Comfort Film Presents

Cosmos A Personal Voyage

Episode One “The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean” (1980)
Carl Sagan opens the program with a description of the cosmos and a “Spaceship of the Imagination” (shaped like a dandelion seed). The ship journeys through the universe’s hundred billion galaxies, the Local Group, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Milky Way, the Orion Nebula, our Solar System, and finally the planet Earth. Eratosthenes’ successful calculation of the circumference of Earth leads to a description of the ancient Library of Alexandria. Finally, the “Ages of Science” are described, before pulling back to the full span of the Cosmic Calendar.

Episode Six “Travelers’ Tales” (1980)
The journeys of the Voyager probes is put in the context of the Netherlands in the seventeenth century, with a centuries-long tradition of sailing ship explorers, and its contemporary thinkers (such as Constantijn Huygens and his son Christian). Their discoveries are compared to the Voyager probes’ discoveries among the Jovian and Saturn systems.

Projection: 16mm projection
Runtime: 120mins

The Adler Planetarium‘s Vice President of Astronomy & Collections Dr. Andrew Johnston will provide an introduction and do a Q&A after the screening.

Dr. Andrew Johnston oversees the museums’ efforts in astronomy research and engagement, cutting-edge space visualizations, near-space exploration, history of astronomy research, and conservation of and outreach with the Adler’s world-renowned collections. Before joining the Adler team, Dr. Johnston had worked in museums for 30 years, conducting science research and developing new museum programs. Johnston received his PhD in Geographical Sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Also joining us will be neighborhood science group (Honest) Conversations with (Real) Scientists.

We would like to thank the CarlSagan.com for allowing us to project this wonderful series.

This screening will be out on the Comfort Station Lawn weather permitting.

Free; RSVP here.

Programmed by Raul Benitez and Nando Espinosa Herrera.