Extraordinary Profiles
And so begins an impassioned poem, entitled “You Should Have Sent a Poet,” composed by science fiction writer Catherine Grant, whose thought-provoking rhetoric in this instance explores the sempiternal
Grant, a reputed socio-cultural anthropologist who lives in Ballinclare, Ireland, is bewitched by astronomy and other principal disciplines on which ground-based observatories are constructed.
It is the allmighty telescope, that complex instrument of intricate, manmade design, that positions mortals frontrow center for the most spectacular show Catherine Grant, a socio-cultural anthropologist from Ireland and author of that which of “You Should Have Sent a Poet.”
mysteries of the universe from a poet's point of view.
Space without Space
has already existed, currently exists and will exist. It is an ever-evolving performance which attracts families daily to some of the more historic institutions on the planet, like Griffith Observatory – where more people have seen the live, magnified face of the sun on the observatory's pioneering solar telescope than any other place in the world. Griffith Observatory, a popular tourist attraction, rests majestically like a sovereign hacienda on the southfacing slope of Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, where it commands a view of the 35 mile-long Los Angeles Basin; a picturesque cityscape, featuring LA's central business district; the hustle and bustle of historic Hollywood; and the serenity of the Pacific Ocean, the largest of Earth's oceanic divisions.
By Catherine Grant You should have sent a Poet, the colours could not be; Their varied hues, this shade of blue, I wish that you could see Infinity that moves along the harmony in space; Timelessness and weightlessness give God a different face...
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY: By Sharon Raiford Bush
To Infinity and Beyond
It is at this
Extraordinary Profiles
“eyeball to the universe” where more human beings than any other location on this third planet from the Sun have had the opportunity to witness the 1986 apparition of Halley's comet; the 1994 scars inflicted on Jupiter by comet Shoemaker-Levy 9; the spectacular comet HaleBopp in 1995; and Hyakutake, the 1996 stealth comet.
“On one hand, it is what you can see above with the help of telescopes, and on the other what you can't,” said Grant. “This gives people hope that there is far more to heaven and earth than what we sometimes care to consider.
“I feel that all too often modern life takes away that hope for whatever the reason. Places like Griffith Observatory help to keep that hope alive.” Since it opened 75 years ago this year, more than 73 million eager stargazers have been mesmerized and fulfilled with intelligence and hope for the future by the observatory's multitude of offerings. Some of its most recent enhancements were made possible by a poet, actually, by the name of Leonard Nimoy.
“By observing the sky and pondering our place in the universe, people gain a new perspective on their daily lives," said Leonard Nimoy, an actor, poet and one of the greatest humanitarians in modern-day times.
Nimoy is a visionary who has carried with him throughout his lifetime on Earth a brilliant mind, a heart of gold and unswerving dedication to the arts, public astronomy and education.
May-June 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 77
Extraordinary Profiles
Nimoy is an actor, director and philanthropist whose public notoriety rests on his playing the unforgettable role of Spock in “Star Trek,” a television series and motion picture enterprise that made the catchphrase, “Space, the final frontier,” one of the more repeatedly-used slogans in the history of cinema. Since its ribbon-cutting in 2006, hundreds of thousands of people have entered the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon, a 200-seat multi-media theater that has broadened Griffith Observatory's programming and educational capabilities. This second of two theaters was made possible due to a substantial seven-figure contribution by Nimoy and his wife, actress/philanthropist Susan Bay-Nimoy to the ob-
Since Griffith Observatory had a guest-starring role in "Rebel Without A Cause," a monument to honor James Dean sits near the entrance of the famous observatory.
servatory's $93 million renovation and expansion campaign. Nimoy appears in and narrates “The Once and Future Griffith Observatory,” a short film about Griffith Observatory and its renovation and expansion project. Visitors who flock to Griffith Observatory from a multitude of countries around the globe never know which star under the stars they may encounter. Because the observatory was featured in a number of scenes in the James Dean film, “Rebel Without a Cause,” a bust of the actor greets each guest. The observatory has enjoyed co-starring roles in nearly two dozen major motion pictures, including “The Terminator,” “Dragnet,” and “Transformers.” 78 | Exceptional People Magazine | May-June 2011
Griffith Observatory has also made guest appearances in numerous television episodics, including “24,” “Mission: Impossible,” and “Star Trek: Voyager.” The observatory hosts an array of special events and programs which places guests up-close and personal with their favorite book author, astrophysicist and celebrity, both onscreen and off. Its pleasant hospitality always forthcoming, the observatory is distinguished for allowing its general public to meet and greet storied 20th and 21st century scribes of speculative fiction, like the unrivaled science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, author of “The Martian Chronicles” and “Fahrenheit 451.”
Ray Bradbury, science fiction writer and genius, feeds the minds of those visiting Griffith Observatory's Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon. More than 20 filmed dramatizations have evolved from Bradbury's works, including “The Twilight Zone.”
Bradbury represents many science fiction writers, filmmakers, philosophers and poets who serve as connecting rods between the arts and the cosmos. “Both space exploration and the arts have the capacity to free the imagination,” explained Catherine Grant. “Perhaps the quest to understand the self lies at its core for everyone.” Within the central part of one's being does, in fact, exists the power of owning a fertile and active mind. It is between early childhood and age 10 when children, in particular, are able to not only imagine new and interesting situations to enhance their lives, but learn from what the mind had just conceived or been fed.
Extraordinary Profiles
This is why adults are not the only ones being taken by Griffith Observatory to places where few humans have dared to venture.
seven million the number of people who have placed a wide, curious eye to the 12-inch telescope since 1935. It is a figure that grows by the hundreds on a daily basis.
“We host about thirty-thousand school children a year in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon as part of the fifthgrade morning school program,” said Dr. E.C. Krupp, who held positions as a lecturer and curator before assuming the position of Griffith Observatory director in 1972.
Designed for nighttime viewing, the telescope targets the Moon, planets and some of the brightest wonders of our galaxy. It is a popular public destination when special celestial events occur. It is here where families bond, cultures unite, wedding anniversaries are celebrated and Cupid does not mind drawing back his bow.
Griffith Observatory has done a phenomenal job maintaining pace with changing times. It is now a 21st century masterpiece. Burrowed within its traditional art deco design is a comprehensive, integrated educational program that utilizes many of the observatory's new resources; it is
“We just want people to be moved by their encounter with earth and sky and the place where they meet and to take another step of personal transformation,” added Krupp. “Astronomy at Griffith Observatory relies on our intellectual, emotional, and aesthetic response to inspire wonder
“In the future, as now, Griffith Observatory will continue to do what it was designed to do 75 years ago - put our eyeball to the universe for a direct experience of nature, the sky, and the cosmos,” said Griffith Observatory director Dr. E.C. Krupp.
The Zeiss telescope attracts as many as 600 people on a good night.
and a passion for discovery, to activate the imagination and liberate the heart.”
based on fifth-grade California state science standards. “These students now experience a structured encounter with exhibits, instruments, an interactive demonstration, and a live planetarium show,” said Krupp. Krupp's appreciation of the observatory's vibrant history and its need to perpetuate the knowledge that is generated by large telescopes and the space program is infectious. “Griffith Observatory transforms visitors into observers of the sky, nature, and the universe, and alters perspective through personal experience,” said Krupp. “More people have looked through the Zeiss refracting telescope on the observatory's roof than any other telescope on earth.”
Adds science fiction writer Daisy Martin: “One of the most romantic things my husband did for me was show me the moon, stars and other heavenly bodies like I've never seen them before. We celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary staring at Venus, the planet of love. I then looked around and saw happy families, young folks out on a first date and seniors holding hands and cuddling. Griffith does that. It snatches from the cosmos the love and beauty it sees and puts it into your private universe.” So it is not, really, just the free parking and other complimentary amenities that help the observatory carry the distinction of being the most-visited public observatory in the world. The reason is far distant, beyond infinity.
The Zeiss telescope, mounted in a copper-clad dome, serves up to 600 visitors per night – bringing the total to May-June 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 79
Extraordinary Profiles
Some of the answers seem within reach inside the pristine Samuel Oschin Planetarium where visitors are charged a small admission price for an in-your-face, recliner-chair performance that puts some Hollywood movie releases to shame. The planetarium comes with grace, charm, celebrity and history. During World War II, it was used to train pilots in celestial navigation. It was also the place in the 1960's were Apollo program astronauts were trained for the first lunar missions. When 'night' creeps in, visitors are taken on a journey of a lifetime.
“Maya calendar fancies, flying saucers, ancient astronauts, Bermuda Triangles, Jupiter effects, and all the rest of the romantic notions that command all-night apocalyptic radio are really just reflections of our desire to retain room for the miraculous in our perception of the world,” said Krupp. “But what is really miraculous is our ability to understand, with accuracy, the universe and our place in it. That is certainly...why Griffith Observatory takes on the challenges of flawed reason and assertions without evidence.” Griffith Observatory summons those with vivid imaginations to help stimulate the flow of accurate information. That is why it has teamed with The Boeing Company, the aerospace experts, to produce an annual competition for writers.
“The planetarium is intended to induce the cathedral effect that drops the jaw, lifts the eye, and persuades the
U.S. astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history. Photo Courtesy: NASA
"Griffith Observatory...is a Los Angeles icon, one which we need to ensure will be here for generations to come," said Leonard Nimoy.
mind you are looking into infinite space,” explained Krupp. “The advanced all-dome digital animation dynamically immerses audiences into realms beyond everyday experience.”
“The contest is intended to encourage scientists and science writers to communicate material of current or historical interest in astronomy, astrophysics and space science to the public effectively and engagingly,” said Krupp. “In doing so, they also enrich the character of Griffith Observatory's noncommercial monthly astronomy magazine, the Griffith Observer.” Cash prizes range between $50.00 and $1,000.00.
Every program is presented live by a professional voice talent or actor who forges a human connection, through vivid storytelling, with the universe and beyond. In actuality, the entire observatory, said Krupp, is activated by the principle of "the building as instrument." It is filled with both archaic and cutting-edge devices that let everyone observe, ponder, and better understand the sky. Another powerful mechanism Griffith Observatory shares with its visitors is critical thinking, particularly in the wake of 2012 and its viral doomsday prophecies. Krupp is quick to put those fears to rest in an idyllic sort of way. 80 | Exceptional People Magazine | May-June 2011
And, who knows? Your thoughts, ideas, research and life's work just might be seen and discussed by some of the more accomplished leaders on the planet. Or you may want to just be grateful that you are given a chance to interact artistically with one of the greatest shows on Earth that sits literally at the top of its game.