Only July 25 we took delivery of the production computers for the Spitz SciDome XD system.  The production system is a pair of computers that will be used for creating new planetarium shows offline.  They are configured as one-to-one hardware and software hot spares for the eventual projection system computers, and let us create new shows, hone our Starry Night skills, and preview and edit old shows without having to burn "lamp time" on the main system.

We have set them up in an office in McPherson and fired them up successfully for the first time.  Between now and when our SciDome XD projector system arrives later this fall, we will use this system to start learning how to use StarryNight.  This will let us get up to speed with the new system before the actual planetarium projector arrives and is installed by Spitz.

Two of our students, Kate Grier and Calen Henderson, will be attending the Spitz Institute in August to begin intensive training in the new system.  When they get back, they'll starting teaching the rest of us.

In the meantime, renovation construction is getting set to begin in earnest.  We have the last of the major pieces ordered, and are reviewing our renovation schedule with our FOD project manager, Becky Fields.  We are not yet to the point that we can set a re-opening date, but watch this space for more news.

Things are about to starting to happen!