14 to 15 April 2012

Spiral Galaxy, the Milky Way Unraveled

Watch the video here: http://vimeo.com/11509817

A 45-minute video, describing how a group of Dutch astronomers created the first-ever map of our Milky Way Galaxy, will be shown as a feature of Global Astronomy Month on 14-15 April 2012.

Leiden, April 1953:  After centuries of searching, years of waiting, months of observing and weeks of calculating, for the very first time in human history, a group of scientists looks at a map: the first map of our Galaxy, our Island in the Universe.  These scientists are some of the top Dutch astronomers at the time.  And the map is the result of an extraordinary prediction, cutting-edge technological development and a lot of persistence.  “Spiral Galaxy, the Milky Way Unraveled” highlights the huge contribution of Dutch scientists between 1886 and 1955 to a new view of our Universe—a view where man, Earth and Sun are no longer at the center of everything.

The story is told by Prof. Adriaan Blaauw (1914-2010);  Prof. Hugo van Woerden, Professor Emeritus Astrophysics at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen (The Netherlands);  Prof. Kees de Jager, Professor Emeritus Astrophysics and Space Research at the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands); and Arie Hin, retired technician of the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON).

Video Production Staff:
Director: Maarten Roos & Pieter-Rim de Kroon
Script: Maarten Roos & Hugo van Woerden
Photography: Maarten Roos & Pieter-Rim de Kroon
Editing: Maarten Roos
Production: Lightcurve Film & DKW Film
With the participation of: Adriaan Blaauw, Hugo van Woerden, (University of Groningen, The Netherlands), Kees de Jager (University of Utrecht, The Netherlands), and Arie Hin.
Music: William Zeitler

Length of video: 45 minutes
Year made: 2009
Website: www.spiralgalaxy.nl

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