Help build Minnesota's gateway to the stars! This February, the State Legislature will consider a $30 million bonding request to fund the Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center. If they approve it, Minnesota will build a world-class planetarium where visitors can tour the Orion Nebula as new stars are being born, walk on the surface of Mars, and access the same telescopes that today's astronomers use to explore the Universe. If they reject it, Minnesota will become one of only five states without a modern, large public planetarium.
Here's what you can do to help: 1. Contact your State Legislators and the Governor by phone, mail or e-mail asking them to support the Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center. Tell them, in your own words, why you believe a new Planetarium is vital to the education of our children. *If you can, e-mail your message to all 35 members of the House and Senate Capital Investment Committee (see www.mplanetarium.org/planet_Help.html for addresses). *Please copy all correspondence to Minneapolis Planetarium Director Bob Bonadurer ([EMAIL PROTECTED]; 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401; (612) 630-6151). *Please follow all contact by calling your Legislators' aides to repeat your request and ask if a decision has been made to support the new Planetarium. 2. Forward this message to your friends, family and colleagues ***across Minnesota*** who care about science education, stargazing, and the beauty of our night skies. To find your Representative's name and contact information, call (800) 657-3550; to find your Senator's, call (888) 234-1112. This information is also available at www2.pioneerplanet.com/precinct/. Personal contact matters. Calls and letters persuaded the Legislature to grant this project $1 million in 2000 for research and design. Now they need to hear from us again. The future of Minnesota's gateway to the stars will be decided in a matter of weeks! The following FAQs provide additional background on the project. If you would like more, please contact me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 630-6172. * What is the Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center? The Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center will replace the Minneapolis Planetarium, which is scheduled for demolition next fall. Combining state-of-the-art technology, hands-on learning and a staff of astronomy educators, the Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center will take visitors on an educational adventure to the far reaches of space. Students and families will return to Earth transformed by the immensity and beauty of our Universe. The Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center will provide a much needed venue for expanding and developing Minnesota's inquisitive minds. The heart of the facility will be a 250-seat theater capable of replicating a night sky lit by more than 9,000 stars. The starfield will be so realistic that audiences can use binoculars to spot faint nebulas, star clusters, and galaxies. A full-dome immersive video projection system utilizing stunning 3-D digital images will dramatically recreate the sensation of space travel. The planetarium will be among the largest and most sophisticated theaters in the world. The planetarium will be enhanced by the "North Star Observatory," where individuals and school groups can access images from orbiting satellites and live telescopes around the world. This unique resource will allow visitors to witness the same real images being studied by today's astronomers. Workstations throughout the Observatory will engage visitors in experiments that bring astronomical discoveries to life. The "Space Exposition Hall" will feature traveling exhibits on topics ranging from the Cassini mission to probe Saturn's Moon Titan to the latest global warming research. In addition, "virtual environments," such as a Holodeck that utilizes 3D video projectors to transform an empty room into the surface of Mars of the Moon, will allow visitors experience space directly. * How will Minnesotans benefit from the Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center? The greatest impact will be to inspire Minnesota's students and to greatly improve their science education through the Planetarium's unique, experiential learning opportunities. At the Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center, students will have access to state-of-the-art resources that would not otherwise be available to them, including 3D visualizations of the latest NASA research and connections to remote telescopes and satellites. In addition, we will work with teachers to integrate space science into their classroom curricula. Inquisitive Minnesotan's of all ages will have the opportunity, without traveling to Chicago or New York, to explore the latest advances in our studies of the Universe and Earth's place in it. Not only is the technology unique, the basic experience of a vivid night sky is becoming increasingly rare. Light pollution, which was once confined to urban centers, has spread so far beyond our cities that most of us rarely see a night sky filled with stars. In addition to offering the best in technology and education, the Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center will help us reconnect with the night sky and the broader Universe. * What happens if the State does NOT fund the project? Without state funding, there will be no Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center. * What are the national trends for planetariums, and how would the Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center fit into the mix? There are nearly 1,500 planetariums in the United States. Most (73%) are small, seating 50-80 people, and were built in the 1960s and early 1970s. "Second tier" planetariums, seating 80-200 people and integrating more sophisticated projection capabilities, comprise 25% of all planetariums. These are found mostly in metro areas and are usually part of a science/natural history museum or college. These have flourished recently with 38 new "second tier" planetariums being built or remodeled within the last 10 years. There are 30 "first tier" planetariums, seating 200 or more. Like second tier planetariums, these big space theaters have seen a resurgence. By 2004, 18 will have been built or remodeled since 1990. Currently, the Minneapolis Planetarium (built in 1961) ranks as one of the oldest second tier planetariums. Of the top 20 metro areas in the nation, only Seattle has a smaller public planetarium. The Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center will rank as one of the top ten planetariums in America in terms of dome size and technical sophistication. * How will the new planetarium be different from New York and Chicago? The Minnesota Planetarium & Space Discovery Center will be smaller in total square footage for exhibits, production and administrative areas. However, our planetarium theater (i.e., dome) will be comparable in size and function to Chicago and New York. The new theater will utilize the latest in star projection technology and full dome immersive video. Thanks for your help! Generations to come will benefit from the investment we make today! Colin Hamilton Executive Director Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library 612/630-6172 612/630-6180 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
