NEW YORK—Light-emitting diodes now illuminate the constellations on the resplendent ceiling of Grand Central Terminal.
“Using the new technology to celebrate the traditional grandeur of Grand Central’s celestial ceiling is a testament to our commitment to improving the life of the city even as we continue to cut costs,” said Jay Walder, chairman of Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The stars were first illuminated by 10-watt bulbs, which required workers to climb up 125 feet to replace them. The labor-intensive maintenance of this spectacle eventually left a burned-out zodiac over Grand Central’s main concourse.
Fiber-optic lights were installed in 1997. The stars faded as the tubes became brittle and brown.
The long-lasting LED lights bring renewed splendor to the experience of traveling through the landmark station—and they are energy efficient too!
First painted by the French artist Paul Helleu in 1912, the 80,000 square-foot canvas was revitalized in 1996.
The sky found in this Beaux Arts-style New York landmark actually depicts a Mediterranean sky. French painter Paul Helleu took his inspiration for this enormous canvas from a medieval manuscript. The constellations are backward, as medieval artists viewed the celestial bodies as they would be seen from the heavens.
As the October to March zodiac and 2,500 stars shine with new brilliance, Walder just hopes that “people won’t run into one another as they crane their necks and peer skyward in admiration.”
Viewers of the dazzling ceiling can look for a black hole above Pisces, where a small rocket accidently hit in 1957. The rocket was part of a display of national zeal amid the space race with the Soviet Union.
“Using the new technology to celebrate the traditional grandeur of Grand Central’s celestial ceiling is a testament to our commitment to improving the life of the city even as we continue to cut costs,” said Jay Walder, chairman of Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The stars were first illuminated by 10-watt bulbs, which required workers to climb up 125 feet to replace them. The labor-intensive maintenance of this spectacle eventually left a burned-out zodiac over Grand Central’s main concourse.
Fiber-optic lights were installed in 1997. The stars faded as the tubes became brittle and brown.
The long-lasting LED lights bring renewed splendor to the experience of traveling through the landmark station—and they are energy efficient too!
First painted by the French artist Paul Helleu in 1912, the 80,000 square-foot canvas was revitalized in 1996.
The sky found in this Beaux Arts-style New York landmark actually depicts a Mediterranean sky. French painter Paul Helleu took his inspiration for this enormous canvas from a medieval manuscript. The constellations are backward, as medieval artists viewed the celestial bodies as they would be seen from the heavens.
As the October to March zodiac and 2,500 stars shine with new brilliance, Walder just hopes that “people won’t run into one another as they crane their necks and peer skyward in admiration.”
Viewers of the dazzling ceiling can look for a black hole above Pisces, where a small rocket accidently hit in 1957. The rocket was part of a display of national zeal amid the space race with the Soviet Union.
