What’s your favorite astronomy movie? Ask this question at your next dinner party and chances are conversation will come to an abrupt halt. “Is this a trick question?”, some may ask. Others will stare blankly and twiddle with their silverware until someone changes the subject.
Which is fair enough. Astronomy isn’t for everyone. But it is our métier on this website, so let’s stake an opinion on what is arguably the finest astronomy-related movie of all time. And by “astronomy movie”, I mean a movie in which concepts of astronomy, accurately portrayed, play a major role in the plot, settings, and characters.