What do you see while looking at the starry arch? Some just watch bright spots; others see how in wide open cosmic space Small Prince is laughing or real Star War takes place. Anyway, night sky sphere has been charming people for ages with its infinity and inaccessibility, making them feel tiny creatures who know about it so little…
Thanks to modern inventions space isn’t as inaccessible as it used to be: every of us can have a chance to reach stellar depth, examine planets of Solar System or estimate how many asteroids ram into atmosphere every day, burning fully in it. Moreover, one can enquire what is exactly happening far above the air and predict which things will be moving there after millions of years. To cut the long story short, thousands of answers on thousands of cosmic questions you can get in observatories or planetariums.
19 of March is an International planetarium day, what purposefully happens in the same day with closest week to the day of vernal equinox. In particular planetariums help to promote astronomic knowledge, because space is an incredible, full of puzzles, risk and … harshness!
Zhytomyr is a cosmic city, that’s why it’s completely logical that one and only school #8 in Ukraine has its own observatory with transportable telescope and planetarium for examining stars’ projection. Nowadays pupils can see something what is impossible to see with naked eye: the smallest abruptness on the Moon’s surface, Saturn rings, stellar complexes and dozens of other cosmic objects. After all, telescope in school’s observatory may have a zoom more than 3000 units!
There used to be only a roof where there is a construction of planetarium together with observatory’s dome. Onsite of former roof nowadays there is a computer class with interactive board which is connected to telescope by fiber optics connection. That’s why information from telescope can be received not only by those who are close to orifice but also all present pupils in a room. Assisted by web-cameras teachers can even monitor a class which is located downstairs. Of course, XXI century!
Teachers are fascinated by stellar landscapes here, make the best photos themselves and stream it while having a lesson. There is a need in clear visibility of night sky in a good weather for such records, so under such conditions they rush to observatory at about 10 pm for making new out of ordinary notes of cosmic spaces.
Seeing real starts for children is like a meeting with unknown, kids even squeak with pleasure, say “wow” with excitement, observe interesting things with acute fascination and take selfies next to every possible background here.
Just imagine: there are more than 10 000 constellations in telescope’s program and over 40 000 various objects! There is only a need to type in search line one of them and telescope will install and find a desirable cosmic object. Not only telescope turns and rotates but an observatory’s dome is also dynamic. Pressing one button, its rotation can make everybody amazed (of course, a ceiling is moving above your head!). After watching a dome’s movement and huge mirror like telescope which is located under it, so adults go crazy with an excitement as well.
Having been built around the dome a balcony, there is a possibility of seeing Zhytomyr in full view – 360 degrees panorama. It’s really breathtaking! One mere disadvantage for pupils is that from the balcony teachers can see who misses lessons or trample the lawn while having a break.
There is also a smaller telescope in an observatory, the same as the one used by Adriano Celentano, who was peeping his wife in “The Taming of a Shrew” movie.
There is only one thing needed for the full-fledged planetarium and it’s a dome where locations of stars can be reflected. Despite appearing the special dome and a projector soon, now the projector reflects beautiful pictures on the walls, which cannot be left without attention of visitors.
Some astro-like hero said: “If you can’t go into space, do everything possible for space to come to you.” These are things which are implemented in common Zhytomyr school, when they share love to astronomy, pass exclusive knowledge and experience on. Passionate glance which pupils have after small travels into cosmic spaces deserve a special notice!
Who knows, maybe within some years unbelievable astronomic discoveries may become must have of nowadays Zhytomyr pupils. Current visitors of planetariums will definitely represent our cosmic city!
Translated by Aliona Matushevich
