Planetarium Show (Grade 9-12)

We will present a typical show geared to a Grade 9-12 audience with details on the formation, evolution, structure and nature of the Solar System and the Universe. The appearance and motion of visible celestial objects are discussed, Astronomical Units (AUs) and light years are explained, and space exploration and Canadian contributions are mentioned.  Near-Earth space investigations including spacecraft (e.g., International Space Station), and humanity's negative effects (e.g., space debris and pollution of the electromagnetic spectrum) are also included.

Rob Cockcroft is an astrophysics graduate student in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at McMaster University. His research focuses on star clusters orbiting the nearby Triangulum Galaxy. He is also the Coordinator of McMaster's William J. McCallion Planetarium which offers over 300 public shows per year. Rob has taken a lead role in various astronomy outreach initiatives including developing planetarium shows which take advantage of a new digital projector and which are relevant to the astronomy curriculum in grades 6, 9 and 12, and coordinating outreach activities during the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. Recently, Rob has been seconded to the Origins Institute at McMaster to develop and coordinate interactive 3D presentations in McMaster's 3D Theatre.