JWST Gets an IMAX Documentary: 'Deep Sky'

A large-screen IMAX documentary about the James Webb Space Telescope "has just opened in 300 theaters across North America," write an anonymous Slashdot reader, noting that it's playing for one week only. "And it gets a rave review in Forbes." Imagine venturing to the beginning of time and space, exploring cosmic landscapes so vast and beautiful that they've remained unseen by human eyes until now.

This is the promise of "Deep Sky," an extraordinary IMAX presentation that brings the universe's awe-inspiring mysteries closer than ever before. Directed by the Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn and narrated by the equally acclaimed actress Michelle Williams, "Deep Sky" is a monumental journey through the cosmos, powered by the groundbreaking images captured by NASA's Webb Telescope... "Deep Sky" is more than a documentary about a space telescope; it's an immersive experience that invites audiences to see the universe as never before. Through the power of IMAX, viewers are transported across 13 billion years of cosmic history, to the very edges of the observable universe. Here, in stunning clarity, we witness the birth of stars, the formation of galaxies, and the eerie beauty of exoplanets — planets that orbit stars beyond our own Sun. These images, beamed back to Earth by JWST, reveal the universe's vast beauty on a scale that seems only the giant IMAX screen can begin to convey...

What makes "Deep Sky" particularly captivating is its ability to render the incomprehensible beauty and scale of the universe accessible. The IMAX® experience, known for its breathtaking visuals and sound, serves as the perfect medium to convey the majesty of the cosmos.
The review says the film celebrates the achieve of thousands of people working across decades, "aiming to answer some of humanity's oldest questions: Where did we come from? How did the universe begin? Are we alone in the vastness of space?"

The reviewer also spoke to JWST telescope scientist Matt Mountain — in another article applauding the film for "encapsulating the grandeur of space exploration on the IMAX canvas." In "Deep Sky," viewers are taken on a journey from the telescope's construction to its deployment and early operational phases. The documentary highlights the international collaboration and engineering marvels behind the JWST, featuring insights from key scientists and engineers who brought the telescope to life. The film aims to rekindle a sense of wonder about the universe and our place within it, emphasizing the human desire to explore and understand the cosmos.

Commenting broken or something?

[Adambomb]

Is commenting broken or something or am i seeing 0 comments on the last bunch of stories for some other reason?

Re:

[mistergrumpy]

No.

Re:

[Mousit]

Maybe a lot readers rely on the RSS feed, like I do. They've broken that multiple times this week. It's broken right now. I only found this story was posted when I visited the site directly since the RSS feed hasn't updated in over 24 hours.

And then ha ha they fixed it, again, and once more got it updating just as I was writing this comment.

Why one week only?

[LindleyF]

Surely it should be in the rotation at various science museums for years.

Re: Why one week only?

[Alan Shutko]

I think ours started showing this in October. Maybe it is for the non science museum theaters?

Re:

[Tony Isaac]

Like all IMAX films, and like the McRib, it will be back, and back again, and again, and again. I'm guessing the whole "one week only" thing is a marketing thing to promote a feeling of urgency.

Re:

[GrahamJ]

Don't you mean the immersive McRib experience?

THIS is what IMAX is really good for

[Tony Isaac]

These days, most movies are "good enough" in a regular movie theater. IMAX excels at this type of movie.

Waste of Film, Time, Money, and Opportunity

[tanstaaf1]

I read this thread announcement this AM, and bought two tickets IMMEDIATELY. Four hours later and I am back to give you my review. TL;DR? SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY. Get drunk instead. I knew the film was short: 40 minutes. But 40 minutes would still allow me to see hundreds, if not thousands of never-before-seen images, from detailed images of closer galaxies to images from the furthest reaches. Right? But instead of showing 40 minutes of celestial images, I would guess that 70% of that precious 40 m

Disappointing

[sierra077]

I was really looking forward to this and jumped at the chance to buy tickets. If you do miss it, take comfort that you didn't miss much. It's a "watch at home" movie. Overall, the film is very superficial in that you skim the surface of all aspects (construction, launch, observations). For example, they'll tell you it is at L2 and that this is further than the moon but give you no substance on why it was put there, what it takes to stay there, or even what L2 is. If you didn't know anything at all abou

Okay, not great. Missed Opportunity.

[Askjeffro]

I saw the film with the family yesterday. It was okay, but not great. If you are fan of space, you should enjoy the indirect behind the scenes footage in addition to the large scale "Deep sky" images. My daughter, 12, found it awe inspiring as she already naturally has an interest in space. The 9 year old was entertained for the short 40 minutes, but not much else. We paid $8 each.

While there was nothing that I didn't enjoy, there was far to little actual science in the film for my liking. This film is