Innovative Astronomy Education Programs for Developing Countries

It is desirable that planetariums in developing countries should make the maximum and most efficient use of the planetarium infrastructure and facilities to cover as much ground as possible in the popularization and dissemination of astronomy. After all, the number of planetariums in developing countries necessarily has to be small, and so specialization in specific disciplines or fields becomes a luxury. In India, for example, there are about ten planetariums, and another five or six will come into operation in the next few years. But these planetariums have to cater to a large population. In the U.S.A., which has a fraction of India’s population, on the other hand, there are hundreds of planetariums. The following suggestions are based on successfully implemented projects at the B.M. Birla Planetarium, Hyderabad.A golden rule for planetarium programs anywhere, and certainly in developing countries, is to start a planetarium sky show or activity with a local flair. For example, the local names of stars and constellations, local myths, local astronomers or, more specifically, topics like the history of astronomy in the region should be highlighted.