Lane continues expanding planetarium outreach

There’s no doubt that the planetarium stands out as one of the jewels of campus. For the school, it’s a place to watch an exciting show, learn more about the cosmos and even prepare for eclipses. And for Planetarium Director Michael Lane, who joined the school faculty last year, managing such an important part of campus so early has proved to be a learning experience that continues to provide more and more promise.
Lane had to take on a flurry of change as the planetarium underwent a massive set of software upgrades that changed the entire showrunning experience.
“There was a steep learning curve to figure out how (the planetarium) works,” Lane said. “We had a certain system of software last year, and it was a lot of work to learn, but then we completely changed the software.”
But eventually, Lane ended up learning the software like the back of his hand. But, just knowing how to put a show together isn’t the only important piece — he had to discover how to theme his shows and make them appealing to a large audience.
“When creating a show, you first have to think of a theme,” Lane said. “Standard ones are the current night sky, taking a look at Mars, the Solar System, a tour of the universe and even a show on eclipses. All of these shows might be relevant for some parts of the year.”
Lane, in particular, has tried to stress the educational element as well as the visual appeal. For students, he finds it important to make sure what they learn is put in context and applicable for their learning.
“I’m trying to find that right balance of, ‘let me teach you something that is understandable, but also just show things that are cool’, and I’m trying to be creative about types of shows to do,” Lane said. “We never just stop and look up anymore, we kind of just rush off to the next thing.”
And now, with a level of comfort with running the planetarium and all its shows, Lane hopes to expand its use so students, parents and other members of the school community can rely on a constant source of learning and entertainment.
With a number of shows and the skill to run the planetarium, Lane remembers how it drew him here in the first place and how his decision has since paid off in dividends.
“I think the excitement of a new school and the excitement of working in a planetarium was what really drove me here,” Lane said. “And then when I came here, it was just so nice.”