The laser colors and forms
ballet is accompanied by Pink Floyd

In the dome of the Planetarium, the laser beam creates multicolored and tridimensional images

Concert with laser ray is a good novelty for children and adults

"Cool!", "Fantastic!", "Unbelievable!" These exclamations, followed by enthusiastic applause, succeed after each number of the Cosmic Laser Concert, the show that is running at the Gávea Planetarium, a good option for recreation for this weekend. For Cr$ 400 you can see a show that seems to take one to another galaxy: geometric, multicolored and tridimensional images, projected by a laser ray equipment, parade in the dome of the Planetarium, sometimes at a slow pace, others, frenetically, to the sound of music commanded by an operator. The operator transforms the images at his own will, shaping them differently and making them dance to the rhythm of each music.

The atmosphere is created with the projection of images reproducing our galaxy in the dome. The first luminous points projected break the almost complete darkness by the laser while the "Stratosphere" music by Tangerine Dream is played loudly. The laser is projected in red, yellow, green and blue. Spherical shapes appear and they spread as sound waves reproduced in designs.

The laser has intense color and its focus is precise, reminding neon lights. The images multiply and are continuously being transformed: geometric forms, entwined lines, water mirrors, haze; a ballet of colors and shapes, all parade in the dome, allowing a numberless of associations by the public.

This show was brought to Brazil by an American company. Its owner, Willy Feliu, says the same show is going on for more than five years at the London and Los Angeles Planetariums, and it has been exhibited most successfully in the main capital cities of the world. There is no fixed time for the Rio de Janeiro season. It will last as long as there is public.

A krypton laser is used in the show (these are lasers of neon, helium and argon), the most adequate for entertainment, due to its capacity to produce four colors, explains Soraya Bittencourt, electronic engineer. She is being trained by the North-American Dexter Goucha, in order to be able, soon, to operate all the controls of the laser during the show, as Dexter has to return to USA. According to Feliu, to do this job, it is also necessary to know music, besides electronics, and to have sensibility to make the laser "dance" in the adequate rhythm.

The laser beam, explains Soraya, is divided by prisms and mirrors, via electronic process. The operator disposes of 57 buttons, which correspond to dozens of oscillations, with which to command the figures: - No matter how expert is the operator - says Soraya - there is no way to repeat a show. They may, at the most, be very similar, once the range of possible resources/combinations is unlimited. Besides, the image is tridimensional. Each person, depending where it is sitting, will see that image in a different way.

The show runs from Tuesday to Sundays. The sessions start at each 50 minutes, beginning at 19h and the last one start at 22:20h. On Sundays, the first session starts at 18:30h and the last one starts at 21:50h. The show has 2 programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. From Tuesday to Thursdays, the predomination is pop music, including the bands Doobie Brothers, Jeffesrson Starship, Nektarine Fletwood Mac, among others. The program also includes the Blue Danube Waltz which is being played from today through Sunday, together with the music by Pink Floyd, Walter Carlos, Edgard Winter and Emerson, Lake & Palmers.