CHAPTER 2 – PLANETARIA

Planetaria are immersive environments that are ideal for scientific visualization. In many ways planetaria are some of the most visible outlets for scientific visualization, but they have been underutilized by NASA in recent years.

The State of the Field

The planetarium field is one in transition. Older technologies are falling by the wayside, while newer technologies coming into play are not yet widespread. For example, we know in the U.S. there are at least 1,478 planetarium domes (both permanent and portable). Yet only 59 of these have full dome video capabilities.

Resources & Limitations

Most planetaria are still “classic” theaters utilizing slide projectors, optical/mechanical star projectors and CRT or LCD video projectors. Planetaria often have a single staff member who performs many tasks.

Visualizations distributed by NASA should be produced for both full dome systems as well as classic planetaria. Some planetarium producers want digital models, maps and textures so they can adapt visualizations to their specific theater. Others do not have the staff time to produce their own and need ready-to-play videos or clips that can be incorporated into programs. In some cases these materials exist but users are unaware of them. A more centralized source for materials is needed.

The Mars Visualization Alliance is a good model for dissemination of materials, but access needs to be easier.

Planetaria have been generally underutilized for distribution of scientific information.