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SUMMARY:K01 - Looking Back\, Looking Up: Celebrating the Historic 50th Yea
 r of PAGASA Planetarium
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20261123T010000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20261123T012000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20261112T135053Z
UID:indico-contribution-1002@indico.narit.or.th
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Michael Bala (DOST-PAGASA)\nPlanetariums play a vita
 l role in astronomy education\, science communication\, and public engagem
 ent. This review traces the historical development of planetariums in the 
 Philippines\, drawing on government records\, institutional publications\,
  legal documents\, and historical accounts. The earliest documented modern
  planetarium was established in 1954 at the Philippine Weather Bureau's As
 tronomical Observatory in UP Diliman\, followed by the National Planetariu
 m in 1975 and the PAGASA Science Garden Planetarium in September 1977—th
 e country's first operational planetarium. Originally fitted with a Zeiss-
 type projector and an MS-8 Minolta projector\, and designed with 88 seats 
 symbolizing the 88 recognized constellations\, the PAGASA Planetarium has 
 served for nearly five decades as a cornerstone of astronomy education\, d
 elivering live shows and lectures to generations of students and the publi
 c.\n\nThe planetarium's evolution reflects the broader modernization of Ph
 ilippine astronomy-learning facilities: from analog\, mechanical star-proj
 ection systems to digital\, mobile\, and full-dome technology. A key miles
 tone came in June 2014\, when the PAGASA Planetarium transitioned to digit
 al projection with the installation of a Panasonic DLP system—an upgrade
  that\, through sustained preventive maintenance and careful equipment man
 agement\, has continued operating well beyond its expected service life. A
 ccess to astronomy education also expanded geographically with the introdu
 ction of PAGASA's mobile planetarium in 1999 and the establishment of regi
 onal planetariums in Mindanao (2024) and the Visayas (2025)\, decentralizi
 ng services beyond Metro Manila.\n\nAs the PAGASA Planetarium approaches i
 ts 50th anniversary in 2027\, this presentation reflects on its historical
  and technological journey while addressing the challenges of aging infras
 tructure and plans to procure a new digital projection system. Together\, 
 these developments underscore sustained institutional commitment to modern
 izing science education facilities\, expanding public access\, and strengt
 hening scientific literacy and appreciation of astronomy among Filipinos. 
 The lessons drawn from sustaining and upgrading a national planetarium—l
 ong-term planning\, diligent maintenance\, and continuous innovation—off
 er valuable guidance for preserving science education infrastructure that 
 inspires curiosity and public engagement for future generations\n\nhttps:/
 /indico.narit.or.th/event/238/contributions/1002/
LOCATION:Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort\, Mactan\, Cebu
URL:https://indico.narit.or.th/event/238/contributions/1002/
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