Light from stars takes decades or centuries to reach us; from distant galaxies, millions of years. How far back can we go? Visitors explore this question in the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) Strasenburgh Planetarium’s new show The Earliest Light, opening Saturday, October 10 as part of RMSC’s celebration of the International Year of Light.
Light from shortly after the Big Bang surrounds us, but was discovered only 50 years ago. Attendees take an imaginary trip back in time to see what today’s clues tell us about conditions in the early universe and how they led to the “cosmic microwave background” that fills our sky. Beautiful montages of galaxies near and far, photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope, explore the universe in various stages of time-all projected from the Planetarium’s high-resolution video system onto the four-story dome.
In the second half of the show, the Planetarium’s giant star projector rises into action, and an expert presenter conducts a live tour of stars, constellations and planets of the current sky.
The Earliest Light is designed for older children and adults and lasts about 60 minutes. Tickets are $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, college students with ID, and ages 3-18, and free for RMSC members. The complete show schedule is available at www.rmsc.org.
Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) includes the Science Museum, Strasenburgh Planetarium, and Cumming Nature Center. Offering experiences at the Museum with more than 200 interactive exhibits, Planetarium with a 65-foot dome and Nature Center on 900 acres, the RMSC stimulates community interest in exploration. In addition, the more than 1.2 million RMSC collection items tell the story of Rochester’s past including its rich history of innovation and invention. RMSC receives major funding from Monroe County, where it is one of the top three most visited attractions serving children and families. For more information about RMSC, visit www.rmsc.org. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
