Mobile planetarium goes to schools

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Philippines—The city government here has finally carried out a venture to help students of public elementary and high schools understand and appreciate more the subject of science by bringing it closer to them through the Science Centrum, which is under the city’s supervision.

 The Science Centrum, located within the vicinity of the La Union Botanical Garden in Barangay Cadaclan here, runs a mobile planetarium which has been acquired for over P1 million.

 Staff  of the Science Centrum has began going from school-to-school to put up the said planetarium for students to watch, study and even play with or to make them aware of the beauty of the universe.

 â€œThe youth now are more interested in the modern technology like the internet but not of science technology. This is one of the reasons why the idea of bringing the entire kit of the planetarium in schools came up through the request of some teachers,” said Evelyn Ortiza, a Science Centrum staff.

 Dr. Maria Cristina Nerona, principal of Siboan Otong Elementary School, said not all students can afford the Science Centrum’s entrance fee aside from getting their parents’ permission which deemed very taxing.

 â€œThat’s why they put up the planetarium here temporarily and were shown to 125 pupils,” Nerona said.

 Ortiza added that they would be moving the 10-ft high and 5-meter radius planetarium for display in small schools for a day; four days for bigger schools and a week for the most-populated schools.

 It was learned that once the mobile planetarium is set up, students are treated to a view of constellations; names of groups of stars found in the universe; phases of the moon for a month; and tectonic plates. 

The planetarium was already shown to the students of Pao Elementary and High Schools and Puspus Elementary School and Tanquigan Elementary School.