The place you know during the day feels completely different at night, and Halloween gives us a reason to push it even further.
Dome TheaterCould an Asteroid Take Us Deeper Into Space?
Asteroids have been hurtling through our solar system for billions of years. They can pose a serious threat to Earth, but they may also hold the key to traveling farther into space. Narrated by Sigourney Weaver, Asteroid: Mission Extreme sends you across the solar system alongside astronauts and scientists working to understand these ancient space rocks, protect our planet and explore how asteroids could one day help humans reach other worlds.
October 2 – December 3
Asteroid: Mission Extreme is included with admission and free for members.
Rated: G | Run Time: 25 Minutes | Showing Daily in the Dome | October 2 – December 3
Ancient Rocks With a Story to Tell
Most asteroids orbit the Sun in the vast asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but these rocky remnants date all the way back to the formation of our solar system. They come in dramatically different sizes and compositions, from relatively small collections of rock and rubble to Ceres, which stretches roughly 590 miles across. Some even show evidence of water beneath their surfaces. Studying them gives scientists a glimpse into the earliest history of our planetary neighborhood.
Protecting Earth
Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid impact changed life on Earth forever. Today, scientists watch the skies for objects that could come dangerously close to our planet. The film follows the work of asteroid hunters as they locate these objects, calculate their paths and investigate technologies that could potentially divert one headed toward Earth. It turns a familiar disaster-movie scenario into a look at the real science being used to understand and reduce the risk.
A Launching Point for Deeper Space
What if an asteroid wasn’t something to avoid, but somewhere to go? Scientists are exploring the possibility of using asteroids as stopping points on longer journeys through the solar system. Resources found within them, including water, could potentially support future missions and make it possible for astronauts to travel farther from Earth. Asteroid: Mission Extreme explores what it would take to transform these ancient space rocks into stepping stones toward other worlds.
