Publication Date

11-1-1932

Abstract

Few people, even among college graduates, have a clear conception of the structure of the Solar System. Perhaps there are two reasons why this is true. In the first place, our educational system is so organized that there is little room for courses in astronomy, either in the high school or college curriculum. In the second place, it is not easy to get the true conception of the Solar System without a mechanical model, and mechanical models of the sun and its family are difficult to construct. In order that the students of Southern Methodist University might obtain a more accurate knowledge of the Solar System, the planetarium illustrated in this article was constructed and placed in a position where it may be seen in operation at any time.