[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 10, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S4862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ADLER PLANETARIUM'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, on Thursday, May 12, 2005, the Adler 
Planetarium, the first planetarium in America and in the Western 
Hemisphere, will mark its 75th anniversary.
  Max Adler recognized a need to exhibit artifacts from the history of 
astronomy to the public, and so he founded the Adler Planetarium and 
Astronomy Museum in 1930. Originally, it housed a collection of about 
500 astronomical, navigational, and mathematical instruments that would 
become the foundation for Alder's History of Astronomy Collection. 
Today, this collection has grown to almost 2000 astronomical artifacts 
dating from the 12th to the 20th centuries. Included in this collection 
is the world's oldest known window sundial from 1529; a telescope made 
by William Herschel, the astronomer who discovered Uranus; and a 
collection of rare books comprising more than 2000 volumes, some of 
which were printed before the 1500s.
  Over the past 75 years, the Adler's history has been marked by 
several milestones. In 1933, light from the star Arcturus was 
successfully converted into electrical signals that turned on the 
lights for the opening ceremonies of the 1933 Century of Progress 
Exposition. In 1964, the Adler Planetarium partnered with the National 
Science Foundation and began offering the Astro-Science Workshop, a 
program designed to challenge Chicago area high school students who 
demonstrate an exceptional aptitude for science.
  In 1999, the Adler Planetarium underwent renovations that produced 
the Sky Pavilion, a 60,000 square-foot glass-enclosed addition that 
includes five new exhibit galleries and a cafe overlooking the 
lakefront and the Chicago skyline. The highlight of this renovation is 
the StarRider Theater, which, through the use of state-of-the-art 
computer projection technologies and a sophisticated audience 
participation system, creates a 3-D virtual reality experience for all 
those who visit.
  Earlier this year, the Adler Planetarium was selected by NASA as the 
education partner for the Interstellar Boundary Explorer mission to be 
launched in 2008. This mission will examine the characteristics of the 
region of space between the solar system and deep space where the solar 
wind protects Earth and the rest of the solar system from cosmic 
radiation.
  I know that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Adler 
Planetarium on this important day. I hope all who are involved with the 
Planetarium will take pride in their important work as they celebrate 
this anniversary, and I wish them continued success in the years to 
come.

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