Benefits of Outreach Astronomy


  • Outreach brings education to students and the public in remote, regional or isolated circumstances.
  • With the rising cost of transport, visits to centralised institutions are a cost burden to country schools and parents.
  • With an increasing shortage of trained science teachers at all levels, outreach offers a specialised teaching resource.
  • By presenting to one class at a time, teachers can direct topics for their own students in a stimulating environment.
  • The school curriculum is supplemented without disruption to the timetable.

Outreach for Fixed Dome Institutions


Portable Outreach
The use of a portable dome allows a fixed dome planetarium to reach audiences who might not otherwise come to their facility. The mobility of the portable offers a real opportunity for remote communities to experience the excitement of space and astronomy, and now the benefit is greater because mobile full-dome systems can duplicate city planetaria.

Publicity Opportunities
An inflated dome makes for an impressive sight, especially with your brand displayed on the exterior! When the portable is set up at a school, shopping centre or public venue, it holds visual interest for many more people than just those who enjoy it inside.

Use the Incursion to Promote the Excursion
A visit to a school with a mobile dome promotes further bookings, and also visits to events at the parent planetarium or scientific institution. Teasers in a portable show can attract audiences for your fixed dome presentations.

Testbed for Programming
Material under development can be tested, or new programmes evaluated at portable dome prices, before investing in a fixed dome version. This allows market evaluation through audience reaction.

Cost Amortisation
Material for planetaria is expensive to buy or create, and a second 'screen' on which to show that material can increase the overall revenue and return on investment.

Self-Funded Promotion
By operating portable units not only does an institution add to its income, but it has a self-funded, travelling promotional tool. If this is not justification enough, trustees and councillors will appreciate that education in space sciences is being offered to communities not previously reached.

Suitability for the Task
It is now widely recognised that Cosmodome offers the best value, simplest transportability, and greatest level of versatility of all of the portable dome systems.