Journey through the Cosmos
YHC astronomy professor Steve Morgan makes planetarium a stellar experience
By MARCUS KEELY Sentinel Writer

The cosmos has been a lifelong fascination for Steve Morgan, Rollins planetarium director and astronomy professor at Young Harris College in Young Harris, Georgia. In the second grade, Morgan remembers checking out a book from the school library about astronomy in which he read that the sun was simply a star like all of the other stars in the night sky. Though he admits that it boggled his mind, he recalls that he found it to be extremely fascinating. "My parents got me a telescope at a fairly young age," Professor Morgan continues with a hint of a smile beginning to show on his face, "and I started using it to explore the night sky. So from there, it was just a natural progression to winding up in this field." Clearly, the fascination hasn't resided.

Morgan, a native of Shelby, North Carolina, further developed his interest in astronomy after high school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The university, he points out, was a perfect fit because it was home to one of the largest planetariums not only in North Carolina but the United States, the Morehead Planetarium. Not only were the facilities bountiful, but the university also boasted a strong astronomy and physics department and plenty of astronomy clubs. During his four years at UNC, Morgan was elected as president of one of these clubs. After graduation, it wasn't hard for this avid astronomy enthusiast to figure out where to go next. Morgan promptly continued his studies at graduate school at UNC, working 20 hours a week in an internship at the Morehead planetarium to pay for his education. This, he admits, is what ultimately led to him to the planetarium career he holds today.

Before coming to Young Harris, Morgan held a number of positions at planetariums across the southeastern United States. His first job was at a small planetarium in Columbia, South Carolina known as the Gibbes Planetarium. A few years later, Professor Morgan had the opportunity to take a position at the Schiele Planetarium in Gastonia, North Carolina (only a thirty minute drive from his hometown of Shelby). Moving even further west, Morgan soon took a job at the Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville, South Carolina. There, much to his delight, he was able to combine elements of both the planetarium and observatory in his work. However, when the planetarium director position opened up at YHC a few years ago, Professor Morgan jumped at the opportunity. The position, he felt, had a lot of different things about it that were unique and exciting: the proximity to the mountains, the dark skies (something unheard of in Greenville), and the college environment (which he has always found to be "intellectually stimulating").

Now, almost two years after arriving at Young Harris, Morgan doesn't regret the decision in the least bit. At the planetarium, he gets to produce and direct shows for thousands of area school children ranging from kindergarten students to those in high school. In addition, on most Friday nights throughout the year, Professor Morgan presents public programs free of charge (of which his favorite was this past winter's "Black Hole" show). Though a lot of the shows are pre-produced, the lack of standardization among planetariums (each planetarium has its own peculiar and particular set-up of projectors and effects) makes some amount of production necessary before the show is finally presented. "It's not like you can drop it in and push go," Morgan points out. Once the show is produced, setup only takes about 15- 20 minutes of preparation. The majority of this time is spent firing up and coordinating the four computers that run the various aspects of the show. Two computers control the star projector, one computer controls all of the lights, slide projectors, and video projectors, and, to control the laser system, a fourth and final computer is needed.

In the classroom, however, Morgan assumes the role of professor, and extends beyond preproduced shows, fully-engaging the minds of his students. Morgan enjoys teaching so much that, when asked what his favorite part about his job is, he responded, "interacting with the college students who take classes [at Young Harris College.]" Unlike most universities and colleges, Young Harris College allows Morgan the opportunity to teach inside the planetarium, a benefit afforded to the small-size of the institution. However, because of its status as a two-year college, YHC only offers introductory astronomy courses to its students. The first of these, a course taught by Morgan in the fall, introduces students to the solar system. The second course, offered exclusively in the spring semester, extends beyond the concepts learned in the first course. Somewhat daunting, its focus is on the reaches of the universe outside of the solar system.

Over the next five to ten years Professor Morgan foresees "things will continue to grow and change." After a recent decision by the YHC board of trustees to transform the college into a four-year institution, it appears that this change is closer to becoming a reality than ever before. Such a resolution will ultimately mean more courses (no doubt those which can be considered "higher-level") and students for Professor Morgan. But the good-humored professor is welcoming it. "It's going to be fun to see that happen here," he says.

The amount of students and courses is not the only thing that is going to change in the foreseeable future. Morgan is already envisioning new technology for the aging planetarium. Fulldome video, a "full-color, fullmotion video that will cover the entire planetarium dome, 360 degrees above and around the viewer" is currently sweeping the planetarium field. "We're reaching the point now where slide-projector technology is on the decline," Morgan says as he points up at the various projectors lining the walls of the planetarium. In time new concepts will take the place of this older technology, and the slide projectors are going to be pulled out and replaced by video projectors that will work together to create "a continuous image across the dome."

As for now, the projectors stay. "Skies Over Georgia," the current show at Rollins Planetarium, uses such existing technology to create a simple, but fun and informative presentation. "It's almost a throwback to the way that planetarium shows were done before there was a lot of high-tech audio/visual equipment," Morgan is quick to point out. "This particular show, a lot of it is just the star-projector, the beautiful star-field that it can create, and I as a tour guide who takes the audience on a guided tour through the constellations." The show is created by Morgan in such a way that, if members of the audience were to go outside at their homes after the show and look up at the night sky, they would be able to see the same constellations and planets presented at the planetarium. But don't let the title of the show fool you. "I want the people in Clay County to realize that the sky doesn't suddenly change as you cross the Georgia state line," Morgan reassures me. "Even though the show is called 'Skies Over Georgia,' it's very much the same sky [that can be seen in North Carolina.]"

"Skies Over Georgia" will be showing at 8:30 p.m. on June 22 and July 13, 20. For more information call (706) 379-4312 or go to www.yhc.edu and click on the "Rollins Planetarium" link.