Stars literally overhauled for Titanic 3D

(CBS News) - While the big change in "Titanic's" upcoming re-release is the addition of a third dimension, a subtler alteration has reportedly been made to the film's stars. No, Leonardo DiCaprio hasn't been digitally replaced with Justin Bieber, we're talking about the stars in the sky, the kind scientists care about.

Scientists like eagle-eyed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

When Tyson watched "Titanic" during its initial release he noted that the star map was wrong for the time and place of the sinking. In this video, unearthed by Moviefone, Tyson says that although the film was "widely marketed as having precisely captured the details of the ship" and even though "we know the day, the time, the longitude...everything" about when and where the ship sank, when Kate Winslet's character looks up at the night sky toward the end of the movie, it is "the wrong sky."

In fact, the left half of the sky was a mirror reflection of the right half, or, as Tyson says: "It was not only wrong, it was lazy."

Tyson sent the film's director - noted perfectionist/deep sea explorer James Cameron - an email Cameron has described as "snarky," according to the Telegraph.

"And with my reputation as a perfectionist," Cameron reportedly said, "I should have known that, and I should have put the right star field in."

And so, for Wednesday's 3D re-release, the stars in the sky in the film will match those one would have seen at 4:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912 from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Certainly audiences will notice - those that can make out the star field through tears as Celine Dion wails, anyway.

[rwsmith29456]

The awfulness of that dramatic disaster movie turned into a fantasy romance reduced it to a level that a field of stars was insignificant. The romance was based entirely on some found drawings. If they had kept it in the vein of the old 'Night To Remember' I would have liked it instead of despising it.

[expatriate2]

Okay, fix the constellations but what about the official 140 other errors in the movie?

[pakire]

I love Neil deGrasse Tyson. Watch out, we got a bada** over here. He really is.

[Transatlantique]

I wasn't thinking about the pattern of stars in the sky as I was watching the fictional "Rose" in her post sinking delirium, and could care less even more now. As far as I'm concerned, people who watch stars in the sky religiously are probably the same type of people who make sure the fringe on their drawing room rug is combed daily. Its called OCD.

[rktsci3127]

I long ago got sick of even hearing the word Titanic. How long will they milk this??

[ScorpioJax66]

At least until April 15th which is the 100th Anniversary of its sinking. The bigger question is why someone who is tired of hearing about the Titanic click on a link for a story about it. No one forced you too and then to leave a comment just shows how ignorant you are and how worthless your being is.

[asaquon]

I'm more concerned about the accuracy of the tint of the paint on the ship's bow :P

[catwoman1952]

it's movie, it's for entertainment, just sit back anjoy and take your nitpicking with you to the nearest hole in the ground

[bubbabob9]

Most Americans don't even realize that the visible star field changes with the seasons and the hour.

[enlightenu]

Right, like catwoman.

[julianpenrod]

I mention this here because wherever else I tried didn't work. io9, for example, keeps telling me that attempts to place the comment failed, sources like National Geographic don't allow comments.
A mystery few seem even to notice and no one has even followed up on when I mention it.
This isn't the only newsreel film of Titanic. One seems to have been filmed before the collision, but after the departure from Southampton. Part of it shows tugboats helping the Titanic out of its mooring. The tugs apparently have their names painted on their sterns, but their names have been scratched out on the film! You see the tugs, you see the Titanic, but where the tugs' sterns are, you see fluttering, oddly shaped banners of white. No one seems to know why the nams of the tugs have heen scratched out. YouTube has one example of this film, it's entitled, "Titanic 1912 Newsreel (original)". At about 4 minutes 23 seconds into the film. It's not immediately obvious why the names of tugboats used in navigating the Titanic out would be removed from the film, it's not immediately obvious what someone would be wanting to hide.

[sheepgoat]

Not a mystery - the "Titanic 1912 Newsreel (original)" is actually of the Olympic - Titanic's sister ship and taken in New York. See the lead in introduction. Maybe the tugboats had "New York Harbor Tug" on their sterns.

[Molly-Pchr]

Also they left out of the movie the tragedy of the US California which was within view of the flares of Titanic and thought there was a party going on or something, turned off their radio and went to sleep. How horrible a ship was that close and all those people perished!! I wonder why that's not in the movie, it's so very important, and the crew members of the California were called to testify.

[Wookiee-1138]

Tyson is cool, but he's no Carl Sagan.

Personally, my favorite pop-scientist is Douglas Hofstadter.

[enlightenu]

I think Michio is just as cool as Neil, but nobody beats Carl.

[pwgrant]

Sagan is a fruitloop compared to Tyson.

[FerdFerkle]

Big Fat harry Deal, who cares. Except silly nit picking scientists.

[Wookiee-1138]

Considering most of our idiot leaders are apathetic or ignorant towards science, you might be forgiven for that attitude. But being unable to spell "hairy" is clear evidence you should retake the 4th grade, methinks.

[bubbabob9]

Anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature.