8. TV IN SPACE

LISTEN TO GUIDED AUDIO TOUR

Soon after the dawn of the Age of television in the late 1920s, electronic signals began traveling away from Earth at the speed of light or 300,000 km/sec. The earliest transmissions are today almost <800> trillion km away, having sped past some <10,000> star systems within <80> light years of Earth. This may mean that our celestial cousins, whoever they may be and if they are watching, already know that we exist.

As you explore the TV In Space mural, you will discover time, distance and speed measures for points of reference. The Race for Television is mapped with flags indicating where each country’s first transmissions of regularly scheduled television broadcasts are located in space. So begins a journey through time, past significant transmissions sent from our home world years ago. These important TV moments exemplify the already vast legacy of our relatively new, yet enduring medium.