Dr. David H. Bradstreet Authors New Volume of Planetarium Curriculum Released Worldwide

St. Davids, PA: Eastern University is pleased to announce Dr. David H. Bradstreet ‘76, Professor and Chair of the Astronomy and Physics Department and Director of the Bradstreet Observatory and Julia Fowler Planetarium, recently released Volume 3 of the Spitz Fulldome Curriculum, of which he is the primary author. Additionally, videos and illustrations for the curriculum were created by Steven Sanders ’01, Observatory Administrator at Eastern. 

The Spitz Fulldome Curriculum works with the SciDome Planetarium system and has been released to educational institutions, science centers and museums worldwide.  The new volume will include several revisions to mini-lessons from previous versions and also include new material. The following topics are covered in the new volume:

 

  • BradstreetGalilean Moons
  • North Celestial Pole (NCP) Altitude
  • Planetary Tilts
  • Quasars Fulldome
  • Roemer's Method Revised
  • Solar System Scale Revised
  • Stellar Sizes Revised
  • Synodic Periods of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter
  • Titius-Bode Rule
  • Watery Constellations

This volume also offers the availability to add on interactive Fulldome software titled Epicycles, Newton’s Mountain and Tides. These programs allow educators to more easily demonstrate difficult subject matter to students. 

When asked about the impact of the software on the planetarium community at large, Scott Huggins, Director of Marketing and Product Strategy, at Spitz, Inc. replied, “The Fulldome Curriculum is a game-changer for planetarium education.  Dr. Bradstreet’s work is the first of its kind – a comprehensive, detailed set of lessons specifically made for education in a 3D immersive environment.  Planetarium professionals worldwide rely on Dr. Bradstreet’s curriculum and regularly tell us it’s one of the most important teaching resources they’ve ever worked with.”

Dr. Bradstreet is also the co-author of the book Star Struck, Seeing the Creator in the Wonders of Our Cosmos, with journalist Steve Rabey.  For more information on Astronomy and Physics at Eastern University visit eastern.edu/astronomy

Eastern University is a Christian university of the arts and sciences located in the western suburbs of Philadelphia at 1300 Eagle Road in St. Davids, PA. Eastern enrolls approximately 3,300 students in its undergraduate, graduate, professional, urban, Seminary and international programs. Its core values of faith, reason and justice are woven into all of its educational programs. For more information visit eastern.edu.