South Downs Planetarium and Science Centre: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
Lucythebud (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
{{unreferenced|date=June 2011}} |
{{unreferenced|date=June 2011}} |
||
}} |
}} |
||
[[File:SDPT Opening 05 04 2002.jpg|thumb|Opening of the South Downs Planetarium with Sir Martin Rees and Sir Patrick Moore]] |
|||
The '''South Downs Planetarium''' is a 100 seat [[planetarium]] located in [[Chichester]], West Sussex and is entirely volunteer run. The planetarium project was started in 1992 by members of the South Downs Astronomical Society, who aimed to set up a Centre to promote astronomy and science on the south coast of England. In 1994 West Sussex County Council made available a plot of land and a barn which after subsequent rebuilding formed the main planetarium building. Simultaneously a Viewlex-Minolta IIb projector was retired by the [[Armagh Planetarium]] and acquired for the South Downs Planetarium. After a seven-year fundraising campaign, led by the project’s patron [[Sir Patrick Moore]], the star theatre was completed and the planetarium opened in June 2001 and was inaugurated by the Astronomer Royal in 2002. |
The '''South Downs Planetarium''' is a 100 seat [[planetarium]] located in [[Chichester]], West Sussex and is entirely volunteer run. The planetarium project was started in 1992 by members of the South Downs Astronomical Society, who aimed to set up a Centre to promote astronomy and science on the south coast of England. In 1994 West Sussex County Council made available a plot of land and a barn which after subsequent rebuilding formed the main planetarium building. Simultaneously a Viewlex-Minolta IIb projector was retired by the [[Armagh Planetarium]] and acquired for the South Downs Planetarium. After a seven-year fundraising campaign, led by the project’s patron [[Sir Patrick Moore]], the star theatre was completed and the planetarium opened in June 2001 and was inaugurated by the Astronomer Royal in 2002. |
||
Revision as of 09:40, 19 June 2014
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
The South Downs Planetarium is a 100 seat planetarium located in Chichester, West Sussex and is entirely volunteer run. The planetarium project was started in 1992 by members of the South Downs Astronomical Society, who aimed to set up a Centre to promote astronomy and science on the south coast of England. In 1994 West Sussex County Council made available a plot of land and a barn which after subsequent rebuilding formed the main planetarium building. Simultaneously a Viewlex-Minolta IIb projector was retired by the Armagh Planetarium and acquired for the South Downs Planetarium. After a seven-year fundraising campaign, led by the project’s patron Sir Patrick Moore, the star theatre was completed and the planetarium opened in June 2001 and was inaugurated by the Astronomer Royal in 2002.
Facilities
In addition to presentations in the star theatre, there is a learning centre featuring NASA videos, a meteorite display and other children’s activities. The Planetarium operates throughout the year, but is not open every day. Members of the public are welcome to visit the Planetarium at the show times listed on their website. The planetarium places a focus on learning and is available for educational visits, given by an experienced lecturer. It is available for private hire and is close to both the A27 and railway station.
Staff
The Principal Lecturer at the South Downs Planetarium and Science Centre in Chichester is Dr John Mason MBE. An applied physicist by profession, he has been actively involved in science for over 30 years, with astronomy, astrophysics and space technology as his main areas of expertise. He was a Visiting Lecturer at Imperial College, London until 1986, and has lectured at several colleges within the University of London. He has presented on the long-running BBC TV series The Sky at Night.