The Nairobi Planetarium: A Model For A Sustainable, Low Cost, Natural Dome
TalkAstronomy education in low-tech environments: Challenges and solutions
2nd Shaw-IAU Workshop
Wednesday Oct. 7, 2020
UTC: 6:15 p.m. - 6:25 p.m. America/New_York: 2:15 p.m.- 2:25 p.m.
Thursday Oct. 8, 2020
UTC: 11:15 a.m. - 11:25 a.m. America/New_York: 7:15 a.m.- 7:25 a.m.
Daniel Chu Owen (Travelling Telescope)
Traditionally a planetarium is an expensive building to construct, with very specific skills only known by a small number of specialised professionals. Our approach is different in that we have built a dome using bamboo harvested from our compound, and wit h a few tips found online such as treating the bamboo against insects and mould we hope to have found a way of building a planetarium which can last for many years - and is even moveable.
We are currently working on making our dome “covid safe”, by essentially opening up the sides so it will be an outdoor / indoor space. After a number of potential designs we’ve now settled on one we feel can work. My presentation will focus on this bamboo dome and our plans to keep it safe during the pandemic
About Daniel Chu Owen
Daniel Chu Owen, the co-founder and technical director of The Travelling Telescope, has been involved in astronomy outreach for 12 years. Chu has a degree in film production and in addition to the Travelling Telescope works in the film industry primarily
Watch a recording of this talk (external link)
