This Week's Day-By-Day Picks

Comments (0) By Merritt Martin Thursday, Jun 3 2004

Tuesday, June 8

It's rare when someone can offer us all an opportunity to see something they know no one has ever seen. No one alive anyway. How is it possible that no one has seen a Venus transit? Because there hasn't been one since December 1882. What is a Venus transit? It "occurs when the silhouette of the planet Venus crosses in front of the sun" after Venus passes the earth in orbit. Sounds like a planet eclipse to us, but we're no astronomers. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History brings the event to us with a live NASA Web cast from Greece (one of the few places it's visible). The shindig begins at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday with much-needed coffee, Krispy Kremes and the broadcast projected onto the domed screen of the museum's Omni Theater. Narration by Noble Planetarium director Linda Krouse and Maryland's Goddard Spaceflight Center will accompany the captivating images. Tickets are $5 and advance purchase is recommended as seating is limited. Call 817-255-9300.

In-depth photography: The 10th annual Richland College Infrared Photography workshop in New Mexico results in high-contrast and dramatic depth-of-field shots like this one.

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Wednesday, June 9

Infrared photography can be warm and sensual, soft and haunting, despite the strong contrasts that the film creates. Loaded with film donated by Eastman Kodak, Richland's advanced photography students headed to Santa Fe for a mini-mester with professors Wayne Loucas and Roy Cirigliana. The entire trip was devoted to infrared photography. Using the sensitive film (that must be loaded, unloaded and processed in complete darkness), students were instructed to shoot the landscape mindful of an outcome that would feature glowing elements and stark black sky to white cloud contrasts. What was shot next door in New Mexico is now on display as the Richland College 10th Anniversary Infrared Photography Exhibit in the Green Mezzanine-Gallery of the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive, Richardson. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday (and every other day but Sunday). See www.eisemanncenter.com or call 972-744-4600.