Darkness. Silence. All at once, the night sky appears and illuminates everything around me. Oooo. Ahhhh. Then I hear a voice from above. Could it be? No, wait! It's Tom Hanks!
I remembered the planetarium being much bigger. Nevertheless, I was fascinated. The show began with a brief history of the stars and our solar system, narrated by Tom Hanks, and then went on to describe the infinite possibilities and endless patterns of our mysterious night sky. I tried to remember the last time I visited the planetarium, and I could not help but notice how the technology has changed. Seeing such an amazing replica of the night sky as a kid was always fun, but as soon as the narrator starting telling me what happened 25 billion years ago in that dreadful monotone, I quickly lost interest. This time, it was like a rollercoaster ride. The three-dimensional technology made me feel as if I were flying through space, and all I could think was, I want to be an astronomer when I grow up! No, wait…an astronaut! The kids behind me yelling "Wow!" were no more excited than I was. I guess the fact that I can contain my childlike emotions in public is just an unfortunate consequence of age.
The planetarium at the Rose Center at the Museum of Natural History is something I think I would enjoy at any age. It was a nice break from the city, and a fun way to bring back some childhood memories.
