there are no confederations or associations of Indian planetaria," he said.
Dr Pandey, who has the experience of working with several planetarium across the country, said that there are 26 planetaria across the country. The last one was inaugurated at Lucknow in the month of may this year and within the next three years, the total may go upto 30. (UNI)
Comments