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TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome!...3 Contents of Your Space Theater Planetarium...3 How to Use Your Space Theater Planetarium...5 Put C-Cell Batteries in the Base...5 Put the Star Dome on Unit...5 Set Up the Space Theater...5 Project the Stars...6 Replacing Bulbs...7 Things to See with Your Space Theater Planetarium...8 Find the North Star...8 Project the stars for Tonight-or any Night...8 See the Main Constellations for Each Season...9 Isolate the Circumpolar Stars...9 Go on a Guided Tour of the Heavens with the Audio CD...10 Tips on Night Vision and Using the Dimmer Switch...11 Using the Dimmer Switch...11 Using the Night vision Saver...12 A Guided Tour of the Heavens...13 A. The North Circumpolar stars and Constellations...14 The Complete star Dome Map...16 B. The stars and Constellations of Spring...18 C. The stars and Constellations of Summer...20 D. The Stars and Constellations of Autumn...22 E. The Stars and Constellations of Winter...24 The Planets...26 Finding the Planets in the Night Sky...27 Planet Locator Tables...28 WELCOME Your Space Theater Planetarium is your introduction to the wonders of the starry night sky-the visible part of an immense universe that surrounds us. We hope you will enjoy it, and that what you learn from it will stay with you for your whole life. THE CONTENTS OF YOUR SPACE THEATER PLANETARIUM Your Space Theater Planetarium consists of several parts: 1. The Projector Base houses your Space Theater s light source and electric circuitry. It is designed to accept the several interchangeable projection units shown below and described on the next page. 2. The Adapter Ring holds the Star Dome and the Sky and Constellation masks in place on the Projector Base. It is also used in setting dates and times. Projector Base Star Dome Adapter Ring Audio CD Sky Mask Five Constellation Masks Night vision Saver (clear red square) 3
3. The Star Dome sits on top of the Base. It is a black dome with hundreds of small holes in it. Each hole projects the image of a single star. The Dome as a whole projects all the principal stars and constellations that you can see from Earth s northern hemisphere. (But keep in mind that you can never see all these stars at any one time.) IMPORTANT: When you look down at the Star Dome, you are seeing a reverse of the actual scene in the sky. The reason is that your unit is a projector. You have to project the image onto a wall or ceiling to get the correct view. 4. The Sky Mask is a second dome with a large oval opening. When it is placed on top of the Star Dome, your Planetarium projects only those stars that are visible in the night sky on a particular date and time. The Mask hides the ones you cannot see at that time. 5. The 5 Constellation Masks are dome-shaped overlays with irregularly shaped openings that fit over the star Dome and the Sky Mask. Each Constellation Mask isolates 5 to 7 important star groups, or constellations, allowing you to identify them easily. There is a Constellation Mask for each season, plus one for the stars of the northern sky, which never set. 6. The Night Vision Saver is a square of red cellophane for you to place over tthe front of a flashlight. Its red-tinted light will not harm your ability to see in the dark. You can use it to look at the star maps in the Space Theater Guide while you are projecting the stars on your ceiling. You can also use it when you adjust or change masks in the dark. 7. The Space Theater Audio CD mixes amazing scientific facts with ancient stories about the stars and constellations, together with directions on how to use your Space Theater to find them. Note that this is an audio CD, not a computer CD-ROM. 8. Finally, this Space Theater Guide tells you how to set up and use your Space Theater Planetarium. It is designed to be used along with the CD as you look at the stars projected on your ceiling. HOW TO USE YOUR SPACE THEATER PLANETARIUM 1. Put 2 fresh C-Cell batteries in the base. Turn the unit upside down, unscrew the battery cover, and follow the diagram to put 2 C-Cell batteries in place. Alkaline cells are the best and last longest. Screw the battery cover back on. BATTERY WARNING: - Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc) and rechargeable batteries (nickel hydride). - Do not mix old and new batteries. - Non-rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged. - Rechargeable batteries are to be removed from the appliance before being charged (if removable). - Rechargeable batteries are only to be charged under adult supervision (if removable). - Exhausted batteries are to be removed. - The supply terminals are not to be short circuited. - Only batteries of the same or equivalent type as recommended are to be used. - Batteries are to be inserted with the correct polarity. KEEP THIS PACKAGE FOR REFERENCE SINCE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. 2. Put the Star Dome onto the unit. Place the Star Dome onto the unit so that the notch in the dome rim lines up with the gold line between the words December and January on the Projector Base. Position the Adapter Ring over the Star Dome so that the handle on the top points to the gold line, and the four legs of the Ring fit through the four square holes in the Dome. Snap the Ring onto the Planetarium Base. The Ring and the Dome should now turn freely if you move the handle. 3. Set Up the Space Theater. Take your Space Theater into a room that has a white ceiling. The whiter and smoother the ceiling, the clearer the stars will appear. The ceiling immediately above the Space Theater should be clear of any obstruction, such as a ceiling light. Put the Space Theater on a table. Point the projector dome at the ceiling or a blank wall. Or, sit and hold the Space Theater on your lap. The distance from the Dome to the ceiling should be about 5 feet, but any distance between 4 and 6 feet will do. To get the most out of your Space Theater, you must wait until it s dark outside. You can t see the real stars in the daytime. The 4 sky is too bright. Even after sunset, you have to wait until it s 5
completely dark before all the stars come out. For the same reason, you need a really dark room to enjoy the stars projected by your Sky Theater. Even a small amount of light in the room can spoil the effect. That includes daylight or street lights coming in through the window. 4. Project the Stars. Close the door, pull down the shades, and turn off all room lights. Wait a few moments for your eyes to become accustomed to the dark. Then turn the ON/OFF switch your Space Theater all the way on. More than 400 stars will appear on your ceiling! What you see is all the bright stars that are visible in the northern hemisphere. (Of course, you can t really see all of them at any one time. The Sky Mask is used to hide the ones you can t see on a given night. We ll come to that in a moment.) 5. Replacing Bulbs. A burnt-out bulb can be replaced by a halogen bulb used in a Mini MAGlite flashlight and is available at most hardware stores. We advise that you take the old bulb-or the entire Space Theater-with you when going to purchase a replacement. To replace a bulb, simply grasp the old bulb and pull it directly upward, away from the base. The replacement bulb will have 2 wire prongs. Make sure these prongs go into the holes in the bulb socket before you press the replacement into place. A note of caution: Before replacing the bulb, check to make sure that the batteries are not dead. At first the stars may look faint, but as your eyes become used to the dark, the stars will appear brighter. And as your eyes become accustomed to the dark, you may even want to move the switch to a dimmer position for a more realistic view. Looking up at the ceiling can put a strain on your neck after a while. An alternate way to view the stars is to lie on a bed or couch, holding the Space Theater on your lap. A second alternative is to project the stars wholly or partly onto a wall. NOTE: In real life, the stars take up all of the night sky. In your room, they take up only part of your ceiling. For this reason, the constellations on your ceiling will appear smaller and closer together than they do in the real sky-just as a photograph in a book is usually smaller than the object being photographed. What you see is all the stars you can see for the entire year. Of course, you can t see all of them on any one night. To identify the stars and constellations on your ceiling, turn to the diagram on p. 16-17. 6 7
THINGS TO SEE WITH YOUR SPACE THEATER PLANETARIUM 1. Find the North Star. If you turn the Adapter Ring, the stars move in circles on the ceiling. The size of these circles depends on how far from the center of the circle each star is. Every night, the stars outside seem to rotate like this. Stars don t make these circles in the sky because they re not really moving, however, they appear to move because the Earth is turning, or rotating on its axis. So the stars move around the sky at night, just as the sun does during the daytime. One star, called the North star, doesn t appear to move. It s almost at the exact center of the Dome. If you stood at the Earth s North Pole, the North Star would be right overhead. When you listen to the CD, you ll learn how to find it in the sky. When you learn how to find it, you can always find north at night! 2. Project the stars for Tonight-or Any night. The Planetarium Base is marked with months and dates, and the Adapter Ring is marked with times of day. To see the stars for a particular month, date, and time of night, follow these steps: - First turn the Adapter Ring so that the time you want lines up with the month and date you want. (Subtract one hour if you re on Daylight Saving Time.) - Then place the Sky Mask over the Star Dome so that the NORTH arrow on the mask points toward the upsidedown words NORTH/FEBRUARY on the Planetarium Base. The unit is now set to project only the stars that you can see on the date and time you have chosen. The mask covers the stars you cannot see. 3. See the Main Constellations for Each Season. The main constellations and stars for each season are concentrated in the southern part of the sky. Next season s constellations are rising in the east, and last season s are sinking in the west. In the north are constellations you can see during most or all of the year. To see the main constellations for each season, first set your Planetarium for any of the following dates and times: Spring: Summer: May 1 at 8:00 if you re on Daylight Saving Time, or 9:00 if you re still on Standard Time. August 1 at 8:00 if you re on Daylight Saving Time, or 9:00 if you re still on Standard Time. Autumn: November 1 at 9:00 Winter: February 1 at 9:00 To see all of the constellations for a particular season, place the Sky Mask over the star Dome, as described in 4 above. To isolate the main constellations for a particular season, replace the Sky Mask with the Constellation Mask for the season you want, with the keyhole in the masks s tab fitting over the handle of the Adapter Ring. The unit is now set to project the principal stars and constellation for the season you have chosen. To identify these stars and constellations, turn to the diagrams on p. 14-25. 4. Isolate the Circumpolar Stars. Certain stars and constellations never set. They go round and round a point in the sky called the North Celestial Pole. To isolate these constellations, use the Constellation Mask called Circumpolar Constellations, and follow the directions in 5 above. 8 9
5. Go on a Guided Tour of the Heavens with the Audio CD. The Audio CD will guide you through an instructional tour of the heavens, introducing you to the stars and constellations and recounting facts and legends about them. Since the CD is divided into bands, you can take the guided tour a little at a time, or visit the stars for any season of the year you wish. TIPS ON NIGHT VISION AND USING THE DIMMER SWITCH 1. Using the Dimmer Switch. When you step outside a brightly lit house at night, you can hardly see the stars at all. But after a while, your eyes get used to the dark, and you can see even faint stars sparkling in the sky. We call this ability to see in the dark night vision. It takes at least five minutes before you can see well in the dark. After ten or fifteen minutes, your night vision gets even better. For this reason, your Space theater has a sliding multi-position switch. * Special Note: All activity instructions (for example on pgs. 14, 18, 20, 22, 24 of the Manual, or on the Audio CD) should follow the assembly sequence outlined on pgs. 8-9 of the Manual for Adapter Ring and Sky Mask. First, use the adapter ring to set the date and time, and THEN place the Sky Mask on top. Placing the mask and then setting the date may spin the mask so that the NORTH arrow is no longer lined up with the word NORTH on the Planetarium Base-which will provide an incorrect display. Of course, if the Sky Mask does slide out of position, just slide it back by lining up the North printed on it with the North on the Planetarium Base. - Use the FULL ON position when you first turn off the lights and turn on your planetarium. However, after a short while, your eyes will start getting used to the dark. The stars on your ceiling will seem too bright, more like small round circles than stars. -When this happens, move the switch to the HALF ON position. The faint stars will become faint again, and the bright stars will look the way they do outdoors at night. If the stars now look too dim, you may need a little more time for your night vision to work fully. Or you may have pushed the sliding switch too far toward the OFF position. Fiddle with it until the stars are as bright as possible without the switch being in the FULL ON position. Sky Mask Sky Dome Adapter Ring The best position is one where dimmest stars are barely visible. Projector Base 10 11
3. Using the Night Vision Saver. The star maps in this Space Theater Guide Booklet contain useful information about the stars and constellations projected on your ceiling. From time to time, while looking at the show on your ceiling or wall, you will also want to look at these maps. Use the Night Vision Saver for this. The Night Vision Saver is merely a square of red cellophane. Put it over the front of a flashlight and use a rubber band to hold it in place. Night Vision is not spoiled by red light, so you can use the flashlight to look at the star maps and read the information in your Star Guide while still enjoying the show on your ceiling. A GUIDED TOUR OF THE HEAVENS Now you are ready to take a guided adventure tour of the heavens with your Space Theater and the enclosed CD. Just set up your Space Theater, with all Domes, Masks, and Space Windows handy. Play the CD, and follow its directions and the directions on the next several pages. Use the star maps on the following pages to help you identify the stars and constellations. You don t have to go through the CD all at once. The CD is divided into several sections. There s a lot to learn here! so take your time. Use your Space theater over a period of several days or weeks. Enjoy! 12 13
A. THE NORTH CIRCUMPOLAR STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS Directions-Track 2 of the CD 1. With the Sky Mask in place over the Sky Dome, set your Space Theater for 9:00 P.M. on today s date. If your clocks are set for Daylight Saving Time, set the Space Theater for 8:00 P.M. 2. Take Constellation Mask A, Circumpolar Constellations, and place it on top of the Sky Mask and the Star Dome. The keyhole in the tab should fit over the handle of the Adapter Ring. Make sure the star Dome and the Sky Mask stay in their proper positions as you do this. NORTH in Autumn 3. Turn your Space Theater on. - If you are projecting onto the ceiling, hold the projector so that ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing toward you. - If you are projecting onto a wall, hold the projector so that the ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing down. This way, the stars will appear as if you were facing north, where the circumpolar stars are. 4. Turn on your CD again. It should be on Track 3. NORTH in Winter NORTH in Summer NORTH in Spring Facing North at 9:00 P.M. A. CIRCUMPOLAR STARS & CONSTELLATIONS 14 15
SOUTHERN HORIZON in Summer SOUTHERN HORIZON in Spring SOUTHERN HORIZON in Autumn SOUTHERN HORIZON in Winter SKY DOME STARS 16 17
B. THE STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS OF SPRING Directions-Track 4 of the CD 1. With the Sky Mask in place over the Sky Dome, set your Space Theater for 9:00 P.M. on May 1. If your clocks are set for Daylight Saving Time, set the Space Theater for 8:00 P.M. Eastern Horizon Your Space Theater now projects all the constellations and stars shown on the opposite page. 2. Isolate the stars of spring by taking Constellation B, Spring Constellations, and place it on top of the Sky Mask and the Star Dome. The keyhole in the tab should fit over the handle of the Adapter Ring. Make sure the star Dome and the Sky Mask stay in their proper positions as you do this. Now your Space Theater projects only the constellations and stars inside the white line. 3. Turn your Space Theater on. -If you are projecting onto the ceiling, hold the projector so that the ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing away from you. -If you are projecting onto a wall, hold the projector so that the ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing down. Southern Horizon Northern Horizon This way, the stars will appear as if you are facing south, where the spring stars show at their best. If you want to view the northern sky, turn the projector around. 4. Turn on your CD. It should be on Track 5. Western Horizon B. SPRING STARS AND CONTELLATIONS 18 19
C. THE STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS OF SUMMER Directions-Track 6 of the CD 1. With the Sky Mask in place over the Sky Dome, set your Space Theater for 9:00 P.M. on August 1. If your clocks are set for Daylight Saving Time, set the Space Theater for 8:00 P.M. Your Space Theater now projects all the constellations and stars shown on the opposite page. Eastern Horizon 2. Isolate the stars of summer by taking Constellation Mask C, Summer Constellations, and place it on top of the Sky Mask and the star Dome. The keyhole in the tab should fit over the handle of the Adapter Ring. Make sure the Star Dome and the Sky Mask stay in their proper positions as you do this. Now your Space Theater projects only the constellations and stars inside the white line. 3. Turn your Space Theater on. -If you are projecting onto the ceiling, hold the projector so that the ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing away from you. -If you are projecting onto a wall, hold the projector so that the ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing down. This way, the stars will appear as if you are facing south, where the summer stars show at their best. If you want to view the northern sky, turn the projector around. Southern Horizon Northern Horizon 4. Turn on your CD. It should be on Track 7. Western Horizon C. SUMMER STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS 20 21
D. THE STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS OF AUTUMN Directions-Track 8 of the CD 1. With the Sky Mask in place over the sky dome, set your Space Theater for 9:00 P.M. on November 1. Your Space Theater now projects all the constellations and stars shown on the page opposite. Eastern Horizon 2. Isolate the stars of autumn by taking Constellation Mask D, Autumn Constellations, and place it on top of the Sky Mask and the Star Dome. The keyhole in the tab should fit over the handle of the Adapter Ring. Make sure the star Dome and the Sky Mask stay in their proper positions as you do this. Now your Space Theater projects only the constellations and stars inside the white line. 3. Turn your Space Theater on. -If you are projecting onto the ceiling, hold the projector so that the ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing away from you. -If you are projecting onto a wall, hold the projector so that the ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing down. Either way, the stars will appear as if you are facing south, where the autumn stars show at their best. If you want to view the northern sky, turn the projector around. 4. Turn on your CD. It should be on Track 9. Southern Horizon Northern Horizon Western Horizon D. AUTUMN STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS 22 23
E. THE STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS OF WINTER Directions-Track 10 of the CD 1. With the Sky Mask in place over the sky dome, set your Space Theater for 9:00 P.M. on February 1. Eastern Horizon Your Space Theater now projects all the constellations and stars shown on the page opposite. 2. Isolate the stars of winter by taking Constellation Mask E, Winter Constellations, and place it on top of the Sky Mask and the Star Dome. The keyhole in the tab should fit over the handle of the Adapter Ring. Make sure the star Dome and the Sky Mask stay in their proper positions as you do this. Now your Space Theater projects only the constellations and stars inside the white line. 3. Turn your Space Theater on. -If you are projecting onto the ceiling, hold the projector so that the ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing away from you. -If you are projecting onto a wall, hold the projector so that the ON/OFF switch of the projector is pointing down. Either way, the stars will appear as if you are facing south, where the winter stars show at their best. If you want to view the northern sky, turn the projector around. Southern Horizon Northern Horizon 4. Turn on your CD. It should be on Track 11. Western Horizon E. WINTER STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS 24 25
THE PLANETS You will often see other points of light in the sky that look like bright stars, but that aren t on any star map. These are the planets. Planets are not stars. They are worlds that circle the sun, the same way our own world does. They do not shine with their own light the way the sun and other stars (and a light bulb) do. We see them because they reflect the light of the sun, the way everything you see by daylight does. And they vary greatly in brightness, depending how close they are to the Earth at the time of viewing. Because the planets go around the sun, they do not stay in exactly the same place in the sky. They seem to be in a slightly different place every night. They move through the sky the way the moon does, though much more slowly. The name planet was first used to describe this motion. It originally meant wanderer. Mercury is the planet nearest the sun. It is so close to the sun that it s very hard to see. Look for it above the western horizon just after the sun sets, or above the eastern horizon before sunrise. You also need a telescope to see the remaining planets-uranus and Neptune. FINDING THE PLANETS IN THE NIGHT SKY The planets are always found in one of the 12 constellations called the constellations of Zodiac. The charts on the next three pages will help you find 4 of the 5 planets you can see with the naked eye. Mercury is not listed as it is difficult to see and it moves very quickly because it is so close to the sun. At the top of the chart, you will see a list of the constellations of the Zodiac, together with the standard abbreviations of their names. To find a particular planet at a particular time, just look at the column under the planet s name on the line for the year and month you want. You will find the constellation (or constellations) listed there. Your planet is in that constellation. -For example, suppose it s May 2010, and you want to find the planet Saturn. The chart says Saturn is in Virgo. As soon as it gets dark, go outdoors and find the constellation Virgo in the sky. It s nearly overhead. Saturn will be there. Venus is the brightest planet and the one nearest to us. After the moon, Venus is the brightest object in the night sky-brighter than any other star. When it s shining in the west in the evening. Venus is sometimes called the Evening Star. When it s shining in the morning in the east, it s sometime called the Morning Star. Of course, it isn t a star at allit s a planet. Mars can be very bright, and it looks reddish. No other planet looks red the way Mars does. Jupiter, the largest planet, is usually the brightest planet after Venus. At its brightest, it s brighter than any star in the sky. -Now suppose it s early February 2011, and you want to find Jupiter. The chart says Jupiter is in the constellation Pisces. You're out of luck-pisces is a Autumn constellation, and it s winter. Better luck in the Autumn! -Suppose you wanted to find out what planets were in the sky just at the start of the year 2010-on January 1, at midnight. The chart tells you that Mars and Saturn were in the constellations Leo and Virgo, which were high in the western sky at that time of year. You couldn t see the other planets. PLANET LOCATOR TABLES/Constellation Key Saturn is the least bright planet you can easily see without a telescope. sgr...sagittarius gem...gemmini It is about as bright as fairly bright star. You need a telescope to see cap...capricornus cnc...cancer its famous rings. aqr...aquarius leo...leo psc...pisces vir...virgo ari...aries lib...libra 26 tau...taurus sco/oph...scorpius/ophiuchus 27
2010 Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn 2012 Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. sgr cnc aqr vir aqr cnc aqr vir psc cnc aqr vir ari cnc aqr vir tau leo aqr vir cnc leo psc vir leo leo psc vir vir vir psc vir vir vir psc vir lib lib psc vir vir oph aqr vir lib sgr aqr vir Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. aqr vir ari vir psc leo ari vir ari leo ari vir tau leo ari vir tau leo tau vir tau leo tau vir tau vir tau vir gem vir tau vir cnc lib tau vir leo sco tau vir vir sgr tau vir lib sgr tau vir 2011 Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn 2013 Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. oph cap psc vir sgr cap psc vir cap aqr psc vir aqr psc psc vir psc ari psc vir tau tau ari vir gem tau ari vir leo gem ari vir vir cnc ari vir lib cnc ari vir oph leo ari vir sgr leo psc vir Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. sgr cap tau lib cap aqr tau lib aqr psc tau lib ari psc tau vir tau ari tau vir gem tau tau vir leo gem gem vir vir gem gem vir vir cnc gem lib oph leo gem lib sgr leo gem lib sgr vir gem lib 28 29