International Planetarium Society
Encyclopedia
The International Planetarium Society (IPS) is the largest organization
of professional planetarians
in the world. It includes members from almost every continent and over twenty affiliate organizations. The IPS publishes a quarterly journal, The Planetarian, and holds a convention in even numbered years. The most recent conference, June 2010, was held in Alexandria, Egypt. Planetariums in Rio de Janeiro
, Beijing
, and Vancouver
are bidding to host the 2012 convention. Conference Proceedings are published on CD.
While most affiliates are based upon a single nation, in the United States
the country is divided into eight regional affiliates, and several areas with small numbers of planetariums have united several countries into a single affiliate, as in the Mediterranean and Scandinavia
n regions.
The organization was founded in 1965 with the name International Society of Planetarium Educators. The name change in 1972 was to encourage non-educators such as the designers and manufacturers of planetartiums to participate.
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
of professional planetarians
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
in the world. It includes members from almost every continent and over twenty affiliate organizations. The IPS publishes a quarterly journal, The Planetarian, and holds a convention in even numbered years. The most recent conference, June 2010, was held in Alexandria, Egypt. Planetariums in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
are bidding to host the 2012 convention. Conference Proceedings are published on CD.
While most affiliates are based upon a single nation, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the country is divided into eight regional affiliates, and several areas with small numbers of planetariums have united several countries into a single affiliate, as in the Mediterranean and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n regions.
The organization was founded in 1965 with the name International Society of Planetarium Educators. The name change in 1972 was to encourage non-educators such as the designers and manufacturers of planetartiums to participate.