Abstract
On the high plains of southeastern New Mexico, adjacent to the Roswell Museum and Art Center, the large white geodesic dome of the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium stands out among the flat adobe style architecture of surrounding buildings. The juxtaposition of museum relics, fine arts and space age technology provides a unique opportunity for visitors to make cosmic leaps in their understanding of our world and its place in space. For astronomy teachers and planetarians, this challenge takes on special significance as we move into the 21st century with urban lifestyles so dysfunctional and distracted that people become out of touch with the natural world and as light and air pollution gradually obliterate our view of the stars. Consequently, our role as astronomy educators has changed in the last twenty five years.
