Q&A with Dave Maness

Dave Maness is the breath of fresh air the Sharpe Planetarium (located in the Pink Palace Museum) needed after enduring nearly three years of low-level operation. Since joining the institution as the planetarium supervisor earlier this year, he organized educational programming for school children in a month’s time and has plans to update the theatre for full dome video capability. Always in awe of the universe, Maness says his generation had an "Ah-hah" experience with the Apollo lunar mission, but he hopes younger generations can share in that same euphoria by observing virtually replicated versions of space in the planetarium. RSVP editor Leah Fitzpatrick sat down with Maness as he previewed the planetarium’s newest program, The Planets, and shared his prediction that the next "Ah-hah" moment will be the announcement that life has been discovered on Mars.

For the full story and photos, pick up a copy of the October RSVP.