Astronomy Conversations & Guided Tours of the Universe: A Partnership Between University of Chicago & Adler Planetarium Abstract:

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1 Astronomy Conversations & Guided Tours of the Universe: A Partnership Between University of Chicago & Adler Planetarium Randall H. Landsberg Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics 5640 South Ellis Ave. Chicago, IL randy@oddjob.uchicago.edu Abstract: This program brings research scientists and their data into a format and setting where the public can share in the excitement of discovery. Learn how Chicago researchers are using multimedia technology (e.g., 3D displays and ultra high-resolution tile displays) at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museumʼs Space Visualization Lab (SVL) to interactively explore forefront research with small groups, and how this might be extended to your home institution. Astronomy Conversations Overview Astronomy Conversations are an attempt to make current astrophysical and cosmological research accessible and exciting. This is done by bringing researchers to a location where the public can be found, the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum; and by using visual tools to make complex and evolving research something that can be easily experienced by all museum visitors. The heart of Astronomy Conversations is an ongoing collaboration between the KICP and the Adler. Hallmarks of this program include the use of real data, providing virtual visits to remote observatory sites (e.g., the South Pole), and involving active researchers in dialogues with the public. Program Goals To Use Viz Tools to Make Science Accessible to the Public To Present Current Research to the Adler & Beyond To Improve Researcher Communications Skills To Expand Broadly Disseminate these Efforts via Other Media (e.g., digital domes, undergraduate instruction and Web 2.0 applications) 1

2 Academic Partner - Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (KICP) The Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics is a National Science Foundation, Physics Frontier Center, and as a result of the support of the Kavli Foundation a permanently endowed institute at the University of Chicago (see KICP is primarily a research institution dedicated to answering fundamental questions about the nature and evolution of the universe. In addition to its research mission, KICP supports a wide range of education and outreach efforts that seek to bring current science and an understanding of the process of science to the public and to enrich the scientific community via diversity. The majority of resources and efforts are concentrated in three Signature Programs: Space Explorers a multi-year commitment to inner-city middle and high school students Cosmology Short Courses three day intensive short courses for formal and informal educators Museum Partnerships a variety of programming in collaboration with museums and planetaria that seek to increase public interest and excitement in current research science The Astronomy Conversations program fits under the umbrella of the Museum Partnerships program which emphasizes the use of electronic media. For more information on KICPʼs Education & Outreach programs see: Museum Partner/Venue Adler Planetarium Space Visualization Lab (SVL) The Adler Planetarium is world renown as a planetarium, it is less famous for, but equally impressive as an astronomy museum/science center. A spectacular recent addition to the museum is the Space Visualization Lab (SVL). The Space Visualization Lab (SVL) is both a working laboratory and a gallery for the public. This combination makes it uniquely suited for collaborating with research scientists on ways to present current science to the public. The SVL is outfitted with impressive hardware, accompanying software, and most importantly expert staff who understand the science, the scientists, how to visualize science and museum visitors. The KICP Astronomy Conversations take place in this incredible multimedia laboratory. See SVL Tools Currently Include: Ultra High Resolution Tiled Display (3x5 monitors) Stereoscopic (3D) Displays Wall & Auto-Stereoscopic Collaborative Devices Immersive Displays (e.g., large field of view) Astronomy Conversations Background The key to this program is a strong longstanding and productive partnership between the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum and the KICP. Adler and KICP collaborate on all types of projects from exhibits to short courses to science workshops to full dome productions. The Astronomy Conversations program is a natural extension of this and other earlier work. The roots of the Astronomy Conversations program stretch back many years and precede both KICP and the SVL itself. Earlier efforts include South Pole travel logs (e.g., 2

3 remote connections/distance learning (Landsberg 1998), 3D/side-by-side stereo photography and the ground breaking visualization efforts of the Cosmus group see (Landsberg 2005, 2004a, 2004b & Andrews 2004). Astronomy Conversations builds on this longstanding interest in allowing the public to experience cutting edge research: both the environment where the research is done (especially exotic ones) and the results of such research. Only recently has technology advanced and become affordable enough to make immersing the public in research data and research environments truly feasible. It is important to note that technology capable of immersing visitors in current research is now truly accessible and affordable for all size institutions. A visualization lab enhances the visitor experience but impressive results can be had with very basic equipment e.g., computer and a monitor or projector. In addition to the technology, two other factors have aligned to amplify this inaugural year of Astronomy Conversations: International Year of Astronomy (IYA) th Anniversary of the Telescope Science Chicago a year-long city-wide science festival (see The Astronomy Conversations Program Dialogues between researchers and the museum visitors that utilize visual resources to engage the public in current research topics form the core of this program. These conversations typically last between 20 minutes and a half hour. They take place at designated times when the SVL is open as a gallery, typically 2-3PM. They are not ticked events, but due to the size of the space they are limited to small groups of 30 or less. The audience is fluid as visitors may choose to join or leave the conversation at any time and consequently the presenter must adapt to changing conditions vs. giving a prepared lecture. The presenters are astronomers, astrophysicists and cosmologists recruited from the KICP and the broader Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. Currently twenty-one (21) individuals have volunteered and they are a mix of senior people, post-docs and graduate students. The KICP supports associated volunteer costs for this program such as transportation/parking. Both Adler and KICP help to prepare the volunteers. Training includes standard Adler volunteer training, as well as specialize training for the SVL and one-on-one consultations. Scheduling is done via a wiki where volunteers can select times that best fit their schedules. Additionally, quarterly sessions are organized to work with the volunteers as a collective group. These sociable events typically coincide with the Adlerʼs Far Out Friday programming and involve a presentation by one of the volunteers to his/her peers. Volunteers are encouraged to present on a broad range of topics and to think not only of their expertise but also of what the public would find interesting. Current Astronomy Conversation Topics Accelerating Expansion of the Universe Dark Energy Building a the South Pole Milky Way 101 Distances & Scales + Recent Advances in Determining Distances to Neutral Gas Clouds Large Scale Structure (LSS) & Galaxy Clusters with a Flight Thru the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) 3

4 Afterlives of Massive Stars South Pole Telescope Overview High Energy Messenger Particles from Space Traveling to South Pole Evolving Universe - Galactic Cannibalism etc. Special Tours of the Universe In conjunction with Science Chicagoʼs Science Saturday Program, KICP has organized special tours of the universe. These tours will be extended Astronomy Conversations that last approximately two hours. They will be ticketed events that provide participants with a behind the scenes view of modern research. Guided Tours of the Universe include: Jan 17 Big Questions/Big Glass Chen & Gladders Jan 17 Viewing the Universe from the Bottom of the World Pryke April 18 South Pole Telescope (SPT) Carlstrom & Meyer Additionally, KICP will participate in the Adlerʼs So You Want to Be an Astronomer Day on February 21, KICP representatives will include Paolo Privitera who will talk about the Pierre Auger Observatory. ( Other Outlets & How Your Institution Can Participate The overarching goal of the Astronomy Conversations program is share the excitement of current research. An underlying goal of the program is to improve the communications skills of those involved. The feedback offered by live audiences will help to hone presentations skills, and it will also help people to hone their stories and to assess what is and isnʼt important/interesting to the public. Once narrative arcs have been refined by in situ formative evaluation at the SVL, the plan is to broadly disseminate these science stories. Potential outlets range from simply posting PowerPoint versions on the web, to podcasts, to video podcasts, to creating HD videos, to authoring narrated tours in World Wide Telescope, to creating KML programmed experiences in Google Sky, to presenting at other institutions, to full dome visualizations. The exact ways that the Astronomy Conversations will be published is uncertain, as there are many different types of research stories being told. Regardless of the format, a goal of the program is disseminate this content as broadly as possible; and so every effort will be made to share it. Two ways that planetaria and museums can participate are 1) to let the KICP know of your interest (note: current plans are to post Astronomy Conversations and other multimedia content on the KICP website), and 2) to attend the next KICP Cosmology Short Course where adapted Astronomy Conversations will be. The Astronomy Conversations program directly connects forefront research and researchers with the broader public. Although Adler has an exceptional visualization lab and the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (KICP) has a large stock of research scientists, most any institution has the raw ingredients on hand to attempt a similar program. Scientists can travel and there is currently a wealth of data, visuals and software applications (e.g., World Wide Telescope and Google Sky) available on the web. So join us in Chicago for an Astronomy Conversation or start your own. 4

5 Citations Landsberg, R.H. ``The Visualization of Astrophysical Data: Bringing Together Science, Art, & Education", 2005 Proceedings of the GLPA. Landsberg R.H. ``3D Visualizations for Public Explorations of Current Astrophysical Research", High Energy Physics Seminar, Michigan State University,10/19/04. S. Andrews et. al. Cosmus: Virtual 3D Cosmology in Public Science Museums at the VR for Public Consumption Workshop of IEEE VR2004 Conference (Chicago, IL) March R. Landsberg et al. ``3D Visualizations of Current Astrophysical Research for Public Explorations & for the Classroom", Gadgets & Gizmos Session of the 205th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, BAAS Vol36, Landsberg, R.H. 1998, ``Education and Outreach from the End of the Earth'', BAAS, 30, 903 [58.01] Acknowledgments Parts of this research were carried out at the University of Chicago, Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, a NSF Physics Frontier Center, and were supported (in part) by grant NSF PHY and by the Kavli Foundation; additional support was provided by the University of Chicagoʼs Science Chicago program. 5