4 Maine astronomers reveal summer time sci-fi films value watching
PORTLAND, Maine — This week, NASA launched a surprising new picture of Jupiter, made with the highly effective James Webb House Telescope launched into orbit late final yr.
The just about three-dimensional image reveals our photo voltaic system’s acquainted, pink, swirling fuel large in a complete new mild — actually. Glowing auroras prolong excessive above each of Jupiter’s poles. Additionally, the planet’s well-known Nice Purple Spot — a steady storm so large it may swallow Earth — seems white, as do different clouds, as they replicate mild from the solar.
The composite picture was made utilizing a number of layers of near-infrared mild, undetectable with a set of human eyes. Scientists then translated the unseeable mild, captured by Webb, into tones people can have a look at.
It’s the newest in a sequence of spectacular photos made potential by the state-of-the-art telescope. Webb has already given us eye-goggling appears to be like on the Carina Nebula, Southern Ring Nebula and Stephan’s Quintet, a mind-bending group of 5 galaxies.
What’s extra, NASA introduced Wednesday that Webb had detected carbon dioxide — a potential indicator of life — within the environment surrounding a planet outside our solar system.
However NASA hasn’t indicated after they’ll subsequent launch a brand new batch of images and discoveries.
Till then, earthbound scientists should entertain themselves with mere science fiction. Likewise, native journalists should search for any angle to fill their newspapers through the end-of-August doldrums, when each information supply appears to be on trip.
With these two issues in thoughts, we requested 4 Maine astronomers to advocate science fiction films to entertain us all within the waning days of summer time, earlier than Webb offers us extra to take a look at.
Right here’s what they informed us.
Rob Burgess of Brunswick is the president and a founding member of Southern Maine Astronomers. On the prime of his sci-fi checklist is “Tobor the Great,” a 1954, black-and-white cult basic a few robotic constructed to pilot a spaceship.
“This was the long run — large, scary, mechanical robots,” Burgess stated. “I in all probability noticed the film after I was six or seven, simply as we have been moving into the area race.”
Within the impartial flick, Tobor is stolen by secret brokers from one other nation and a boy with a psychic connection to the hulking piece of equipment should assist rescue it from the unhealthy guys.
“Tobor, by the best way, is robotic spelled backwards, which I assumed was cool,” Burgess stated.
Additionally on Burgess’ checklist is 1997’s “Contact,” primarily based on a Carl Sagan novel of the identical identify.
Within the movie, a scientist performed by Jodie Foster is given the means to move herself to outer area coordinates despatched by aliens.
“Foster travels to this predetermined area and comes to appreciate the extent of clever life within the universe, however no person believes her,” Burgess stated. “The film is nice for its sci-fi results and its very clever portrayal of the sorts of social, political and non secular fractures that society would face in lastly studying we aren’t alone.”
Burgess rounded out his checklist with the Speilberg basic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “The Martian,” starring Matt Damon and “The Blob,” a 1958 film a few gelatinous, carnivorous alien with a wholesome urge for food for earthlings — together with a younger Steve McQueen.
“The Blob ravages the city, consuming every kind of individuals, lastly trapping three individuals in a diner. When a hearth begins and firemen spray chilly CO2 extinguishers The Blob shrinks,” Burgess stated. “Finally the military drops it in Antarctica and saves the world. As a child, how may you not like this film?”
John Meader is a science educator primarily based in central Maine who runs the cellular Northern Stars Planetarium.
Meader stated it was a troublesome query to ponder.
“I do educate astronomy and science, however I solely sometimes watch sci-fi films,” he stated. “To be sincere, it’s not a style that I hunt down.”
Like Burgess, Meader stated he loved “The Martian” and thought it acquired many of the science particulars proper. Astronomer Ron Thompson, additionally counts “The Martian,” as a favourite.
“It had numerous appropriate science inbuilt, and was plausible, for essentially the most half,” Thompson stated. “A few of it we actually gained’t know till we go there.”
Within the movie, Matt Damon’s character is stranded on Mars and has to develop meals to feed himself.
Ed Gleason, the director of the Southworth Planetarium on the College of Southern Maine in Portland, loves the movie “Blade Runner.” The 1982 basic, starring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer, relies on the novel “Do Androids Dream of Electrical Sheep?” by Philip Okay. Dick.
In it, a loner should observe down synthetic people on the lam known as replicants, all of the whereas pondering what it really means to be “actual” or “synthetic.”
Gleason remembers first seeing the movie as a drowsy teenager, sleeping via components of the futuristic movie, set in 2019.
“I used to be then unable to tell apart between the film scenes and my very own dream figments,” he stated.
A few yr later, he purchased a VHS copy of “Blade Runner” and watched it throughout, from begin to end.
“I noticed that this masterpiece of movie was largely indistinguishable from the phantasmagoric,” Gleason stated.
Since then, he’s watched it numerous instances and stated it by no means will get outdated.
“It served as an introduction to metaphysical notions of being,” Gleason stated. “To listen to Rutger Hauer’s succinct, but profound loss of life monologue towards the top of the movie is to confront head-on the existentialist angst that perturbs us all.”
Within the movie, Hauer performs the chief of the runaway replicants. Earlier than his predetermined lifespan expires in a rooftop rainstorm, he utters an iconic, 42-word speech:
“I’ve seen belongings you individuals wouldn’t consider. Assault ships on fireplace off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter at nighttime close to the Tannhauser Gate. All these moments shall be misplaced in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”
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