Media Advisory

  

                              For More Information Contact:

                               Laura Ochoa-Sanchez

               STEM Grant Coordinator

                                  (209) 954-5473

5151 Pacific Ave.                                                       lochoa-sanchez@deltacollege.edu

Stockton, CA 95207

For Immediate Release,
10/02/09

Astronaut Jose Hernandez Keynote’s Delta College’s
George H. Clever Planetarium Re-Opening Celebration, Saturday, Oct. 10th

(Stockton)

Meet Space Shuttle Astronaut Jose Hernandez; view the Moon, Venus and watch a rocket launch! These activities will highlight the grand re-opening of the George H. Clever Planetarium at Delta College, Saturday, Oct 10th, from 10:00am-4:45pm.

The celebration will include seven FREE 30-minute planetarium shows, (starting at 10 a.m.) a keynote address by Astronaut Jose Hernandez at noon in Atherton Auditorium, followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony at the planetarium. Telescopes will be provided by the Stockton Astronomical Society and rockets will be launched by NASA ambassadors Chuck Marble and Patrick Dunbar, in the Cunningham (C6) parking lot.

The Clever Planetarium completed and extensive remodeling and refurbishing program earlier this year.  New items such as “SciDome HD” a digital planet and sky simulator and “Magic Planet” an interactive digital globe that can simulate the earth and other planets through satellite images have been installed.

 “Magic Planet is new technology,” Planetarium technician Kyle Wilson said. “We have one of the few in California.” And although “Herman,” the planetarium’s original Spitz 512 Star Projector, has been refurbished, the new projector adds enhanced visual presentations, including a 360 degree cinematic experience.

“It’s the best projector in the area.” Wilson said. “It’ clearer, brighter and it shows the sky in more detail. The stars will still be a pin of light, but it will be seamless and overall better quality.”

Not only does the new projector show the night sky as Herman does, but it allows you to travel across the universe and view the sky from other planets. “With Herman you can see the night sky anywhere on planet Earth,” Wilson said. “But with the SciDome HD, you can see the sky from anywhere in the universe.”

With new digital technology, the dome-shaped planetarium can customize shows for any particular astronomical subject. For the opening ceremony, Wilson will present a fulldome show about the lives of stars.  Due to limited seating, tickets are required for the FREE re-opening celebration shows. Tickets can be obtained on a first come first serve basis in front of the Planetarium (Cunningham building) starting at 9:30 a.m.

“The planetarium is geared for everybody,” says Wilson.  “Scholar or child alike… it’s open to anyone who ever looked up at the sky and wondered what the stars are and why they’re there.” Wilson adds, “It’s fun to see kids get excited about science. Instead of just seeing facts in a textbook, they can see things big, up close and personal.”

Delta’s planetarium is named after George H. Clever, a Tracy rancher who was the original founding Board President when the San Joaquin Delta College district was formed in 1963. A Cal Tech civil engineering graduate, Mr. Clever was an avid amateur astronomer who had a passion for science. His dream was to build a planetarium at Delta College so students and the community could benefit from opportunities to explore the “Last Frontier.” Through Mr. Clever’s patience and dedication, his dream became a reality in 1973 with the opening of San Joaquin County’s only stationary planetarium. When Mr. Clever retired from Delta’s board in 1983, the planetarium was named in his honor.

The Clever Planetarium and Earth Science Center is available for fieldtrips on weekdays and is open to the public twice a month. Visit: http://www.sjdccd.cc.ca.us/dept/planetarium/  for more information.