Armagh Planetarium - Digistar Users Group 2006

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DIGISTAR USERS GROUP CONFERENCE 2006 - SALT LAKE CITY

The Digistar Users Group (DUG) is an independent group of planetarium professionals who own and use one of the Digistar family of machines. This year, their annual conference was held at Evans & Sutherland's Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah from September 27th - 29th. On behalf of Armagh Planetarium Tom Mason (Director) and Julie Thompson (Digital Theatre Manager) attended the conference. Including the E&S staff, there were over eighty people, the largest attendance its DUG's history. Bringing together many of the users of Digistar equipment from all over the world, the annual DUG event is an opportunity for Digistar users to share ideas and production techniques; meet new users; present their latest full-dome shows; and to provide feedback and suggestions to E&S about the Digistar systems and software. As the meeting was held at E&S, delegates were able to experience the latest in projection technology and show content from Evans & Sutherland.

(LEFT) JULIE THOMPSON AND TOM MASON.

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DUG members presented samples of their latest work for both Digistar II and Digistar 3 for this year's DUG delegates. Digistar II submissions included entries from Longway Planetarium; Abrams Planetarium; the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery; and the Universal Theatre and Planetarium. Digistar 3 content submissions came from Nehru Planetarium; the Science Center of Iowa, Cranbrook Institute of Science; Northern Kentucky University; Boonshoft Museum of Discovery; Santa Barbara Community College; Don Harrington Discovery Center; Infovision and our very own Julie Thompson. Julie's submission was 'The Armagh Story' which has been appreciated by audiences since we reopened in July. The evening ended with a screening of Secrets of the Sun, E&S' latest full-dome astronomy show.

(LEFT) DIGISTAR USERS GROUP CONFERENCE DELEGATES

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Friday's DUG events included the conclusion of the business agenda and another set of seminars at E&S. After dinner the presentation of the DUG Awards took place and I am delighted to tell you that Armagh Planetarium's Julie Thompson took first place in the Digistar 3 category. This is the second time that Julie has taken first prize in this contest for work produced at Armagh Planetarium, receiving this prize for her only previous entry in 2004. Well done for a very talented member of the Armagh team, helping us return to the forefront of planetarium innovation and show production. Julie's 'Armagh Story' will continue to be shown as part of the Planetarium's regular programme of public astronomy shows.