Cuba, Alabama, and the International Year of Astronomy

For nearly a decade, the College for Arts and Sciences of the University of Alabama has built relationships with Cuban institutions (particularly the University of Havana). Fostered by Dean Robert Olin, this “Cuba Initiative” has involved groups of faculty travelling to Cuba, visiting scholars making the opposite trip, and eventually a semester-long study term for students. This is all done under the terms of a license from the US Treasury Department, so that all these activities satisfy the relevant restrictions.

In 2007 and 2008, UA astronomer Bill Keel was sent to Havana to help support a new planetarium and science-outreach center being built as art of the renovation of the historic old city (Habana Vieja). This project is spearheaded by astronomer Oscar Alvarez, of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (CITMA: CIencia, Tecnologia, y Medio Ambiente), an IAU member and the national coordinator for IYA2009 activities The well-known city historian, Eusebio Leal Spengler, who is in charge of the overall restoration in the area, not only supported the idea but allocated a building on the 17th-century Plaza Vieja, one of the most historic and well-visited parts of the old city, which is also seen by many school groups. The location is the pink building to the right in this view of Plaza Vieja.
Alvarez’ vision for the project centers on a traditional planetarium projector in an unconventional dome. The dome will be a full sphere, with the outside painted to resemble the solar surface when viewed under UV illumination, and surrounded by scale models of the planets. Visitors will take a helical ramp to the seating level, and along the way will see images marking a timeline of evens in cosmic history. The drawing at left is from the construction site.

Construction has been underway for 2 years now, with opening tentatively set for June 2009. The old building was reduced to a shell to allow use of the full height, after which much progress has been made (which is notable given the economic conditions in Cuba, and a sign that the project enjoys considerable support).  In mid-2008, the walls were being built up and concrete was poured to support the planetarium structure.

By December 2008, the steel supporting framework for the dome and seating level was in place, along with steel supports for the double roof (with an internal level allowing access to ceiling lighting).

Inner and outer spheres of the projection/sun dome have been fabicated locally, at the Chullima boat works – anything they could make a mold for, they could blow in fiberglass. Here are some views when the project staff visited the plant in May 2008.

There are several international partners in this project. A grant from the Japanese government has underwritten the purchase of a Goto projector system. The Spanish firm of Kelonik has been contracted for the interior lighting, allowing a starry background with realistic constellations in the main exhibit hall, and sound system. The University of Alabama, in addition to informational support, is providing the large image prints for the “Powers of 10” exhibit and to illustrate the cosmic timeline. We have also acted as liaison for an installation of the From Earth to the Universe exhibition which will open the new center. A selection of 33 images from the exhibition has been produced and carried to Havana in December 2008. These will be followed later in 2009 by a set of large images to illustrate a “Powers of 10” exhibit and the cosmic timeline. Here we see delivery of the FETTU poster prints being taken by Alvarez and Pepe Vasquez, of the Colegio de San Geronimo. (Trained as a solar astronomer, Alvarez couldn’t resist expounding on some of the solar images, right).

We plan a coordinated FETTU exhibition, with the same image selection, on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa (in one of the gallery spaces, we hope) timed to coincide with the opening in Havana. This will act both as astronomical outreach and as a very public sign of the Cuba Initiative. Afterward, the image prints will reside in the Physics and Astronomy building on campus, provoking the same sense of wonder in students and visitors for years to come.

Oscar has more in mind. There is an observatory atop the mathematics building at the Universidad de La Habana, which could be renovated and added to their outreach facilities. He has had meeting about working with students to make this happen (and for that matter there have been discussions about making some of the challenges of dong this with locally available materials UA engineering assignments, as well).