The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-06-12
ARTIFICIAL SKY
TO STUDY STARS
DRAWS CROWDS
PIanetarium Big Center of
Tourists Interest in
Berlin.

BB Science Scrrtce
BERLIN, June 12-With the van
guard of the thousands of Ameri-
can tourists who will visit Germany
during the coming months now
reaching Berlin, the Planetarium is
attracting large crowds.
Many OF the Americans wish to
see in operation this device that re-
produces the night sky on white
dome, and which will soon make its
debut in the United States when one
is installed in Chicago.
Since the first planetarium was
erected in 1924 in Jena, on the roof
Of one of the buildings of the Carl
zeiSS optical works, it's manufac-
turerS, fourteen other German cities
have installed them, including
Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover,
Dusseldorf, Barmen, Leipzig, Stuff
CART, Nuremberg and Mannheim. One
has been installed in Vienna; Musso-
lini has ordered one for Rome.
which will be opened this fall; while
the soviet government has also or
dered one for Moscow, paying cash
in advance.
Use 119 Lenses
The planetarium is hugh inStru-
ment, consisting Of long cylinder
with two special ends. Embedded in
the spheres, and also along the
cylindrical parts, are a number of
lenses, 119 in all. These act as magic
lanterns to project the images of
the naked eye stars, the Milky Way,
the Sun, Moon and planets on the
white cloth-lined dome.
So realistic is the effect that when
the room is darkened and the visi-
tor has become used to the dim light
The stars appear as in the actual
night sky. The visitor does not seem
to be in a n1nety-fcot dome, but
under the stars themselves on q
cloudless night.
Skies Are Duplicated
The mechanism of the machine,
all controlled by the lecturer from
a single switchboard, will enable it
to reveal the stars as seen from the
North Pole, the South Pole, or any
place between.
The great year." of $4,000 ordi-
nary years, can be duplicated IN
few minutes, and the heavens
shown as they appeared thousands
Of years ago.
Five thousand years ago our
present pole-star was not in that
prominent position, but it was &C.
cupied by the star we call alpha
Draconis
At that time also, the Southern
Cross was visible from the present
latitude of New York. This can
be shown with the planetariu:n.
when desired, the names of the
consultations can be flashed on the
sky in the proper places, as if OH
huqe electric signs!
The phases of the moon as it
spins around the sun, along with
the earth, are displayed. So are the
motions Of the planets. These car
be speeded up so that the events
of a year take place in few sec
ends. The sun speeds across the
dome with Mercury and Venus
looping around it.
Admission Is Charged
The alternate forward and back
ward motion. of Jupiter and Saturn.
hardly visible in reality because of
their slowness, become Immediately
apparent.
Yet so accurate is the mechanism
that if the planets are shown as
they would appear 5000 years
hence, Mercury, the fastest moving
of them, is out Of its proper place
less than the diameter of the full
moon.
Most of the German planetar-
iums are operated by the school
boards of the respective cities, but
for general visitors, an admission
charge of one mark is usually made.
The instrument itself sells for
about $4,000, and the cost Of the
building is from about $4,000 up
wards.