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The Planetarium at 100: Moving the Field Into Its Next Century

Session: 9D: 10-Minute Orals (4)

9D-2 - Planetarium Pilots: Visitors Take the Helm in the Dome

Friday, August 23, 2024

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM US PDT

Lead Presenter(s)

Ellen T. Thompson (she/they)

Planetarium Specialist
The Lawrence Hall of Science
Berkeley, California, United States

Co-Presenter(s)

Alan D. Gould

The Lawrence Hall of Science
Berkeley, California, United States
Mary Holt (she/her/hers)

Lawrence Hall of Scence
Berkeley, California, United States
Bryan Mendez (he/him/his)

Planetarium Director
University of California at Berkeley
El Sobrante, California, United States

Abstract: Planetarium Pilots is a new visitor experience at The Lawrence Hall of Science. We’ve created a touch screen interface in our dome that allows visitors to select and fly to destinations of their choosing throughout the Universe. This free-choice learning experience is available to visitors during the periods between scheduled programs. Pre-recorded audio narration and on-screen prompts guide visitors in their exploration. The exhibit is a continual work in progress. In our first version of the experience, the Solar System is filled out the most, with more general information available on the Galaxy and Universe. Future development plans include visits to exoplanets, nebulae, and black holes, along with the ability to land on Earth and view the sky from any location and time. The project grew out of the desire to take participatory experiences in the planetarium to a new level, where the visitor follows their own interests.