University of Washington

Planetarium

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Useful Links for Volunteers:

• Planetarium Calendar [Need Wiki Login]
• Visualization Resources
• Sample Shows and Activities
• Tips on Making Your Shows Accessible to People with Disabilities
• Planetarium Operating Instructions

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How do I get to be a volunteer? Volunteers must have a suitable working knowledge of astronomy and be trained by experienced UW planetarium presenters before being able to give planetarium shows. For more information email, call, or go talk to Ana Larson, Toby Smith, or Mark Claire, or the planetarium coordinator.

2. What is the volunteer commitment? At least one Friday per quarter, you will be 'tagged' to give planetarium shows. At the moment, we are limiting ourselves to two shows per volunteer on a given Friday---2 hours per quarter plus prep time is your commitment to the planetarium outreach program.

3. How do I get trained on the machine? Once per year, we will have a training session so that you can learn to use the machine, and find out the capabilities of the planetarium. Otherwise, you can take the 'Astronomy Outreach' course---currently Astro 497, where Ana will train you in all sorts of good techniques.

4. I don't know any constellations! What do I do? Turns out that most people don't care. If you know some cool astrophysics (like the fact that Betelgeuse (for example) is a Red Supergiant that will die in a tremendous explosion that will make it bright enough to see even in the daytime sky!), they will be happy. Some teachers will ask you to talk about a particular topic, such as the phases of the moon. Accommodate them if you can---they will have a whole plan for how they are fitting the planetarium visit into their curriculum. If you need ideas, see The Planetarium Pages of the Clearinghouse for sample scripts. If you've got a great show that's not there, let Ana know, and we'll add it in.

5. How can I find more information about running the machine? The Minolta Operating Instructions are probably the best place to start, followed by asking Toby, Ana, Mark, Phil, or Don Brownlee.