Leonard Nimoy and his wife, Susan Bay-Nimoy, participated in rededication activities held this week for the newly renovated and expanded Griffith Observatory, which re-opened to the public on Friday.
The Griffith Observatory — the iconic domed landmark overlooking Los Angeles which contains a planetarium, public telescopes and a science museum — was featured in the 1996 Voyager episode "Future's End," as well as hundreds of other TV shows and movies. Originally dedicated in 1935, the observatory closed its doors in January 2002 for a massive refurbishment that ended up taking nearly five years and costing $93 million. The expansion — all constructed underground in order to preserve the outer profile of the building — includes the "Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater," a 200-seat multimedia venue for lectures, films, live NASA feeds and other educational activities.
Nimoy earned the honor of having his name affixed to the new theater because of a $1 million donation — one of the largest by an individual — to the reconstruction effort, which he credits his wife for. "This was Susan's idea," he told STARTREK.COM. "She saw an article in the L.A. Times five years ago about the fact this place was being renovated and expanded, and immediately said, 'This is right for you.' And she was right! We've been waiting five years and we're very excited about it."
The Nimoys spoke to the press during a "blue carpet" event at the "Re-Opening Galactic Gala" held Sunday at the observatory (the carpet was blue instead of red to keep with the astronomical theme). Nimoy added, "The very first job I did as an actor in Los Angeles was in a series called Zombies in the Stratosphere. I've been in space ever since!"
A wide array of celebrities attended the Sunday function, including Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and "Future's End" villain Ed Begley Jr.
"This is hallowed ground for me," said Begley. "I love astronomy, and this is a great place to come. I think people's knowledge of science is key to solving any problem." The environmental activist mentioned that he drove his solar-powered electric car to the event. In Voyager Begley played "Henry Starling," the computer magnate who funded Rain Robinson's SETI lab which was presumably housed at Griffith. (Even now, we don't know where in the building such a lab would be!)
Also in attendance at the VIP party was Andre Bormanis, staff writer for Star Trek: Enterprise and science consultant on Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Bormanis — in collaboration with observatory director Dr. Ed Krupp and astronomical artist Don Dixon — wrote the inaugural show of the renovated Samuel Oschin Planetarium, titled "Centered in the Universe." It is a digitally animated "all-dome" laser-projected presentation (only a portion of which utilizes the new Zeiss star projector) employing dramatic imagery and sound effects, with a live narrator, to describe the evolution of mankind's understanding of the heavens. It is arguably the most sophisticated planetarium show ever produced.
Other celebs and VIPs who graced the blue carpet atop Mount Hollywood Sunday evening included such names as Lucy Lawless, Art Linkletter, Shirley Jones & Marty Ingels, Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance, Marilu Henner, Meredith Baxter, Olympic skater Sasha Cohen, athlete Carl Lewis, and many more, along with L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other city luminaries.
Thursday afternoon a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held that was much less about celebrity and more about civic pride. The Nimoys were on the dais along with other major donors, plus observatory officials such as Dr. Krupp, and local, state and national politicians such as Congressman Adam Schiff. A giant red ribbon was hung along the entire front of the observatory building, and hundreds of guests gathered on the front lawn. Mayor Villaraigosa presided over the ceremony, which commenced with a presentation of colors by the Hollywood High School ROTC color guard, and the national anthem played by the Hollywood High marching band, with the Pledge of Allegiance led by local fifth-graders.
"You are all going boldly where no public observatory has gone before," Krupp began in his opening remarks. He mentioned the facility's Hollywood connections but emphasized, "At Griffith Observatory, the stars are the stars. And the universe is the most theatric, dramatic spectacle there is."
Dr. Krupp further spoke about the observatory's "lofty purpose" and how it can help change the world: "Astronomy prompts the big questions. The big questions invite wonder. Wonder drives the quest for understanding. The quest for understanding invests value in accurate portrayals of nature. Accurate portrayals of nature enhance survival. Astronomy, in that sense, helps underwrite our future."
Mayor Villaraigosa recognized all the individual and institutional donors — including the U.S. Air Force and NASA — represented on the dais, and particularly thanked the Nimoys "for their generosity and tireless efforts in support of fundraising."
City councilmember Tom LaBonge noted the coincidence that the price tag for the renovation — $93 million — is the same number of miles that the Earth is from the Sun. And it was a child attending a lecture who originally pointed that out.
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