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Narrated by Robert Redford

Cosmic Collisions

Cosmic Collisions

From subatomic particles to the largest galaxies, cosmic collisions are a universal force of nature. Creative and also destructive, dynamic and dazzling, collisions have resulted in many things we take for granted – the luminescent Moon, the Sun’s warmth and light, our changing seasons, waves washing up on a sandy shore, They’ve ended the Age of Dinosaurs and changed the very map of the cosmos, reforming galaxies and giving birth to new stars and new worlds. Cosmic Collisions, the third Space Show produced by the American Museum of Natural History, provides an unprecedented and extraordinary view of these events – both catastrophic and constructive – that have shaped out world and our universe.

Cosmic Collisions was developed by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science; GOTO, Inc., Tokyo, Japan; and the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, China.

Cosmic Collisions was developed by the American Museum of Natural History with the major support and partnership of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Science Missions Directorate, Heliophysics Division.

April 25, 2015

Select a Date to View

Space Junk

Saturday, April 25, 2015
10:00 am

"After half a century of space exploration we're now suddenly faced with what has long been a staple of science fiction -- an orbiting junkyard of cast-off space debris."

With media headlines repeatedly warning us of debris falling from the skies, orbital debris, or "space junk," has finally risen to the forefront of social consciousness. But what is space junk? How did it get there? Just how big (and serious) is the problem?

"Space Junk," narrated by Academy Award® Nominee Tom Wilkinson, is the first movie to explore the exponentially expanding ring of debris that threatens the safety of our planet's orbits. Harnessing the magical imagery the Full Dome Digital Theater, Director Melissa Butts takes us soaring -- from the stunning depths of Meteor Crater to an unprecedented view of our increasingly crowded orbits, 22,000 miles above earth.

On-screen, Don Kessler, (ret.) Head of NASA's Orbital Debris Office and the "Father of Space Junk," reaches back to the beginning of our solar system for understanding and guides us through the challenges we face in protecting our orbits for the future. At risk is the future of space exploration and the safety of the extensive satellite network that powers our modern day communication systems. This visually explosive journey of discovery weighs the solutions aimed at restoring Earth's orbits.

Stunning images transport the viewers by wrapping us in star fields and allowing us to witness massive collisions in space -- both natural and man-made -- as though we were in the center of the action.

Living in the Age of Airplanes

Saturday, April 25, 2015
11:00 am

Living in the Age of Airplanes is a story about how the airplane has changed the world. Filmed in 18 countries across all 7 continents, it renews our appreciation for one of the most extraordinary and awe-inspiring aspects of the modern world.

Living in the Age of Airplanes is narrated by actor and pilot Harrison Ford and features an original score by Academy Award®-winning composer and pilot James Horner (Avatar, Titanic). The film was shot in 95 locations around the globe, from remote places like the South Pole and the Maldives to historically significant sites of ancient civilizations. The narrative weaves together the profound ways that aviation has transformed our lives, connecting countries and cultures while expanding horizons and minds.

Living in the Age of Airplanes

Saturday, April 25, 2015
1:00 pm

Living in the Age of Airplanes is a story about how the airplane has changed the world. Filmed in 18 countries across all 7 continents, it renews our appreciation for one of the most extraordinary and awe-inspiring aspects of the modern world.

Living in the Age of Airplanes is narrated by actor and pilot Harrison Ford and features an original score by Academy Award®-winning composer and pilot James Horner (Avatar, Titanic). The film was shot in 95 locations around the globe, from remote places like the South Pole and the Maldives to historically significant sites of ancient civilizations. The narrative weaves together the profound ways that aviation has transformed our lives, connecting countries and cultures while expanding horizons and minds.

Sea Monsters

Saturday, April 25, 2015
2:00 pm

Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure

Sea Monsters will transport you 82 million years back in time to the Cretaceous period when an extraordinary diversity of marine life populated vast ocean waters. Over the millennia, changes in Earth’s climate and geography have left ancient seabeds dry, revealing fossil evidence of this extraordinary—yet little known—time. In Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure, the scientific process comes alive as discoveries from around the world are woven together to reconstruct the complex puzzle of this prehistoric world.

Narrated by Liev Schreiber, 40 min.

Space Junk

Saturday, April 25, 2015
3:00 pm

"After half a century of space exploration we're now suddenly faced with what has long been a staple of science fiction -- an orbiting junkyard of cast-off space debris."

With media headlines repeatedly warning us of debris falling from the skies, orbital debris, or "space junk," has finally risen to the forefront of social consciousness. But what is space junk? How did it get there? Just how big (and serious) is the problem?

"Space Junk," narrated by Academy Award® Nominee Tom Wilkinson, is the first movie to explore the exponentially expanding ring of debris that threatens the safety of our planet's orbits. Harnessing the magical imagery the Full Dome Digital Theater, Director Melissa Butts takes us soaring -- from the stunning depths of Meteor Crater to an unprecedented view of our increasingly crowded orbits, 22,000 miles above earth.

On-screen, Don Kessler, (ret.) Head of NASA's Orbital Debris Office and the "Father of Space Junk," reaches back to the beginning of our solar system for understanding and guides us through the challenges we face in protecting our orbits for the future. At risk is the future of space exploration and the safety of the extensive satellite network that powers our modern day communication systems. This visually explosive journey of discovery weighs the solutions aimed at restoring Earth's orbits.

Stunning images transport the viewers by wrapping us in star fields and allowing us to witness massive collisions in space -- both natural and man-made -- as though we were in the center of the action.

Living in the Age of Airplanes

Saturday, April 25, 2015
4:00 pm

Living in the Age of Airplanes is a story about how the airplane has changed the world. Filmed in 18 countries across all 7 continents, it renews our appreciation for one of the most extraordinary and awe-inspiring aspects of the modern world.

Living in the Age of Airplanes is narrated by actor and pilot Harrison Ford and features an original score by Academy Award®-winning composer and pilot James Horner (Avatar, Titanic). The film was shot in 95 locations around the globe, from remote places like the South Pole and the Maldives to historically significant sites of ancient civilizations. The narrative weaves together the profound ways that aviation has transformed our lives, connecting countries and cultures while expanding horizons and minds.