Fleetster Friday: Meet Mary Anderson

It’s #FleetsterFriday! This week, we’d like you to meet the Fleetster who has been working here the longest. Mary Anderson, one of the Fleet’s Console Operators, has been with the Fleet since it opened in 1973! Mary has been the primary Console Operator for all of The Sky Tonight planetarium shows—unless, of course, she’s off chasing eclipses and taking amazing astronomy photos! The Sky Tonight planetarium show on Wednesday, September 5, will be Mary’s last before she retires, so don’t miss it!

Finish this sentence: I love science because …  

… the scientific method provides a way to find real answers and separate fact from fiction.

How many IMAX films have you seen?

Every single one that has ever been shown on our Dome, plus a few others at different venues around the world.

Have you ever met anyone famous?

Several astronauts, Jill Tarter (whom Jodie Foster played in “Contact”), Frank Drake (author of the Drake equation and founder of SETI), Seth Shostak (Senior Astronomer at SETI) and Fred Espenak (aka “Mr. Eclipse”).

If you could add anyone to Mount Rushmore, who would it be and why?

Carl Sagan, because he brought science and astronomy to the common person.

Would you rather be the funniest or the smartest person in the room?

That’s a tough one … probably the smartest. I really admire Dr. Lisa Will. She is VERY smart!