‘Hubble 3D’ offers rare glimpse into outer space

Lindsey Watson

The Signal Staff

Courtesy: NASA

In the wake of the announcement that the United States shuttle program will be coming to an end for the foreseeable future, the Houston Museum of Natural Science presents “Hubble 3D,” an IMAX movie, showcasing the images and discoveries that the Hubble Space Telescope has produced over the last 20 years.

“Hubble 3D” begins by introducing and traveling with the crew onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis.  The Atlantis crew was comprised of seven astronauts whose primary mission was to fix the ailing Hubble Space Telescope and install a new Wide Field Camera that would capture images in better resolution than it was previously capable of recording.  This is slated to be the last mission into space to repair or upgrade the 20-year-old telescope.

With Leonardo DiCaprio as the narrator, the IMAX movie takes you inside the shuttle during an intense blast-off, then takes you through a day in the life of an astronaut traveling in space.  From making food to exercising, viewers feel as if they are truly onboard the shuttle.

The movie brings to life the astronauts’ difficulties in not only handling the delicate intricacies of fixing the telescope but even locating Hubble out in space.  Viewers have a chance to explore inside the telescope as an astronaut spends more than 10 hours retrieving tiny screws on a small motherboard.

Courtesy: NASA

“Hubble 3D” also features many of the images that the telescope has captured over the last several years.  DiCaprio explains how stars are formed and how they die.  The screen seems to be alive as planets rush by your face and stars explode before your eyes.

“The movie has little to no special effects,” said Sami Mesarwi, marketing manager of the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  “All of the images are actual images pulled from Hubble.”

Lastly, the movie shows amazing images of the many solar systems and galaxies that the Hubble Space Telescope has captured.  DiCaprio explains how the Milky Way Galaxy is just a small part, like a pencil dot, in relation to the rest of space.

In 3D, this IMAX movie comes alive and brings the viewer to a place where they most likely will never get a chance to truly experience.  After observing Hubble 3D, one cannot help but to gain a new appreciation for space and the importance of the space program.

“It makes the universe real; it makes it feel like you’re there,” said Carolyn Sumners, vice president for astronomy and the physical sciences at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Courtesy: NASA

“Hubble 3D” is the seventh IMAX movie that has been made in partnership with NASA and could possibly be the last, at least for the time being.  There is, however, talk of a possible International Space Station film.  Four more U.S. shuttle launches are expected before the space program is retired and the U.S. begins its space partnership with Russia.

Hubble is expected to be in working order until 2014, when it will begin to mechanically fail.

“When Hubble begins to fall it will disintegrate in the Earth’s atmosphere, probably crashing into the ocean,” Sumners explained. “It’s orbit is too low to stay up forever.”

“Anything mechanical cannot exist forever,” Sumners said.

“Hubble 3D” will continue to show at least through summer 2010.

“It will be running for awhile,” Mesarwi said.  “The IMAX schedule is a little more open ended.”

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is currently offering the “Magic” exhibit and  “Archaeopteryx: Icon of Evolution” through Sept. 6. and “Faberge: Imperial Jeweler to the Tsars” through July 25.  Upcoming exhibits include “Secrets of the Silk Road” opening August 27.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.