DIGit: We are the universe come to know itself

NARROWSBURG, NY — Carter Emmart, director of astrovisualization for the Rose Planetarium in the American Museum of Natural History, will address the audience at the 2005 Digit Exposition’s final evening, Saturday, April 30, where winning film submissions in this year’s international contest will be screened.

Emmart’s sister Dale, a painter who lives in the Upper Delaware Valley and in New York City, can attest to his lifelong passion for astronomy. When he was nine years old, she took him to the Hayden Planetarium, and from that point on, he discarded the toy dinosaurs that had captivated him and turned to the night sky.

Emmart’s knowledge of the universe merges with his artistic talent as he creates the visual interpretations of scientific data for the planetarium dome, a facility his sister says he thinks of as his personal playground.

Working for the Rose Planetarium theater since its inception, Emmart directs and builds presentations, his goal being to create a planetarium that interactively shows the universe of the 21st century while reflecting the scientific discoveries that have changed the way we understand the cosmos. Interpreting scientific data, Emmart creates dome projections that simulate three dimensions and lend a greater understanding of the universe to the planetarium’s millions of visitors each year.

The DIGit finale begins April 30 at 6:00 p.m. at the Tusten Theatre. Emmart will discuss how his creations merge his talent with digital technology, his artistic sensibility and his expansive scientific understanding. Admission costs $10.

For more information visit ArtsAllianceSite.org.