The Murdock Planetarium at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has undergone a major upgrade with new advanced, state-of-the-art multi-media technology. A high definition video projector system called SkyVision, made by Sky-Skan, Inc., will allow the planetarium dome to be completely covered with real and computer-generated images to create a completely immersive environment.

SkyVision's six high definition video projectors will immerse the audience in one full video scene covering the full 360-degree, 52-foot wide dome. The system "stitches" or overlaps the projectors' digital images together at the edges, creating a seamless environment.

"This is a significant upgrade to our popular planetarium," said Jim Todd, OMSI Murdock Planetarium manager. "The equipment will not only give us incredibly crisp, colorful and clear video that will add great clarity to the images, but will increase our creative thinking many fold, allowing us to present quality astronomy programs which we only were able to dream about before," he added.

OMSI's first SkyVision show will present "Infinity Express," premiered on June 28th. "Infinity Express" is a journey of discovery through the universe, beginning with the work of early astronomers, leading to today's inventions and moving towards our mission to explore what lies beyond the Earth's atmosphere.

The show begins with a casual gathering of stargazers, who are then whisked away through a raging storm of space data imagery streaming across the planetarium dome. Audiences are transported through the solar system and past the Milky Way to the very edges of the universe. The show helps the audience to visualize the eventual collision of our galaxy with neighboring galaxy Andromeda, in several billion years' time, before being plunged down and swept through the gigantic Valles Marineris Mars canyon.

Using the latest data from space, including images from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, "Infinity Express" explores the questions humans have asked for thousands of years: How big is the universe? Where does it end? Are we alone? The show is narrated by Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix).

"Infinity Express" took over eight months to produce and required the rendering of more than 1.8 million frames of digital content to produce the 45,000 finished Dome Master frames. The 22-minute show required over 1.7 terabytes (1,700 gigabytes) of storage space to develop and at peak production used 56 simultaneous rendering machines (computers). A scene of a data storm alone required over 100 layers of content and effects to be composited to produce 40 seconds of material.

The addition of the SkyVision equipment to the planetarium was made possible by the Jaqua family of Eugene, Oregon. The couple, John and Robin, are regular supporters of their local community, and are significant donors to the University of Oregon as well as other educational organizations. Their donation of the SkyVision equipment, which is valued at nearly $500,000, will be coupled with a generous donation from Harry C. Kendall, Jr. Mr. Kendall's donation allows for installation, software, training of OMSI staff by SkySkan staff and upgrades to the entry of the Murdock Planetarium.

Some of the best space visualization agencies from around the world including the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University of Technology contributed to the production, interpreting the script developed between the writer and experts from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

The new equipment will be used in conjunction with OMSI's current equipment, which includes three video projectors and 54 slide projectors, as well as the Digistar star projector and SPICE control system.

"Infinity Express" shows daily at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Tickets to the Murdock Planetarium are $5 for adults, youth and seniors, and $4 for OMSI members. OMSI offers a combination pass of $14 for children 3 to 13 and seniors 63 and over, and $18 for adults, which includes admission to the museum and the Omnimax Theater, plus the choice of a ticket to the Murdock Planetarium, the USS Blueback submarine or a daytime laser light show.

Perseid meteor shower Star Party at OMSI

One of the most famous and impressive meteor showers of the year will occur in mid-August, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is preparing to help sky gazers enjoy the celestial phenomena. The Perseid Meteor Shower, an annual favorite for summer vacationers, will speak Tuesday, August 12. OMSI, the Rose City Astronomers, VancouverSidewalk Astronomers and Oregon Parks and Recreation will celebrate the event with a Perseid Meteor Shower Star Party beginning at 9 p.m. that evening at Rooster Rock State Park.

The meteor shower occurs when the earth passes through the densest part of the Perseid meteoroid stream every year around August 11th or 12th. The stream is the debris of comet Swift-Tuttle, which circles the sun approximately every 130 years. Arriving from the direction of the constellation Perseus, meteors_tiny bits of rock and dust_hit our upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 60 miles per second, vaporizing and creating a brief trail of ionized, glowing air.

This strong annual shower can produce 20 to 60 meteors a minute, though because of light pollution and other factors, many are too faint to be seen by the naked eye. This year the full moon will interfere with the prime meteor-watching hours throughout the evening; however, viewers can expect to count on at least one, bright, long-lasting, colorful streak per minute,along with several others of different intensity.

Jim Todd, OMSI Murdock Planetarium manager, says that occasional meteors will streak across the skies for several nights before and after the peak day. "In fact, you may see a lone Perseid or two on any night in early and mid-August," Todd said. "The extreme limits of the shower can extend from the end of July to the third week of August, though an occasional one may be seen almost anytime during the month of August," he added.

OMSI and the astronomy clubs sponsoring the Star Party will have telescopes for visitors to look through, and Todd will present informal talks about the meteor shower, constellations and the summer sky in general. The Star Party event is free to the public. Rooster Rock State Park is located 22 miles east of Portland on I-84 (east of Sandy River) at exit 25. Though theevent is free, there is a parking charge of $3 per vehicle or $1.50 for OMSI and RCA members. For possible cancellation because of inclement weather, call (503) 797-4610 after 3 p.m.

For more information, call the OMSI Star Party Information Line at (503) 797-4610, Rose City Astronomers Club at (503) 255-2016, or Rooster Rock State Park at (503) 695-2261.