Astronomers to give a nation-wide display

Press, 29 December 1980, Page 11

Astronomers to give a nation-wide display

PA . - y' /Wanganui March 14 next year-will 'be National - Astronomy Day in New Zealand. y Astronomy Day will be preceded by a week of varied astronomical activity throughout the country. Co-Ordinated by the Royal Astronomical Society, Astronomy Day would be modelled on a -promotion that. has : been successful in . the United States for many years, said Mr D. Calder of Wanganui, publicity officer of the society. , New Zealand’s observatories, universities, district societies, planetariums, -and the R.A.S.N.Z, wilt organise displays, viewing sessions and associated activities to ’inform the public of the considerable , amount of . astronomical activity in New Zealand, tronomy.

in many centres, interference . from artificial light, which is increasingly causing problems for both amateur -and professional astronomers will be brought th public attention.

Astronomers will make tha point that they do not object to ground lights but rather to inefficient lamps .and reflectors which allow light to escape towards the sky — a waste of light serving no useful purpose. Viewing nights, star parties, and similar activities will depend upon the weather and this is one reason why a full week’s activities will precede Astronomy Day. It will also permit big displays to be left In place for several days.

The society hopes to arrange with the Broad-

casting Corporation for: a recently completed American programme, “Cosmos,” to be screened on television. This 13-epi-sode series, narrated by

the leading astronomer, Carl Sagan, has been made with every special effects facility that modem technology allows, but without compromising astronomical fact.

The programme is largely in the form of a simulated voyage through space and time, visiting places as diverse as galaxies, an ancient. American Indian ’rock calender, and the Great Library at ■Alexandria, which, before its destruction by the Mahammedan Arabs in 641 A.D., contained most of the knowledge of the ancient world.

The programme cost $8 million to produce and the 8.8. C. and West Germany’s Polytel International are co-producers with America’s K.C.E.T. All studio work was done in Hollywood. It' is also hoped that display material from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the United States spaceprogramme will be available, but in any case, district societies will make good use of the pictorial material from the surface of Mars and the Jupiter and Saturn fly-past missions.