powers of ten

In the summer of 2003, I went to Alpine, Texas with my then girlfriend to visit some mutual friends, Zack and Tricia Border. While in Alpine, we were fortunate enough to attend a Star Party at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis. For those that don't know, McDonald Observatory is located at an elevation of about 6800 feet atop Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. These sparsely inhabited mountains offer some of the darkest night skies in the continental U.S., perfect for stargazing. The observatory staff hold bi-weekly events, called Star Parties, at which visitors are treated to amazing views of deep space vistas through several huge telescopes. Visitors are also encouraged to tour the astronomy museum, and watch several short documentaries throughout the evening. It is one of these documentaries that I'd like to discuss.

Powers of Ten is a film made by Charles and Ray Eames in 1977. The film takes the viewer from the core of an atom to the edge of the universe, moving ten times further every ten seconds. It's only nine minutes long, and probably more interesting than any other nine-minute activity in which a person could engage. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!