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November 18, 2006
Look Up!
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| The Kiwanis
Chico Community Observatory opened its new outdoor
amphitheater (dubbed the Shoemaker Open Sky Planetarium) yesterday with the help of dignitary Carolyn
Spellman Shoemaker(shown above untying the ribbon to
the new planetarium, with observatory operator Kris Koenig in the brown coat).
Along with her late husband Gene, Carolyn is a world renowned astronomer
and comet hunter. About 150 people were in attendance including Maureen
Kirk, Andy Holcombe, and Dennis Beardsley. Kris Koenig and Anita Berkow, with the help of many others, have taken a tiny patch of land adjacent to Horseshoe Lake in upper Bidwell Park, and turned it into a cultural and science center for our community. The observatory drew in 50,000 visitors last year, and exposed many Chicoans to the stars that hang overhead. The observatory has sponsored a number of lectures, my favorite being one about whether or not aliens we're real. The new planetarium is designed for people to sit in a reclined position viewing the stars while observatory personnel can point out constellations using laser pointers. I experienced this lesson at an observatory halloween costume party in '05 and it was super cool. Anthony Watts also helped the observatory connect one of its telescopes to a TV transmitter. Now people sitting in the amphitheater can watch objects pointed to by the telescope on a hand-held display. This allows 40-50 people to look through the telescope at the same time. A local doctor donated the money to purchase the tiny viewing sets. Additional donations to enhance the observatory are encouraged. |
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Posted by Lon at November 18, 2006 10:14 AM