Strasenburgh Planetarium > Exhibits

Rochester’s Eyes in Space

Rochester’s Eyes in Space is an interactive exhibition exploring the technologies pioneered in Rochester that allow us to view distant stars, explore other planets, and better see what is happening on Earth. 

  • Strasenburgh Planetarium
eyes-in-space-1
eyes-in-space-2
eyes-in-space-3

Rochester’s Eyes in Space is an interactive exhibition at the RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium that engages visitors with technologies pioneered in the Rochester region that allow us to view distant stars, explore other planets, and better see what is happening on Earth. 

See the optical system from GAMBIT 1 (KH-7), a previously classified spy satellite using a camera and film developed by Eastman Kodak in the 1960s. Explore the components of the GAMBIT optical system through interactive lighting and analyze some of the photographs taken behind the iron curtain of the former Soviet Union. Hands-on experiences will challenge guests to solve design problems faced by the men and women of Eastman Kodak. How do you cancel motion blur with a camera moving 18,000 miles per hour? Try your hand at grabbing the film recovery “bucket” out of midair as you mimic its historic plane capture process, complete with an actual parachute from a later satellite mission. 

Visit the interactive timeline and discover stories of Rochester technologies spanning glass innovations by Corning, which led to the largest telescope in the world, to L3Harris’ work building and testing the James Webb Space Telescope, which is helping scientists study the formation of the first stars and galaxies. Pilot the Ingenuity helicopter and get hands-on commanding a Mars rover where you’ll take on a special mission and learn about the optical components developed for each rover by Optimax. Celebrate the perseverance and ingenuity of the women and men from Rochester that continue to enable us to understand our world – both on planet Earth and beyond. 

eyes-in-space-logo

About The Exhibit

  • Strasenburgh Planetarium