Feel the Pull of
Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity
Narrated by Liam Neeson
Cross the Event Horizon and Plunge into the Center of a Black Hole. It’s the Closest You’ll Ever Get to Experiencing the Real Thing!
Denver— Cross the cosmic threshold into the bizarre realm of a black hole when the Denver Museum of Nature & Science debuts its new planetarium show, Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity at Gates Planetarium on Friday, February 10. The show provides a groundbreaking, scientifically accurate perspective on black holes and presents the latest compelling evidence that black holes are real.
Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity is funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and is produced by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in association with the PBS science series, NOVA. NOVA will air a one-hour film about black holes in the fall of 2006 titled "Monster of the Milky Way."
“This project melds together the education and science that are the hallmarks of the Museum,” said the show’s executive producer, Joslyn Schoemer. “But it’s especially great when that melding produces something that is beautiful on top of being accurate and educational. And that’s what this show delivers—the visuals are stunning. You’ll never look at the universe the same way again.”
Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity brings viewers along on a thrilling ride to the inside of a supermassive black hole. This is made possible by a unique software program created by the show’s science director and University of Colorado astrophysics professor Dr. Andrew J.S. Hamilton. His Black Hole Flight Simulator transforms real scientific data about black holes into stunning, colorful visualizations. “When people come to see Black Holes, they’re not just looking at pretty images. They’re looking at Einstein’s equations visualized,” said Hamilton. “Numerous TV shows and Hollywood movies have depicted artists’ impressions of what it might look like to fall into a black hole. The Black Hole Flight Simulator delivers the real experience—at least if Einstein’s theory of general relativity is correct. But be warned: don’t expect it to look like anything you’ve seen before.”
On the search for black holes across deep space, viewers encounter a range of spectacular cosmic wonders visualized by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, including a depiction of the beginning of the universe, the Big Bang, endless seas of dust and gas drawn together by gravity to form the first stars, the collision of two galaxies that cross paths in the vastness of space, and a virtual trip into the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity also gives an overview of the fundamental concepts and terms essential to the understanding black holes:
- Einstein’s concept of general relativity, and how the gravity of massive objects warps the fabric of space
- How black holes form from massive stars that die in violent explosions called supernovae
- That gamma-rays are telltale products of black hole formation, and how a NASA space telescope called Swift is looking for these signs right now
- The difference between regular, stellar-mass black holes, and immense, supermassive black holes, and how each type forms
- Strong evidence demonstrating there are supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies
- Research conducted by astronomer Andrea Ghez at the Keck Observatory on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano, which points toward a supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy
The unique blend of cutting-edge science and visual artistry required to produce a show about black holes provided an appealing professional challenge for director Thomas Lucas. “My chance to make this show came when I realized how much the world of black hole research has changed in the last few years. I wanted to capture the sense of wonder that scientists told me they have experienced at the recent flurry of discoveries about black holes.”
A longtime television documentary producer, Lucas jumped at the chance to create his first show for the unique specifications of a planetarium. Unlike television, Gates Planetarium’s dome provides an immersive experience that surrounds viewers with an ultra high-resolution digital picture and puts them in the middle of the action. The venue also allows viewers to more easily understand the position of stars and galaxies in relation to one another, which enhances the educational value of Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity.
Though the show will debut at Gates Planetarium at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, it will be shown at other planetariums. The visuals are adaptable for different types of planetarium domes, and Spitz, Inc., is distributing the show worldwide. In addition, some of the visualizations from Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity will be used in the NOVA program “Monster of the Milky Way,” also directed by Thomas Lucas and scheduled for on PBS in Fall 2006.
Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity is made possible through funding by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and is a collaboration of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Spitz, Inc., and the Swift and GLAST Education and Public Outreach Programs at Sonoma State University. “Black Hole Flight Simulator” by Dr. Andrew J.S. Hamilton, © University of Colorado.
Showtimes for Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity in Gates Planetarium are Monday through Thursday at 10:00, 11:00 a.m., 1:00, 1:30, and 2:30 p.m., Friday at 10:00, 11:00 a.m., 1:00, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 and 5:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 a.m., 1:00, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. Gates Planetarium tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for juniors (ages 3 to 18) and seniors (age 65 and older). Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity will run though the end of 2006. For more information, check www.dmns.org, or call 303-322-7009.
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DMNS-05-099
Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by generous funding from the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.
