A Journey around The Planets

The Planetarium at We The Curious staged a 3-D journey around the solar system in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the performance of The Planets by Gustav Holst.  Lord-Lieutenant Mrs Peaches Golding OBE and Mr Bob Golding attended the performance as guests of Anna Starkey, Chief Creative Officer, and Donna Speed, Chief Operating Officer, of We The Curious.  For one night only, the Ligeti Quartet performed eight contemporary classical pieces in honour of each planet accompanied by an amazing visual experience.  While the musicians serenaded the audience, close up images of the surface of each planet, graphic displays of the trajectory of its moons, images of Voyager II or the International Space Station informed and entertained the audience.  Narrator Jon Culshaw provided astronomical information on each planet, together with his impression of scientists ranging from Professor Brian Cox and David Attenborough to Carl Sagan and more. Peaches Golding remarked that ‘until tonight, I had not realised that the planet Mercury and Saturn’s moon Titan are of similar sizes!’  Bob Golding, whose background is in the management of, and innovation in, visitor attractions, noted the enormous time put into developing the 3-D graphics that made the exploration of each planet come to life.  Photo credit:  Mike Massaro.