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Exploring the Cold Universe A Planetarium Show for the IYA 2009

Agnès ACKER (APLF) and Henri BOFFIN (ESO)

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

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Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Arrayone of the largest ground-based astronomy projects of the next decade

Atacama desert, Chajnantor plateau - altitude 5000 metres

66 high-tech antennas working as an interferometer

Observing in 0.3 to 9.6 mm range sub-millimetre

12-m array: 50 antennas

Compact array: 4 12-m and 12 7-m antennas

Antennas can be moved: 150m to 18km

‘zoom’

The ALMA Project

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

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An international endeavour: East Asia

(Japan & Taiwan), Europe (ESO),

North America (USA & Canada),

and Chile

Timeline:

• Construction started in Nov. 2003

• First antennas in 2007

• First science with small array: 2010

• Science with full array: 2012

The ALMA Project

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

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Operating at 5000 m altitude

Highest scientific building

Air is thin - only 50% of sea level oxygen

Desert Area - extreme conditions

115-ton antennas will be moved regularly

Superconducting receivers operate at -269 degrees Celsius

A Technological Challenge

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

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Planetarium show

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

Association des Planétariums de Langue Françaiseobservatoire de Strasbourg, Université Louis Pasteur 11 rue de l’université F-67000 Strasbourg Tél 03 90 24 24 55 - Fax 03 90 24 24 17 – aplf@astro.u-strasbg.fr

Association of French Language Planetariums

Born in 1984, officially created in 1989

110 members in 2007

(Planetariums workers, astronomers, vendors)

Member of the International Planetarium Society

6CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

www.aplf-planetariums.org

Coordination of operations for ~ 50 Planetariums~ 1 300 000 visitors per year in Francevisitors per year in France

Annual Journal Planétariums

Training sessions

Books and CDroms

Show production Show production for French and European Planetarium for French and European Planetarium a unique experiencea unique experience

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Organisation

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

Previous European Shows

APLF conducted a show in 2001 with Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (37 Planetariums)

ESO/APLF-ADP/Augsburg in 2002 (45 Planetariums) already shown about 3 millions visitors since 2002

2007 - 25 Planetariums have taken option

Working Group « executive production »

Pilot Committee « direction of the work »  

+ Scientific Committee

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ESO - APLF agreement

production of a multi-language show of 30 minutes

3 technical levels :Full Dome Video (FDV) 

AllSky immersive projection and video windows

Images projection and video window

Planetarium show

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

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ESO scientific data and validation of the story-board visual elements (high resolution images & videos) documents for schools and universities financial support

APLF Story-board: text, choice of images & video

Realisation images, video (inc FDV), voices & music

Production in French language

Versions in English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch

Promotion, duplication, and diffusion in France and Europe

Augsburg Planetarium German version

ESO Chilean version

Planetarium show

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

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Scientific content

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

The electromagnetic spectrum  Millimetre and sub-mm domain Interferometry

Analysis of distant galaxiesRedshift of galaxies from the early universe

Stellar formation regions in distant galaxies

Kinematics of AGN galaxies and quasars with

high resolution

The cold universe

Structure of proto-stellar discs and molecular clouds

Chemical study of circumstellar envelopes inside the Galaxy

Formation of stars and planetary systems

Detection and study of exoplanets

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Scientific content

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

Highlights on Exoplanets and life in the Universe

Start: Chajnantor region

Proplyds in Orion and other nebulaeProtoplanetary discs around protostars with same ingredients as our planets

Can life emerge elsewhere ?

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The Programme

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

A Spectacle of quality - technically and scientifically

In 7 languages

Related to educational and outreach activities

•ALMA Interdisciplinary Teaching Project

•ALMA EPO WG

A Spectacle that is interesting for families!

(from 7 to 77 year old kids)

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IYA 2009

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

400 years since Galileo

• From first look through a telescope to an armada of telescopes located in a unique location• From discovering satellites of Jupiter to looking for (exo-)planets around other stars and life in the Universe.

Atacama Desert geology, biology Earth!ALMA technology, astronomyExoplanets science, philosophy

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Schedule

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007

October 2007 Collect all data (text, images, video) 1st December 2007 Story-board 1st April 2008 Realisation of the masters (visual, sound) Validation by the pilot-Planetariums

(Montpellier, Brussels-Epinal, Augsburg) Realisation of other languages versions September 2008 Duplication (APLF), diffusion, integration October 2008 Opening for schools

2009 January InaugurationShown in all participating planetaria

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Thank you !

CAP 2007 | 08.10.2007