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Planetarium Beams Up Saturn ; 'Ring World' Sheds Light on Mysterious Ringed Planet

Posted on: Tuesday, 10 August 2004, 06:00 CDT

It took two years of filming to create the first movie in the "Lord of the Rings" series, the blockbuster trilogy that first captivated moviegoers in 2001.

Yet, as far as Tom Webber is concerned, two years of waiting is nothing: He and other sky-watchers have been waiting more than seven years for their own production about the "undisputed 'Lord of the Rings.' "

Friday, Webber, who directs the Heritage Planetarium, will welcome audiences to the state-of-the-art Blount County facility for a debut showing of a new program, "Ring World," seven years in the making.

Produced by NASA, "Ring World" offers a glimpse into the mysterious and majestic environs of the ringed planet Saturn. The production debuts at planetariums nationwide this month in celebration of the safe entry of the Cassini-Huygens space probe into Saturn's orbit in late June.

The unmanned spacecraft --arguably the most sophisticated probe ever constructed -- left Earth for Saturn in 1997. It will spend the next four years orbiting Saturn, transferring data and pictures from the planet and its 31 known moons back to researchers on Earth.

Although the arrival of the probe, named for early astronomers Jean Dominique Cassini and Christian Huygens, generated considerably less media fanfare than January's Mars Rover landings, Webber hopes that "Ring World" will help make the unprecedented significance of the Cassini-Huygens mission clear.

"The Cassini-Huygens mission is making history as we speak," said Webber. "What the Voyager and Pioneer probes are in our history books, this is right now.

"I think the science we're going to learn from Cassini-Huygens will be phenomenal. Not only astronomers, but also chemists, biologists, physicists, are chomping at the bit to see what the probe sends back. The interest in this mission is multidisciplinary."

Developed by a crew of 260 scientists from the United States and Europe at a cost of approximately $3 billion, Cassini has been described by NASA as "the most highly instrumented and scientifically capable planetary spacecraft ever flown." It will use 18 specialized instruments to study Saturn, and also its system of moons, which have been described by Dr. Ed Weiler, associate administrator for space science at NASA, as "an unsurpassed laboratory."

The sixth planet from the sun, Saturn's most distinguishing feature is undoubtedly the visible rings of gas and dust that surround it. According to NASA, understanding the development of these rings may help researchers formulate a clearer picture of how entire solar systems develop.

However, Webber concedes the stunning new photos of Saturn, the second-largest planet in our solar system, may be of more interest to the general public than any hard science, however significant.

"Everybody knows what Saturn looks like, but I think once the pictures (from this probe) start coming in, everyone is going to be amazed to see it up close."

Webber is optimistic that the immediacy of the Cassini-Huygens mission, and the "Ring World" show may spark scientific interest in a few young minds in particular.

"Of course, almost everyone likes Saturn," Webber observed. "It's usually the first planet that kids doodle, because the rings are fascinating.

"Other than a chance to see the pictures of Saturn, kindergartners probably won't get much out of 'Ring World.' I don't think even a third-grader would grasp all the details of the show. But this is so immediate, so historically significant, that even if a young child doesn't understand it all, they'll leave with a sense of wonder," Webber assured.

"They'll pick up enough to walk away saying 'cool,' and that's exactly what we want them to do."

Produced by Brian Sullivan through a NASA grant and narrated by "Star Trek: Enterprise's" John Billingsley, "Ring World" gives audiences a taste of the up-close-and-personal views of Saturn that Cassini-Huygens is currently taking in. In addition, the 37-minute program delves into objectives of the probe's mission and the space- age technology that has made it possible for Cassini-Huygens to send home pictures and data from its 3.5 billion-mile trip.

According to Webber, a beautifully produced and captivating show commemorating a momentous achievement displayed with the help of some unique technology should make for a stellar evening.

Beginning Aug. 13, "Ring World" will be shown to the public on the second and fourth Fridays of each month. Public showings, which begin at 7 p.m. and run on the hour, are scheduled through December.

The Heritage Planetarium charges $1 for public shows. Private presentations for school and church groups and other organizations are also available. Call 865-984-8548 for more information, or visit www. heritageplanetarium.org.

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