Night Sky Observations from Kelly Rise's blog

I have visited the Dorrance planetarium at the Arizona Space Center as requested for my project assignment and exploratory essay questions. The facility is one of the largest planetariums in Phoenix, Arizona. It is located at the Arizona Science Center with the specific address being 600 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

The type of equipment available at the Dorrance Planetarium

The Dorrance planetarium is very well equipped to give the full astronomical experience. The main feature of the complex is the sixty-foot dome that is used for various astronomical purposes. These range from amateur stargazing to more sophisticated astronomical functions, such as the scientific observation of the lunar and solar system. In addition to that, the facility is supplemented with nanoseam technology that ensures both a detailed and aesthetic experience to all users.

The showings at the planetarium and celestial objects observed

The nanoseam technology, as alluded earlier, serves to provide for a very interesting and detailed viewing of the astronomical features. Besides seeing the Moon, Venus and Mars, the Dorrance planetarium arranges weeklong shows that give more depth to the study. Various shows running from Monday to Friday on different topics are chiefly and understandably centred on astronomy.

The ‘Grand Tour of the Solar System’ gives a rather informative perspective to the Solar system. Here, real shot images of every planet are presented in order to give the watchers and potential viewers of the solar system a visual understanding of its physical features in the Milky Way Galaxy. In addition to the images, a running commentary on the features of the various planets in the solar system keeps the flow of information at optimal levels. The same programme is held about the even more intriguing Moon in the ‘Back to the Moon for Good’ show. This not only makes the visit informative but also very revealing as the Q & A post viewing session helps debunk many misconceptions the audience might have. The main one among those asked during this particular day was addressing the relationship between planets, dwarf planets and asteroids.

Gazing and studying the moon was one of the main agendas on my visit. The nanoseam technology that is used in the dome guarantees an excellent viewership. It was very easy to see the Moon rise and set from there. More specifically, the facility helped me gain a deeper understanding of the physical features on the moon. In addition to the images that can be seen both on the pre-recorded visual aids and through the viewing apparatuses that are available; I learnt the history of lunar exploration. For instance, about the existence of a precise nomenclature to the naming of craters. This naming system has given rise to an approved list of names by the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The knowledge of this list of names is essential in correspondence since it ensures that specific features are identifiable across language and national lines.

As for my viewing experience, I could see the famous South Pole-Aitkin Basin. The archived information at the planetarium shows that the massive crater is on the far side of the Moon. In order to rationalize its size one would have to say that its diameter is equivalent to the distance from Athens to London. The Aitkin basin is a thousand six hundred miles across and the NASA confirms it as the largest, deepest and oldest basin on the Moon, to which I cannot but agree.

At the planetarium, I learnt a lot more about the Moon, the scientists who studied it in the past and their contribution to the current body of knowledge on the topic. For instance, the basic knowledge of the Moon’s physical features would make one comprehend that the lighter surfaces (highlands) and darker plains of the moon are called the highlands and maria respectively. However, at the planetarium it became known that Johannes Kepler named the highlands terraeafter ’land’ on earth and the darker plains maria after the sea. His clout as an astronomer became increasingly apparent as I learned more and more about his further studies into the properties of the surface of the moon.

This visit has also cleared any confusion about the absence of mariaon the far side of the moon. The explanation itself helped me understand how the physical features on the Moon were formed in the first place. During the formation of the Moon, as it was stated, the lava flowed easily and covered those basins on the near sides of them. This resulted in their forming the crusts on the surface of the moon that can be seen in the event of their reflection from the sun’s rays to the earth. However, on the far end, the lava did not flow so easily (the reason for this has been attributed to the impact of the earth’s gravity on the lava). These areas saw the lava cool down in thick crusts in the moon’s basins. These are what Johannes Kepler then called maria.Mariaitself means ‘seas’ in Latin; the descriptive of how the lava deposits came to have their name by filling the basins on the moon’s surface.

General knowledge on Astronomy

During the tour, I also learned that astronomy as a discipline is significantly broader than I had previously thought. Additionally to meta-physicists and astronauts, astronomy also involves biologists and chemistry professionals as they seek the evidence of life and other chemical compositions on the solar system’s celestial bodies. This is achieved not only through viewing the solar system from the Earth but also by using probes. For instance, Chandryaan-1 is breaking new frontiers in the study of lunar maria. All this information is put on display at the planetarium for the curiosity and benefit of the public.

It was made clear that the solar system is divided into two subsystems: the inner and outer solar system. The inner solar system is characterized by the Earth, the other planets, dwarf planets such as Pluto, moons, and the asteroid belts. The outer solar system then refers to the outer reaches of the solar system that border on interstellar space. In those outer reaches of the solar system, one encounters the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud and still farther out, the limits of the heliosphere. It is from here that the outer reaches of the solar system interact with the interstellar space.