Planet Earth A show at the London Planetarium*
Travelling by taxi at 80 kilometres an hour it would take 200 years
to reach the Sun and seven months to reach the Moon, we are told in Planet
Earth, London Planetarium鈥檚 new show. Yet, amazingly, the same taxi would
take a mere two hours to get out into space 鈥榳here the sky is black鈥�. This
is just one of the startling and unexpected images that, yoking the mundane
to the unimaginable, stay in the mind.
The main focus of the show is the Earth. Viewed from our journey鈥檚 end
in space, we see it as just one of the planets, but uniquely graced in its
ability to sustain life. We move from Venus, hot as a blast furnace and
swathed in orange sulphur clouds, to barren Mars which is cold as the poles
of the Earth in the grip of an ice age. In between comes Earth, which 鈥榣ies
in a desirable green belt area between boiling Venus and icy Mars, where
temperatures are mild enough for life.鈥� The commentary sometimes verges
on cliche, but is clear and easily understood.
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How did the Earth come into being and what is its future? To answer
this we are taken on a swift journey through billions of years of evolutionary
change to life today. At one point dinosaurs loom up, silhouetted against
a lurid blue sky. Then, alarmingly, a huge meteor crashes over our heads
and the sky goes red and cloudy.
Planet Earth is astonishingly beautiful. From high above the planet,
we see fields, mountains, lakes and swirling clouds. But it is also fragile:
鈥楾he sky is only as thin as an apple skin compared with the size of the
Earth,鈥� says Joss Ackland, the narrator. 鈥業 was terrified by its fragile
appearance,鈥� says Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin.
The programme鈥檚 disturbing message is that the Earth is vulnerable and
we may not survive if current rates of energy wastage and environmental
abuse continue. The opening image of London鈥檚 night sky with few stars visible
because 鈥榳e are lighting up the sky鈥� is matched at the end by Britain seen
from space at night, all lit up. 鈥楾here are few dark areas left.鈥�
The links between pollution from cars and burning fossil fuels, wasting
energy, the destruction of the rainforests, the greenhouse effect, acid
rain and ozone layer depletion are simply and graphically explained. Yet
despite the sombre theme and tone, what lingers in the mind is the Earth鈥檚
beauty, alongside the images of pollution.
Produced in conjunction with Friends of the Earth, the show makes an
informative outing for schools or families. Just 30 minutes long, it is
suitable for adults and children over the age of seven.
*London Planetarium, Baker Street Station, Marylebone. Road, London
NW1. Prices of admission: Adults 拢4, children 拢2.50, Senior
Citizens/Concessions 拢3.50.
Francesca Wolf is a freelance journalist.
