Museum of the Week: Rose Center for Earth and Space
I actually went to the Rose Center for Earth and Space (located inside the Museum of Natural History and included in admission; W. 81st Street bn Columbus and Central Park West, 212.769.5100; Hours: Daily 10am-5:45pm), approximately two weeks ago, but I haven’t had the opportunity to blog about it.
I love thinking about the universe. I love contemplating the Big Bang, and I love thinking about what it must have been like in the primordial ooze. When I was younger, my parents got me a set of children’s reference encyclopedias. I remember reading in the science volume that the Sun would one day (granted, billions of years from now) become a Red Giant and that all of the water on earth would boil. I was at the same time scared out of my gourd and fascinated (I was convinced it could happen any day — apparently I was neurotic even then). If being an astronaut didn’t require some kind of technical math and science skills I would be all over it. Unfortunately I am only slightly above average on the math front — writing and the liberal arts are really my strong point.
So I am fascinated by the question of where our universe came from and where its going, and this is why I love the Rose Center. The information is up to date, but it reminds me a little of the Bronx Zoo inside — even though the information is still technically accurate and relevant, the entire place has an aura of “please update my interior” about it. In order to get to the Rose Center, I paid a reduced admission fee (suggested admission is $16, but I chose to pay $5).
You start with a short video about the Big Bang narrated by Maya Angelou. The video plays onto a concave round screen in the middle of the floor of the theater. The room reminds me frankly of that ride at Great Adventure where you squish yourself up against the wall and as it spins faster and faster, you’re stuck to the wall. This theater is about 100 times less fun because there’s no defying gravity, but the movie is very informative and Maya Angelou is a powerful narrator.
Once you exit the theater, you take a trip down a ramp known as the Cosmic Pathway. The first plaque lets you know that you are now 13 billion years in the past. By the end you arrive in modern time.
The floor of the Center is known as the Hall of the Universe and is filled with display boards describing the properties of the planets, stars and various other astrological bodies. The Hall is divided into four categories of exhibits: the Universe, Galaxies, Stars, and Planets. Aesthetically these could use some updating, and the entire display could be more interactive.
Eagle Nebula, November 2004, Hubble Telescope
My absolute favorite, however, is the Scales of the Universe. At random points on the floor the museum has installed scales that are calibrated to measure weight (as opposed to mass) as it would be on various planets and stars. My conclusion from this is that I should move to a Red Giant Star beacause I weigh about 0 pounds and felt very svelte as I was weighing myself. Apparently I should avoid a Neutron Star at all costs as my weight there is in the trillions.
Off of the main hall is the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth, which featured exhibits on the evolution of thought regarding the age of the universe, starting in the 17th Century, which James Ussher who attempted to date the age of the universe by counting the begats in the Bible, to Claire Patterson who in 1953 estimated that the Earth was approximately 4.55 billion years old. Modern understanding has changed little since this time. There is also an interactive exhibit on Climate Change, which explains the ozone layer, and shows how levels of ozone have declined rapidly, especially over the Artic regions, in the past few years.
My main complaint about the Center is that you have to pay extra to watch the Space Show (which plays in the Hayden Planetarium and costs an extra $8). I didn’t pay to go in, but I have seen it before and it is fantastic. The theater is surround sound and the seats vibrate like a ride at Disney World. Its worth the extra cost if you can afford it.
Whirlpool Galaxy, January 2005, Hubble Telescope
All in all, the Rose Center gets my recommendation for something to pass the time in New York. Although I don’t cater to children on this site, it would be a good place to take them. They can touch and jump on practically everything in there. If you’re going to go, I would get there with plenty of time to also see the rest of the Museum of Natural History’s collections.
As I was exiting the museum, I saw this on one of the displays:
Indeed.
Tips and Tricks:
- The museum is suggested admission, so you don’t have to pay the entire $15 that they have listed. However, if you want to see anything besides the permanent galleries and the Rose Center at the museum, you will have to pay an additional fee. If you do this, keep in mind that you can still pay as you wish for the base admission.
- Splurge on the Space Show if you can. It is completely worth the extra $8, especially for those who can’t get enough of imagining what’s out there, and where we came from.
- Bring sunglasses. The architects of the Rose Center designed it with 360 degree glass windows, and it gets extremely bright in the room. Sunglasses will help you from squinting.
- Give yourself at least an hour to go through the Rose Center. Obviously you will need more time if you wish to go through the other galleries at the Museum of Natural History.
