Category Archives: News

Expedition to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

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We recently traveled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to gather reference imagery for our planetarium show production about human spaceflight to Mars. What an epic trip!

It was surreal to walk inside of the Vehicle Assembly Building and travel up to the 37th floor of this incredibly huge single-story building. Currently the VAB is being retrofitted so that the SLS rocket can be vertically assembled within. This retrofit includes special motorized platforms which can be moved into place according to the needs of the project at hand.

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NASA Grant – Jackson Hole Finalist – Boston Globe Article

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NASA Grant: Planetarium Show

A while back we applied for a NASA grant and we’ve been patiently waiting to hear the results… And we are thrilled to announce that we have been selected! We are one of nine organizations chosen from 73 applications through a peer-reviewed process.

The two-year NASA grant will enable us to capture the excitement of the next generation’s moonshot — the human journey to Mars and back. We will create two educational experiences that will bring to life the engineering skills and team spirit fueling this historic pioneering endeavor. So stay tuned…

AS12-49-7278-webImage Source: NASA Project Apollo Archive

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Interviews at IMERSA 2016 – Recent Challenges

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It’s been fascinating to see IMERSA evolve and mature over the last few years. And since things are moving so fast, I wanted to document the challenges being faced in the immersive community with a series of interviews.

Last year at IMERSA there were nervous murmurings of VR, but this year there is clear excitement. It’s particularly interesting to see fulldome producers realize that they already possess the tools, skills, and ultra high resolution workflows to create polished VR experiences.

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IMERSA Summit 2016: Presentations We’re Giving

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imersa-logo-squareWe are going to be at the upcoming IMERSA Summit and sharing several presentations. With so much that’s been happening lately in the immersive community, it’s bound to be an exciting conference this year. David, Heather, and I will each be on different panels and giving presentations. Hope you can check out what we’ve been working on!

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Upcoming Special Events in the Planetarium

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EinsteinsPlayground-ASlowerSpeedofLight
Image Source: A Slower Speed of Light

Einstein’s Playground

— February 11, 2016 /// 7:15pm
— Gerd Kortemeyer, PhD, associate professor of physics at Michigan State University

Have you ever wanted to experience the complete distortion of time and space as we know it? The Charles Hayden Planetarium has partnered with the MIT Game Lab to immerse you in a virtual special relativity playground where you’ll witness the laws of physics in a completely new way. Using the power of video games, we’ll turn Einstein’s most famous theory from an abstract concept into something you can encounter yourself right here at the Museum of Science. Experience the effects of movement, time, and space as you’ve never been able to before!

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Using Real Pluto Imagery – From Dream to Discovery: Inside NASA

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In producing From Dream to Discovery: Inside NASA we made the exciting but perilous decision to include the New Horizons mission within our story. So we made an early bet that the mission would be a success…

As you well know, New Horizons has given us an amazing close-up look at Pluto. And so we are excited to announce that we have updated the show to include the latest real images of Pluto and Charon!

Blueprint to Blastoff: Free Engineering Materials for the Planetarium or Classroom

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Talia-Bio-PhotoWe are offering 3 distinct educational modules, focusing on aspects of spacecraft engineering, to anyone with a planetarium or classroom who would like to use them. They supplement, but are independent of our newest show From Dream to Discovery: Inside NASA and are being shared free of charge.

This article was written by Talia Sepersky. She currently works as a planetarium educator at the Charles Hayden Planetarium, Museum of Science, Boston.

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DJ Spooky: The Hidden Code – Performing in the Dome

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My love for live music in the dome is undeniable. The idea is simple but powerful: Allow the synthesis of live performance and astronomy visuals to create a uniquely awe-inspiring experience.

Having thrown a series of live music events, each with its own custom dome visuals, we now have a collection of 4k dome material. So when DJ Spooky approached us with the idea of partnering to create a live fulldome show, it felt like a natural match. And the premiere of the show is just a few weeks away.

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Dome Screening at SIGGRAPH 2015

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Our short fulldome film Waiting Far Away has been selected to be screened during SIGGRAPH 2015! So if you will be attending then please check it out.

Scheduled within the Art Reel: Part 1 sessions:
— Monday, Aug 10 /// 10:45am-11:00am
— Tuesday, Aug 11 /// 12:45pm-1:00pm
— Tuesday, Aug 11 /// 3:45pm-4:00pm
— Wednesday, Aug 12 /// 12:45pm-1:00pm
— Wednesday, Aug 12 /// 4:45pm-5:00pm
— Thursday, Aug 13 /// 12:45pm-1:00pm

The VR Village Dome will be in Exhibit Hall G in the South Building of the Los Angeles Convention Center.