MilitaryPress

Cross the Event Horizon and Plunge into the Center of a Black Hole.
It’s the Closest You’ll Ever Get to Experiencing the RealThing!

There’s a place from which nothing escapes, not even light, where time and space literally come to end. Cross the cosmic threshold into the bizarre realm of a black hole when the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s Heikoff Dome Theater debuts its state-of-the-art, giant dome screen digital GSX™ system from Global Immersion with a new daily public planetarium show, BLACK HOLES: The Other Side of Infinity, running in conjunction with our new exhibition “Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists”; both open Saturday, February 4. The GSX system will augment the existing IMAX® projector in the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Dome Theater with one of the most comprehensive and powerful fulldome experiences available today.

BLACK HOLES: The Other Side of Infinity (narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor, Liam Neeson) guides you through other-worldly wormholes to experience the creation of the Milky Way Galaxy and the violent death of a star and subsequent birth of a black hole. High-resolution visualizations of cosmic phenomena are based on data generated by telescope observations and ultra-high end computer simulations with striking, immersive animations of the Big Bang, the formation of the universe, 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 simulated flight to a super-massive black hole lurking at the center of our own Milky Way.

BLACK HOLES: The Other Side of Infinity provides a groundbreaking, scientifically accurate perspective on black holes and presents the latest compelling evidence that black holes are real. It 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

Showtimes in February for BLACK HOLES: The Other Side of Infinity in the Heikoff Dome Theater are Monday through Thursday at 3PM, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 3PM & 6PM. Tickets, which include admission to the digital Planetarium show and access to all exhibit galleries, are $15.75 for adults and $12.75 for children and seniors. BLACK HOLES: The Other Side of Infinity will run through the end of March, 2012. For more information, please call (619) 238-1233 or visit our website at www.rhfleet.org .

Go On a Mission with “Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists” ~
Out of this world exhibition has touched down at the Fleet

“Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists” is an out of this world exhibition exploring what we know, don’t know, and think we know about one of the world’s greatest space mysteries—black holes . These regions in space, sometimes only a few kilometers across, have gravity so powerful that light cannot escape and matter drawn into them is lost forever. Einstein imagined black holes but doubted they could exist in nature. Today evidence suggests they are quite common. Discover how not to be sucked into a black hole as it opens at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.
The exhibit is designed like a space mission; visitors are sent out to search for evidence of real black holes in our universe. Through a number of stations, a visitor will observe the peculiar properties of black holes, their amazing journey from theory to fact, and some common – and entertaining – misconceptions. A variety of interactive components will give visitors an in-depth experience of how black holes behave, shape our universe and influence our lives.
At the start of their journey, visitors will pick up a Black Holes Explorer’s ID Card, which they can use throughout the exhibit to collect discoveries and generate a personalized website that only they can access. The website serves as part personal diary, part observer’s log and will include data recorded by the visitor, including their observations, conclusions, questions, notes and photos they’ve captured of their group and their activities. Helping to guide the visitor through their explorations in the exhibit will be photos and videos of the Youth Team exhibit collaborators and a diverse team of scientists and engineers.
The final portion of the exhibit is truly an adventure for space travelers of all ages. Step into your immersive excursion pod and set your course for an extreme fantasy vacation to the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. The challenge: pilot your pod to an alien spacecraft wreck at the edge of the black hole and dive down to discover its hidden treasure—then live to tell about it.
Prepare to be disoriented as the black hole distorts the once-familiar surrounding universe. Adventurous excursion activities will allow you to experience the black hole’s spectacular effect on its environment, space and time. But keep an eye on the clock – you don’t want to be left behind when your galactic cruise ship, the Singularity, departs. Unexpected emergencies could arise, prompting a fall into the black hole itself!
“Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists” is a production of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Black Holes exhibition was originally funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation with additional major support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

About the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (“the Fleet”) is home to Southern California’s only IMAX® Dome Theater and 100+ hands-on science exhibits for all ages. Watch immersive giant-screen films in the Heikoff Dome Theater, featuring the world’s first NanoSeam™ Dome screen in an IMAX Theater. The Fleet is the first Giant Dome Theater in the country to share a digital planetarium with an IMAX Dome theater, following the recent installation of a new, state-of-the-art, giant dome screen digital GSX™ system from Global Immersion, which will augment the existing IMAX® projector in the Heikoff Dome Theater with one of the most comprehensive and powerful fulldome experiences available today. The digital system will not only enhance our planetarium capabilities but expands the possibilities for sustainable institutional programming that could include evening programming with cultural content of various kinds. Experience seven galleries of fun, interactive exhibits, including major traveling exhibitions. A hurricane simulator thrills visitors with gusts of wind up to 80 miles per hour. Enjoy sandwiches, salads and healthy treats in Galileo’s Café. Find unique educational toys and games, books, IMAX DVDs and more in the North Star Science Store. Located at 1875 El Prado, two blocks south of the San Diego Zoo on Park Blvd, the Fleet Science Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the public understanding and enjoyment of science and technology. For information regarding current admission prices, please call (619) 238-1233 or visit our website at www.rhfleet.org.