WATCH: It’s taken nine and a half years for pictures of Pluto to return to earth, and as Global’s Doug Vaessen reports, for a young group of Calgary astronomers it was worth the wait.
CALGARY – As above, so below. The pictures of Pluto taken by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft are causing a great impact here on Earth. In Calgary, the TELUS Spark science centre started a new exhibition at its planetarium.
“We have revamped our planetarium to spotlight Pluto,” said Barry Thorson, manager of the dome theatre at TELUS Spark.
“The public is in love with it. Not since Chris Hadfield tweeted from space has space been sexy.”
IN PHOTOS: Pluto, then and now
Kids of all ages are attending the exhibition, many of whom were born after the spacecraft launched.
“I just love that they just found Pluto, that they’re taking amazing shots of it and that we finally get to see a close-up of the planet,” said Julien, a nine-year-old visitor. He added that he would not visit if he had the chance, since it’s a one-way trip.
READ MORE: Success! New Horizons ‘phones home’ from Pluto
The pictures have had a positive impact on scientists from NASA, who are impressed by the success of their mission.
“It blew our socks off when we had the new image,” said Cathy Olkin, New Horizons planetary scientist.
The classification of Pluto, discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, has been in discussion since 2006. Some scientists argue that due to its size, Pluto must be considered a dwarf planet. However, this is not the most popular opinion at TELUS Spark, where many of the young visitors think it should be considered a “real planet.”
The exhibition, called “Our Solar System: Pluto,” alternates with the presentation of “Our Milky Way,” and runs at either 12 p.m. and 2:00 pm, depending on the day. For more information, visit the website here.
READ MORE: Images of Pluto reveal complex world
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