Roving Mars

Yesterday I visited the newly reopened Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. While many of the exhibits were very enjoyable and illuminating, the two shows I've seen were the most exciting by far. 3D Sun was a short 3D movie featuring the latest images from NASA's STEREO mission - a mission that for the first time in history provided us with two simultaneous points of view of the sun, giving us the ability to see it in 3D for the very first time. What they discovered is both scary and breathtaking.

The second one was Disney's Roving Mars movie, which was shown on a the biggest and most advanced IMAX equipment in the world. It was the story of SPIRIT and OPPORTUNITY, the two rovers designed and launched by NASA to explore mars and discover crucial geological facts, including whether or not there were ever water there.

Roving Mars is a short masterpiece of documentary film. Both in production value, and pure inspiration I have seen none like it. It made the complexity and difficulty of the mission evident, the excitement in the control room palpable, the extent of human ingenuity involved fully real. In addition, it was one of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen. This is a a film worth owning.

Images sent by OPPORTUNITY: