Taking the Fiction Out of Science Fiction

Share on Facebook

Image: The Crab Nebula, shown in an image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, is the gaseous remains of a star that exploded.

Whether it was a tense drama like Apollo 13 or a spectacular thrill-ride like Star Wars, most of us have seen at least one movie set in space. From the comfort of our cushioned theater seat, we watch in awe as characters battle aliens on a foreign world or float weightlessly in the zero-gravity environment of their spaceship. Is there anyone who hasn’t for at least a moment wanted to be part of the adventure, no matter how dangerous the situation?

It isn’t possible to enter the fictional world of the movies, but as any real astronaut can tell you, the facts behind space exploration are often just as interesting as the fantasy. You can discover some of these facts for yourself by visiting the NASA exhibit Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery.

A Blast from the Past

Though the topic of outer space is usually thought of as being the exclusive territory of futuristic fiction and cutting-edge technological advances, human interest in what lies beyond our sky has existed for hundreds of years. Visions of the Universe begins its story with Galileo, whose seventeenth-century experiments with the telescope changed the study of outer space forever. Galileo discovered that the Copernican model of the universe (which states that the planets revolve the sun) was correct. This made him less than popular with the authorities of the day, who believed that the earth was the center of the universe.

This is our beginning as we travel through the history of scientific innovation. From the invention of photography to the beginning of space missions, mankind continues to grow closer to the formerly inaccessible stars.

Current Explorations

In the recent blockbuster Avatar, scientists created a way to transport humans into the bodies of aliens. While this is not (yet) possible in the real world, what scientists are really doing is fascinating in its own right.

At the Hubble Space Telescope’s website you can see all the latest photographs taken in space from our neighbor Mars to furthest reaches of the universe (check out this picture of Galaxy Centaurus A). The best thing about the pictures is that they are real—nothing from the mind of a Hollywood designer here.

You can even use the World Wide Telescope to transform your computer into your own personal telescope. It certainly won’t be as strong as the Hubble, but it also won’t cost several million dollars to install. Additionally, the website features guided tours from astronomers (including one that shows you how Galileo realized that Copernicus was right).

“To Infinity and Beyond”?

What will the future hold for NASA and the space exploration program? Will we ever meet an alien species? When will spaceships replace cars as the traditional sweet-sixteen present?

No one knows the answer to these questions, but if you want to start making your own guesses, Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery is a good place to start. Through the spring of 2011, this traveling exhibit will give audiences the chance to join in the excitement of space exploration from the convenience of their local library. While we certainly can’t promise aliens, we can offer people of all ages the chance to learn more about the real work being done by NASA scientists.

Vision of the Universe is currently touring 55 libraries nation-wide. It was developed by the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and the American Library Association, with additional funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Ask your local librarian or see the tour itinerary to learn if Visions of the Universe is coming to a library near you.

If you’re interested in space exploration, be sure to enter our “Explore the universe @ your library”contest. Kids in kindergarten through grade 12 can enter for a chance to win a telescope and free IMAX tickets !

Of course, your local library should also have plenty of books to help bring outer space into your living room, such as these:

The History of Astronomy
by Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest
Full-page photos and illustrations enliven this thorough work, which covers the history of the skies from ancient monuments such as Stonehenge and the Mayan temples, through the eras of legends like Copernicus and Galileo, to modern times and its increasingly powerful instruments and discoveries.

Copernicus’ Secret: How the Scientific Revolution Began
by Jack Repcheck
Georg Joachim Rheticus was a Lutheran professor and scholar—and a largely forgotten collaborator of Copernicus. This book finally gives Rheticus his due as a critical ally who made Copernicus’ On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres possible.

The 50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How to See Them: Observing Eclipses, Bright Comets, Meteor Showers, and Other Celestial Wonders
by Fred Schaaf
An enthusiastic guide for beginners, this book will tell how to view sights such as Orion’s Belt, the Andromeda Galaxy, or the planet Neptune, as well as the historical, mythological, and scientific importance of each.