Hubble 3D Truly Takes You Into Outer Space

by Charles Peer

This seems to be the month of the telescope, with TV specials running on both PBS and the Discovery Channel, but for a truly amazing look at THE telescope and an amazingly realistic trip through the stars, don’t miss Hubble 3D playing at the Esquire IMAX. Hubble 3D documents the May 2009 space shuttle mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. To film it, a giant, 600-lb. IMAX camera and a mile of large-format Kodak film were loaded into Atlantis’ cargo bay for the journey to space. Seven astronauts then became filmmakers, working closely with director Toni Myers and her Earthbound IMAX crew.

What they filmed was nothing less than spectacular, capturing the 13-day missions dramatic moments, such as when a stuck bolt almost kept the astronauts from making a critical repair to the Hubble telescope, as well as what life is like onboard the Space Station for the astronauts, including sleeping, eating – and yes, answering those questions about bathing and toilets.

What thrilled me the most though, were images from the Hubble itself. I’m not sure how they did it, but you truly felt as if you were traveling through space as the Hubble zeroed in on some small distant point and then miraculously took you there.

Thanks to the 3D effect, stars, galaxies and nebulae seemed to float all around you as the Hubble took you to the very edge of our know Universe. Many of you may have seen images from the Hubble before, but until you see them on the IMAX’s huge screen and in 3D, you cannot truly experience the beauty and mystery of space that they have captured.

Leonardo DiCaprio narrated the film, with a dialogue that was at times lighthearted and at others technical and scientific, but always informative and even though you knew how the story was going to come out, was actually at times pleasantly suspenseful.

I was fortunate to attend a screening where Sacramento native and NASA Astronaut Stephen K. Robinson, Ph.D., showed a 30 minute “home” video of his trip aboard a shuttle.

He had just returned in February from his fourth shuttle mission onboard STS-130 and gave a presentation on what it was like to be on the shuttle and onboard the Space Station.

Robinson has spent over 831 hours and 14.1 million miles in space, including over 20 EVA hours. Surprisingly, when asked what was the best part of his time in space, he answered that it was spending time with his team of fellow astronauts, who he called the greatest group of people he has ever known.

Hubble 3D opens April 23 at the Esquire IMAX, located on the mall at 1211 K St, and will run throughout the summer. For tickets and more information, visit www.imax.com/sacramento/