If you've never driven outside of the city limits in order to experience a star-filled sky minus all the crummy light-pollution, you should.
Or, if you're keen on the city life but still love the idea of space-gazing, you can drive an even shorter distance to the Lodestar Astronomy Center, where on display is a new exhibit entitled "Infinity Express." This fascinating show attempts to answer some of life's biggest questions in a matter of 40 minutes.
"Infinity Express" forces its viewer to think outside of the constrictive boundaries of our own microcosms and delve into a world of thought that is, in itself, macrocosmic. For instance, among the questions posed within the program is "are we truly alone in this vast universe?" In order to convey the answer to this question, the show asks only that the viewer lean back and look up.
From Mars to the moons of Jupiter, a surplus of semi-psychedelic space images are projected overhead on an enormous dome-shaped screen. The images on display are a compilation of actual scientific data and amazing computer graphics.
The program began with a 20-minute live introduction set up by Lodestar staff and UNM computer animation instructors. In essence, the introduction is a brief tour of the sky as we see it, complete with a seemingly lifelike representation of a New Mexico sunset. After this short-lived lesson in astronomy, the last 20 minutes was devoted to a theatrical production that was created by Sky-Skan, Inc. for the National Air and Space Museum. With the narrative voice of Laurence Fishburne, the production is both highly gripping and awe-inspiring.
Lodestar Director David Beining said the questions posed in this program are "profound questions that we've wondered throughout human existence and that we've come closer to answering as centuries have passed." Beining believes that mankind's infatuation with space is caused by "innate curiosity" and that "the beauty of an unpolluted night sky is truly compelling."
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Albuquerque is the only place other than Washington in which the show has been displayed and has been made possible because Lodestar is one of the few facilities that has the technology to support such an event.
Lodestar Astronomy Center is a University of New Mexico project that remains the only planetarium open to community events. Many of the Lodestar's presenters on a daily basis are UNM students and University staff members also maintain avid involvement in the center's development.
Beining's excitement about the show stems from its capability to provide an escape from the worrisome and frightful times we are living in.
"The show is a great example of what people can do when they work together," he said. "It is a wonderful, uplifting experience."
"Infinity Express" will be presented daily at Lodestar Astronomy Center, in the Museum of Natural History, starting March 1. Tickets will be offered at half price on March 1 and 2 only at $3 for adults, $2.50 for seniors citizens and $1.50 for children.
Lodestar Astronomy Center is located at 1801 Mountain Road NW and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 841-5955 or visit www.lodestar.unm.edu.
