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BACK 40: The sky inside
Published
10 years agoon
By J. Eric Loberg Taylor Planetarium Director, Museum of the Rockies
What is a planetarium? Some people have never been inside one of these dome-covered rooms. Whenever I’m asked, I bring the person inside to look around at a place you have to see to really understand. When visitors walk under the Taylor Planetarium’s 40-foot dome at the Museum of the Rockies, they feel the need to sit and see what happens.
If you’ve been in a planetarium before, you probably remember seeing the sky in the comfort of the great indoors. This isn’t a replacement for the night sky, but a planetarium is the best way to learn the cosmos without worrying about a cold or cloudy night. At the Taylor, the skies move through the evening and through the seasons, filling in shapes and stories of the constellations.
A major remodel of the planetarium was completed in spring 2013, and a new digital theater was added. This allows us to bring in new shows from all over the world, and build incredible live night-sky expositions that visitors a view usually reserved for the great outdoors.
The technology jump was not a small one. We replaced old lighting with colorful LED’s, the audio system with new 5.1 surround sound (in the dome, it seems to come from every direction), and added blue and gold seats. But once the lights go down you’ll really notice the difference.
Nine computers run projections in “True 4K” displaying 4,000 pixels across our screen both side to side and front to back. Most movie theaters project that resolution side to side; it’s the resolution of your next TV in five years or so. Two projectors give a gentle overlap, allowing us to fill the entire screen with high-resolution imagery.
One computer runs the operator’s console, the other eight run portions of the screen. The computers each have high-end video and sync cards, which keep the entire rack synchronized. These computers each put out 1080p, merging eight HD screens together as a dome-shaped image.
Is your chair moving? No, but it will feel like it is as full-color imagery fills the 180-degree view above you. Images are projected at 60 frames per second so the audience gets a smooth ride to prevent motion sickness. This new technology puts the audience “in” the action. We can’t fly video cameras into the sun, black holes, or volcano vents, but we can animate these objects and orient them around your viewpoint.
Another common question I get is, “Was the picture 3D?” In the planetarium industry we call this an immersive environment, putting viewers in the middle of the scene, like 3D but without glasses. Phone applications can identify constellations, but it just isn’t the same as seeing the sky move around you. The Taylor’s live night-sky shows include a flight segment that feels like you’re on a spaceship moving amid the stars.
I first walked into the Taylor Planetarium shortly after it opened in 1990. This latest upgrade makes me feel like a kid again – the planetarium is so different, new, and amazing. Come and see our sky inside MOR, and get ready for a ride from the comfort of your chair!
Eric Loberg started at the Taylor Planetarium as a Montana State University student in 1997, using the original Digistar 1. He is now the Taylor Planetarium Director, and has overseen the recent conversion to Digistar 5. Visit museumoftherockies.org for current shows and times in the Taylor Planetarium.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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