GOTO Optical Mechanical Star Machine. This device simulates the night sky that we can see with the naked eye all the way around the planet. According to Turner, this device is connected to star plates that are actual images of the night sky, so the device projects stars accurately.

Keith Turner, Planetarium Director and astronomy instructor of CHS, is preparing for another year of Planetarium Club. He has been the club sponsor every year since he first taught at Carmel, and this would be the twenty-second year. However, new problems arise as late buses are no longer available for students.

“For twenty-one years we’ve had a late bus. So what we would do is that we would just have a callout meeting, and then I would get a lot of kids who don’t drive, like freshmen and some sophomores,” he said. “And then I would write a pass, and then you take the late bus and go home.”

To resolve this problem, Turner is having students who are interested in the club email him. This allows him to have a general idea of who can attend the callout meeting at a given date. At the callout meeting, he will go over the basics of the planetarium.

“I’m trying to do the callout meeting with some general things I want the students to know as being part of the club. They need to be serious about learning how to operate the planetarium, to learn how to produce a planetarium public show, to learn about telescopes, and that they’re willing to be a responsible person. As people email me, we’re trying to find a time that works to get the most people there.”

Sophomore Patrick Yoon is interested in joining the planetarium club.

“I heard about this club in the announcements. I’ve actually never been down to the planetarium, and I think it’s cool that Carmel has one,” he said, “I’ve had an interest in space since I was a kid, and stargazing is pretty relaxing once in a while. I might wait a bit and see what the club is all about before I think of joining.” By Royce Brown

Visit the Planetarium Club webpage here