Peachtree pupils peer past planets
Peachtree Pupils at Peachtree Elementary School expect to learn about the world around them, but from March 21-23, the entire student body had a chance to fix their gaze on something infinitely larger – the universe.
A mobile planetarium from the Morehead Planetarium & Science Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill was at the school for three days, thanks to good timing and a $1,300 grant.
The mobile planetarium – an inflatable dome with a digital projection system and a selection of shows to serve all grade levels – travels the state for one-day visits. It’s a first-come, first-served sign-up system for the one-day visits, and the schedule fills up quickly, science education specialist Nick Eakes said.
Peachtree Elementary School teacher Monica Harrison signed up her third-grade class for the one-day visit. Not stopping there, she obtained the grant to add more days so the entire school could participate.
Within the dome, constellations, astronomical images and multimedia videos are projected on its ceiling, with Eakes serving as host for a lively, fun and information-packed presentation to wide-eyed pupils at Peachtree.
Eakes’ Earth & Beyond: Mobile Planetarium show lasts about 45 minutes and accommodates 20 per sitting (more for smaller kids, fewer for larger kids). Harrison’s class was first, with other classrooms following.
For Eakes, it’s a one-man show. He carries everything he needs in a van and does all the installation and takedown himself.
Then, once the show starts, he provides narration and handles questions, which at the elementary school level, he gets a lot of. Eakes answered an onslaught of questions from the inquisitive minds of Ms. Harrison’s third-graders, and he didn’t miss a beat.
At one point, Eakes explained the fallacy of science-fiction movies that show the sounds of spaceships zooming through space or exploding amid celestial conflicts, sometimes know as “Star Wars.” As the movie Alien used as its tagline, “In space no one can hear you scream.”
Hands shot up. What about the moon? Can sound be heard on the moon? one pupil asked.
Nope, Eakes said; the moon doesn’t have an atmosphere.
How about Mars? Yes, a little bit, since Mars has a thin atmosphere.
The Morehead Planetarium & Science Center itself is at 250 E. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill. It recently unveiled a 4K digital projection system that provides a clearer view of the night sky in the planetarium’s full-dome theater. The new projection system has six times the contrast and nearly seven times the brightness of the previous projection system.
“The difference is incredible. The colors are much brighter and the stars more visible,” Eakes was quoted on the planetarium’s website, moreheadplanetarium.org. “I am excited to share brighter night skies and clearer images. With all the discoveries coming out from NASA, we have the exciting opportunity to share the latest astronomy news with the community – like never before.”
The mobile planetarium provides a lower-resolution version than the main planetarium, but in a more cozy setting. Peachtree pupils sat together on the floor as they gazed at stars, planets, nebulae and a version of a show many of them know well, “The Magic School Bus.”
Morehead’s programming extends beyond astronomy, covering topics in earth science, biology and more. Following a COVID-19 shutdown, Morehead resumed public showings in September 2022.