For event 4, I went to the Lawrence Hall of Science, located in the hills above the UC Berkeley campus, with a spectacular 180-degree view of the San Francisco Bay.
Picture I took from the Hill
One of the exhibits they have right now is Earth and Space. I went to the Planetarium in the hall
where I watched the show: Imagine the Sky Tonight. It is a great example of combining art work with science. The beautiful visual art was achieved by their a digital, fish-eye, full-dome projection system.
Attending a show Imagine the Sky Tonight this give me the chance to see in sky on a clear night on the daytime. It is a show full of imagination among the stars. There, I learn about constellations, a group of stars that forms an imaginary outline or pattern on the celestial sphere. It is very interesting to imagine the constellation with an animal, mythological person or creature, a god, or an inanimate object, and the art of drawing made the show more enjoyable.
I will definitely recommend to go to the show because the show is very interactive. They gave me a star map and teach me to find constellations. We also spotted planets and other hidden treasures among the stars.It is also a great place to learn about space. For instance, in this picture, I learned that NASA’s Landsat Satellites capture new data and images of Earth every day, allowing us to study the antarctica.
picture I took
Tickets
Selfie of me and ticket
I also learned about solar storms. During the solar storms, the Sun’s magnetic field lines tangle and snap,showing the solar system with burst of particles and electromagnetic energy that can disrupt our satellites, power grids and communication systems.
For event 3, I went to the California Academy of Sciences, located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. In particular, I enjoyed a show in the Morrison Planetarium, one of the largest all-digital planetarium on Earth. The exhibit illustrates the "Third Culture," which bridges between space and art.
In the lecture video, we watched the Powers of Ten™ (1977). However, with the power of six projectors in the planetarium, I experienced the cosmos like never before. In the Morrison Planetarium, I watched the show Passport to the Universe. The show allowed me to enjoy an electrifying adventure of flying through Jupiter, Saturn, and the star-studded spiral arms of our Milky Way galaxy. Before featuring back to Earth, the show gave me a mind-bending experience of passing through the black hole. The visualization provided me the imagination that the black hole allows for instant transmission, transporting us to a different part of the galaxy.
After going to this event, I appreciate art even more because it allowed me to experience the view of an astronaut or scientists who can view the space from their telescopes. I learned about the incredible objects that constitute our Universe, from our Solar System to the Virgo Supercluster, with stunning visualization of the Orion Nebula derived from recent observations by the Hubble Space Telescope.
A picture I took at the Planetarium
A picture I took at the Planetarium
I would recommend this event because it is exciting to get an astronaut' s-eye view of beautiful nebulae, stars, mysterious moons, and the Earth, and to experience passing through a black hole. It would benefit my classmate because it is a place that combines art and scientific accuracy. According to the description, the show is one of the most accurate digital Universes ever created, from faraway galaxies to the workings of our planet. At the same time, there are also rainforest, aquarium, and many to explore in the California Academy of Sciences.
Picture I took
It is a lunar crust collected between the sea of Tranquility and the Sea of Serenity during the last human mission to the Moon in 1972 by NASA's Apollo.
Tickets of admission and the show
Me with the lunar crust
References:
“Passport to the Universe.” California Academy of Sciences, www.calacademy.org/exhibits/passport-to-the-universe.
Like professor Vesna mentioned that Space exploration has always been in the subject of many fantasies and fictions, Roger Malina in the Leonardo Space Art Project said, “The space age was possible because for centuries the cultural imagination was fed by artists, writers, and musicians who dreamed of human activities in space” (Leonardo Space Art Project).
It is fascinating for me to learn that fictions about space exploration are coming to life due to scientific advancement. For instance, late last year, NASA says the basic concept of a space elevator is sound, and researchers around the world are optimistic. The Obayashi Corp., a global construction firm based in Tokyo, said it would build one by 2050, and China wants to make one as soon as 2045.
Towering 22,000 miles above the Earth's equator, a space elevator transports people and payloads to geosynchronous orbit. https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/colossal-elevator-space-could-be-going-sooner-you-ever-imagined-ncna915421
It is also interesting for me to learn how nanotechnology is applied in space exploration. For instance, Professor Vesna mentioned the idea of utilizing carbon nanotubes to make the cable for the space elevator, a system which could significantly reduce the cost of sending cargo into orbit (Vesna). Scientists also employ materials made from carbon nanotubes to reduce the weight of spaceships while retaining or even increasing the structural strength. They also work with nanosensors to monitor the levels of trace chemicals in the spacecraft to monitor the performance of life support systems.
Application of Nanotechnology in Space
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU5PSjadch4
Just like Professor Vesna mentioned, spaceflight will become more commercialized, with private companies designing and building rockets to send humans into space. The example we mentioned in the lecture, SpaceX, has a goal to set up a human colony on Mars and developed reusable rockets, which dramatically reduces the cost of spaceflight. I also read in an article that far in the future, robots will replace humans on space flights. Space exploration will become automated so that pilots will not be needed on spacecraft - instead, the rockets will fly themselves!
Mars Entry https://www.spacex.com/mars
References:
Leonardo Space Art Project Visioneers, spaceart.org/leonardo/vision.html.
