The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has just finished upgrading the systems of the Gates Planetarium to bring the visitor a more immersive theatre experience. This upgrade is twice as sharp. On September 26th, I sat down with Dan Neafus, the Gates Planetarium Operations Manager. His job is to make sure that you and I walk away from such an experience with wonderment.
One thing for sure is that Mr. Neafus wants the visitor to talk about the show they have just seen. Using the digital technology in the planetarium allows the viewer a different view of our own Sun, our Earth and the planets in our solar system.
For years, humans have been fascinated with the incredible and beautiful visualizations of our solar system. “What we have now in our planetarium”, says Mr. Neafus is “state-of-the-art”.. The planetarium gives a sense of how far things are and how big things are, but it’s much easier to grasp the magnitude inside a planetarium.
The show, Cosmic Journey: A Solar System Adventure was produced by Mr. Neafus. With a team of five people, including an animator, writers and a director, this “independent film” is actually licensed to other planetariums around the world. The 125-seat Gates Planetarium houses a 180 degree dome, has shows multiple times a day. Twelve HP workstations were used to create a sensation of other worldly travel in real time. The updated array of Dell computers sends video to eight high resolution projectors in the planetarium. What these systems allow the team to do is to create motions as if a pilot is actually flying a spaceship, similar to a helicopter pilot. This has been very popular with family crowds. This show is now on its’ 4th version due to its’ popularity.
Now that digital has been added, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science has broader capabilities for storytelling. Cosmic Journey: A Solar System Adventure shows four times a day: 10:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:30 p.m., & 2:45 p.m. See trailer below.
If you are looking for things to do in the Denver metro area, add Cosmic Journey to your list. Check dmns.org or calendar on coloradograndparent.com for show times for Cosmic Journey and other shows at the Gates Planetarium. While you are there, pick up a Grandparent membership.