Cosmic Collisions--Spectacular New Space Show-- Opens February 16, 2008 in the Alden Digital Planetarium at the EcoTarium

Narrated by Academy Award Winner Robert Redford
Featuring Dramatic Images of Planetary Impacts and Celestial Smash-Ups

MEDIA CONTACT: Liz Foxwell
Marketing & Communications Manager
lfoxwell@ecotarium.org
(508)929-2738

January 9, 2008

(WORCESTER, Mass.) -- A spectacular new space show, Cosmic Collisions, blasts into the EcoTarium, A Museum of Science and Nature, on Saturday, February 16, 2008. Narrated by award-winning actor, director, and producer Robert Redford, the film will be showing in Massachusetts' only digital planetarium, the new Alden Digital Planetarium. Featuring stunning images from space and breathtaking visualizations based on cutting-edge scientific data, the dazzling new Cosmic Collisions reveals the explosive encounters that shaped our solar system, changed the course of life on Earth, and continue to transform our galaxy and universe.

An engrossing, immersive theater experience, Cosmic Collisions launches visitors on an awe-inspiring trip through space and time to explore the impacts that drive the continuing evolution of the universe. This new space show focuses on the full range of collisions, from catastrophic planetary impacts and the merging of massive galaxies to the continual explosions occurring in the center of the Sun.

New Discoveries, the Latest Research, and Stunning Observations from Space--The Foundation of Cosmic Collisions

Cosmic Collisions presents a view of the cosmos that is radically different from our everyday experience watching the peaceful night sky. Collisions are commonplace occurrences in space and are currently understood by scientists as a key mechanism in the evolution of the universe. They are the spectacular and inevitable result of gravity pulling together objects such as planets, stars, and galaxies, which are in constant motion through space. For the first time, Cosmic Collisions re-creates tremendous encounters that are usually invisible to us, either because they unfold over incredibly vast expanses of time and space, spanning billions of years and trillions of miles (as in the clash of galaxies), or because they occur almost instantaneously on a subatomic scale (as in the collision of protons in the heart of the Sun).

"Cosmic Collisions is an excellent example of something that makes the EcoTarium unique," said Stephen Pitcher, President of the EcoTarium, "inspiring a passion for science and nature by combining the most current research with an exciting presentation to engage learners of all ages."

Cosmic Collisions--Scene by Scene

Cosmic Collisions starts quietly: a deceptively peaceful night sky with stars covers the dome of the Alden Digital Planetarium, but viewers soon encounter spectacular cosmic events including:

Space Show Technology

A complex merger of cutting-edge astrophysics research and state-of-the-art supercomputing expertise made it possible for Cosmic Collisions to transport audiences through time and space to view the evolving universe. To perform the enormously complex calculations and render the scenes of interstellar collisions, the space show’s production team relied on an array of graphic workstations, a Linux-based rendering cluster with 100 processors to create the graphic images, and used a multichannel digital dailies system to preview the high-resolution graphic images on the planetarium dome at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Cosmic Collisions on EcoTarium Website--www.ecotarium.org and The Educator’s Guide

Online visitors can explore Cosmic Collisions at www.ecotarium.org, featuring an exciting trailer and an Educator's Guide to Cosmic Collisions to help teachers and school groups make the most of their visit to the space show. The guide presents key concepts in the show including the dynamic nature of the universe, cosmic scale of time and space, and the nature of Earth's natural defenses. It also includes activities and resources for teachers to use before and after their visit.

Press Reviews

"Cosmic Collisions is truly a 'smash' hit." -- Sky & Telescope
"Every audience member who walks in will have his or her world rocked." -- Space.com
"Breathtaking" -- The Miami Herald
"A journey I was sorry to end." -- The New York Times
"As entertaining as Cosmic Collisions is... it's the science that went into it that is most impressive." -- Time Out New York

Cosmic Collisions was developed by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science; GOTO, Inc., Tokyo, Japan; and the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, China.

EcoTarium, A Museum of Science & Nature, offers three floors of interactive exhibits, wildlife habitats, interpretive nature trails, Massachusetts' only digital planetarium, and a narrow-gauge railroad. The museum, located at 222 Harrington Way in Worcester, Mass., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 12 to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors, college students and children ages 3-18. Parking is free. For information, please call (508) 929-2700 or email info@ecotarium.org.

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