Hands on The Universe

1
Hands on The Universe

• Bringing the heavens down to Earth in Armagh

2
The Armagh Astropark

• Built in 1993, funds from ERDF
• Model of Solar System demonstrates sizes and
  distances of planets
• Hypercube explains logarithmic scales
• Hill of Infinity shows distances to stars and
  galaxies
• Stone circle works as a simple calendar

3
The Observatory Gardens

• Laid out from 1790, renovated in 1989
• Historic buildings and telescopes
• Sundials
• Robinson anemometer, met. station
• Specimen trees and nature trail
• Astronomy, meteorology, climatology,
  dendrochronolgy

4
Interpreting the Astropark

• Public Understanding of Science (PUS)
• Major tourist attraction in Co. Armagh.
• Interpretation panels
• Explanatory leaflets
• Hands-on virtual tour of the Universe

5
Interpretation Panels

• Map
• Sun
• Solar system
• Hypercube
• Hill of Infinity

• Comets
• Stars
• Galaxies
• Big Bang
• Observatory

• Telescope domes
• Sundial
• Met station
• Nature Trail

6
Explanatory Leaflets

• The Astropark
• Sun
• Solar System
• Comets
• Stars
• Galaxies

• Hypercube
• Hill of Infinity
• Telescopes
• Meteorology
• Nature Trail and Gardens

7
Virtual Tour of the Universe

• User selects
• Solar system
• space missions
• planetary surfaces
• rings and moons
• comet collisions
• Stars and nebulae
• stellar activity
• binary stars
• planetary nebulae supernovae

• Galaxies and quasars
• spirals and ellipticals
• clusters
• lenses
• quasar cores
• Hubble deep field
• Requirements
• High-end PC graphics
• Large disks and memory
• Touch screen interface
• Library of space images and simulations

8
Budget (1997-1999)

• INCOME RECEIVEDPPARC (PUST) 3500COPUS
  500ACDC 2500NIE 500First Trust
  500Observatory Planetarium 0
• TOTAL 7500
• INCOME REQUIREDleaflets and panels 3600computer
  hardware 2900
• TOTAL 6500

• EXPENDITURE
• 5 panels design 1500construction 2000
• leaflet Idesign 500printing 500
• 5 panels design 1500construction 2000
• leaflets II-Vdesign 500printing 500
• computer-aided tourdesign 1000hardware
  2900
• TOTAL 14000

9
Timetable

• 1997
• outline design of leaflets and panels
• print general Astropark leaflet
• 1998
• construction of 5 panels
• 1999
• production of leaflet packages
• design construction of 5 panels
• 2000
• design and installation of virtual tour

10
Organization
11
Other issues

• Additional exhibits
• visitor interaction
• summer guide scheme
• Maintenance
• Security