Science On a Sphere
Science On a Sphere is a spherical projection system created by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It presents high-resolution video on a suspended globe rather than a flat screen, with the aim of better representing global phenomena. Animated images of atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperature can be shown on the sphere to explain these complex environmental processes. SOS systems are most frequently installed in science museums, universities, zoos, and research institutions, although new and novel uses for these systems in a variety of presentation spaces and contexts are starting to emerge.
The system has been installed in more than 130 locations worldwide.
Configuration
SOS uses many off-the-shelf hardware and software components combined into an innovative format. A spherical screen covered in ordinary latex paint hangs suspended in the center of a projection space. The screen is inert; it neither moves nor has any electronic parts. Surrounding the screen are four video projectors, positioned at ninety degree increments around the screen. Each projector is responsible for one quadrant of screen space. One Desktop tower with two graphics cards is used to control the system. The custom written SOS software runs on Linux.BWC Visual Technologies has a quick deploy with an inflatable sphere and a laptop to run the 4 projectors used mainly at events like trade shows or conferences where a permanent display isn't needed, or for short term events.
SOS was invented by Alexander E. MacDonald, the former director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, CO, and Deputy Assistant Administrator for the NOAA Research Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes. MacDonald devised the original idea for Science On a Sphere in 1995 as part of other data visualization work he oversaw in what was the former NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory. A small but highly motivated and inventive team of NOAA staff led by chief designer David Himes wrote the SOS software and developed the SOS hardware and system architecture. This work enabled MacDonald's invention to move out from the laboratory and into performance spaces. A patent was awarded to NOAA for Science On a Sphere in August 2005, with MacDonald credited as the inventor. General system architecture and configuration specifications are as follows.
The sphere
The carbon fiber sphere is in diameter. Other sphere sizes are possible, such as 48" and 60". Larger sizes are possible too. The 68" sphere with a single seam at the equator weighs under. The sphere is attached to the ceiling or suspension structure with a three-point suspension system to hold the sphere in place and reduce lateral movement. If the sphere moves, the images become un-focused. The cables are designed for strength yet small enough to blend into the background.The projectors
The system requires high quality, bright, long duty cycle projectors generally permanently installed in board rooms and high end home theaters rather than smaller portable and consumer models to endure the requirements of 8–10 hours per day, 7 days per week of most public displays. System designers also recommend a minimum of 3500 lumens. The software is also now compatible with 4k projectors.The computer hardware
The computer hardware used for SOS is constantly evolving based on what is available on the market. The newest configuration uses one Ubuntu Linux computer with NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards, and an iPad app to control the Science On a Sphere. Previous versions used five Red Hat Linux computers.SOS data details
The majority of SOS assets are so-called "datasets". Originally conceived as a video system for showing space based collections of Earth data, SOS has grown in its utility. The majority of data that traditionally appears on the SOS screens concerns the Earth, either from near-real-time data acquisition systems, or from processed remote sensing platforms. But recent interest and growth in different kinds of media have started to broaden that library. There are currently over 500 datasets that can be shown on the sphere, including real-time infrared satellite images, Mars, real-time Earthquakes, an ocean acidification model, and many more.; the standard parallel is the equator.
The data format for SOS datasets is the equidistant cylindrical equatorial projection, also referred to as equirectangular projection, as shown by the map to the right. Textures, or single images, such as Mars or the Moon, are jpeg or png files that have a minimum resolution of 2048x1024 and a preferred resolution of 4096x2048. Animations, such as a 24-hour air traffic loop or real-time weather over the course of a week, are mp4 files that have a preferred resolution of 2048x1024.
All of the datasets for Science On a Sphere are available online in the SOS Dataset Catalog. The datasets are divided into six main categories: Land, Water, Air, Space, Snow & Ice, People, and Extras. The datasets come from many different organizations, including NOAA, NASA, NREL, universities, and science museums. Many of the sites that have SOS are creating new custom content for their site.
SOS User's Collaborative Network
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA supports the use of spherical display systems, such as SOS, in public exhibits as part of a focused effort to increase environmental literacy. The institutions that currently have NOAA's Science On a Sphere, as well as other partners who are creating content and educational programming for these systems, have formed a collaborative network. The SOS Users Collaborative Network is supported by NOAA's Office of Education and the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory to provide a mechanism for these institutions to work together to maximize the effectiveness of the SOS system as an Earth system science education platform.Network meetings and workshops
NOAA's Office of Education hosts workshops of the SOS Users Collaborative Network in order to allow Network to inform NOAA on investment and development decisions related to the SOS system and to provide a mechanism for member institutions to work together to maximize the effectiveness of SOS as an Earth system science education platform. These workshops, which are typically 2.5 days in duration, provide a valuable opportunity for members of the Network to meet in person to focus on key issues. Past meetings have included:- January 22–24, 2007, Network Workshop held at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore,MD
- October 14, 2007, Network Meeting held at the Association of Science-Technology Centers conference in Los Angeles, CA
- July 29–31, 2008, Network Workshop held at Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI and Imiloa Astronomy Center, Hilo, HI
- October 20, 2008, Network Meeting held at the Association of Science-Technology Centers conference in Philadelphia, PA
- November 17–19, 2009, Network Workshop held at NOAA Earth System Research Lab and Fiske Planetarium
- May 3–5, 2011, Network Workshop held at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, IL
- November 6–8, 2012, Network Workshop held at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA
- June 10–12, 2014, Network Workshop held at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, MN
- December 2–4, 2015, Network Workshop held at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, OR
- April 25–27, 2017, Network Workshop held at the Detroit Zoo in Detroit, MI.
SOS evaluation
Locations
Science On a Sphere is installed in science museums, zoos and aquariums, and visitors centers around the world. New sites are continually being added:| Site | Location | Date |
| NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory | Boulder, CO | |
| Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame | Seattle, WA | May, 2004 |
| Nauticus – The National Maritime Center | Norfolk, VA | May, 2005 |
| Science Museum of Minnesota | St. Paul, MN | Jan, 2006 |
| Bernice P. Bishop Museum | Honolulu, HI | Feb, 2006 |
| The Tech Museum of Innovation | San Jose, CA | Mar, 2006 |
| Maryland Science Center | Baltimore, MD | Apr, 2006 |
| NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Visitors Center | Greenbelt, MD | Apr, 2006 |
| Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary | Alpena, MI | Jun, 2006 |
| ʻImiloa Astronomy Center | Hilo, HI | Nov, 2006 |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA | Nov, 2006 |
| McWane Science Center | Birmingham, AL | Feb, 2007 |
| Fiske Planetarium and Science Center at the University of Colorado | Boulder, CO | Mar, 2007 |
| Orlando Science Center | Orlando, Florida | May, 2007 |
| Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago, IL | Jun, 2007 |
| National Weather Center | Norman, OK | Aug, 2007 |
| Ocean Explorium | New Bedford, MA | Dec, 2007 |
| Clark Planetarium | Salt Lake City, UT | Mar, 2008 |
| Lawrence Hall of Science | Berkeley, CA | Apr, 2008 |
| National Museum of Natural Science | Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C. | May, 2008 |
| Gwacheon National Science Museum | Gwacheon, Republic of Korea | Jun, 2008 |
| National Renewable Energy Laboratory | Golden, CO | Jul, 2008 |
| Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | Washington, D.C. | Jul, 2008 |
| International Museum of Art & Science | McAllen, TX | Aug, 2008 |
| Microsoft Visitor Center | Redmond, WA | Aug, 2008 |
| Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute | Juneau, AK | Sep, 2008 |
| Wallops Visitor Center | Wallops Island, VA | Nov, 2008 |
| National Museum of Surveying | Springfield, IL | Nov, 2008 |
| Boonshoft Museum of Discovery | Dayton, OH | Dec, 2008 |
| Climate Institute | Puebla, Mexico | Dec, 2008 |
| Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts | Harrisburg, PA | Jan, 2009 |
| North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island | Manteo, NC | Feb, 2009 |
| National Zoo | Washington, D.C. | Feb, 2009 |
| Alaska State Museum | Juneau, AK | Mar, 2009 |
| Stennis Space Center | MS | Mar, 2009 |
| The Wildlife Experience | Parker, CO | Apr, 2009 |
| Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie | Paris, France | Jun, 2009 |
| Oregon Museum of Science and Industry | Portland, OR | Jul, 2009 |
| Heureka, The Finnish Science Centre | Vantaa, Finland | Aug, 2009 |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science | Sugarland, Texas | Sep, 2009 |
| Discovery Science Center | Santa Ana, CA | Oct, 2009 |
| Challenger Learning Center | Atwater, CA | Jan, 2010 |
| Natural History Museum | Mexico City, Mexico | Jan, 2010 |
| Astronaut Hall of Fame | Titusville, FL | Jan, 2010 |
| China Beijiko Meteorological Museum | Nanjing, PRC | Jan, 2010 |
| Cité de l'espace | Toulouse, France | Feb, 2010 |
| Denver Museum of Nature and Science | Denver, CO | Feb, 2010 |
| Point Reyes National Seashore | Point Reyes, CA | Apr, 2010 |
| Central Weather Bureau | Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. | May, 2010 |
| Bay Education Center | Rockport, TX | Jun, 2010 |
| Climate Institute | Cuernavaca, Mexico | Jul, 2010 |
| Pacific Science Center | Seattle, WA | Sep, 2010 |
| Danville Science Center | Danville, VA | Oct, 2010 |
| London Science Museum | London, England | Nov, 2010 |
| Climate Institute | Chilpancingo, Mexico | Dec, 2010 |
| Climate Institute | Atlacomulco, Mexico | Dec, 2010 |
| Climate Institute | Metepec, Mexico | Dec, 2010 |
| Climate Institute, Casa de la Tierra | Veracruz, Mexico | Dec, 2010 |
| Climate Institute, Planetario de Morelia | Morelia, Mexico | Dec, 2010 |
| Science Museum of Virginia | Richmond, VA | Jan, 2011 |
| Climate Institute | Acapulco, Mexico | Feb, 2011 |
| Aquarium of the Pacific | Long Beach, CA | Mar, 2011 |
| Detroit Zoo | Royal Oak, MI | Apr, 2011 |
| Beijing Huaxinchuanzi Technology Co., Ltd. | Beijing, PRC | Apr, 2011 |
| KIGAM Geological Museum | Daejeon, Republic of Korea | Apr, 2011 |
| Our Planet Centre | Castries, St. Lucia | Apr, 2011 |
| Nurture Nature Center | Easton, PA | May, 2011 |
| Climate Factory | Holeby, Denmark | May, 2011 |
| Climate Institute | Texcoco, Mexico | May, 2011 |
| Climate Institute | Valle de Bravo, Mexico | May, 2011 |
| Climate Institute | Villahermosa, Mexico | Aug, 2011 |
| Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | Aug, 2011 |
| Aldo Leopold Nature Center | Monona, WI | Aug, 2011 |
| Climate Institute | Chetumal, Mexico | Sep, 2011 |
| Grand Canyon National Park | Grand Canyon, AZ | Oct, 2011 |
| China Maritime Museum | Shanghai, PRC | Nov, 2011 |
| St. Paul's School | Concord, NH | Dec, 2011 |
| Science Centre Singapore | Singapore | Jan, 2012 |
| Science City at Union Station | Kansas City, MO | Jan, 2012 |
| Daegu National Science Museum | Daegu, Republic of Korea | Feb, 2012 |
| Climate Institute | Oaxaca, Mexico | Mar, 2012 |
| Instituto Oceanografico da Universidade de São Paulo | São Paulo, Brazil | Apr, 2012 |
| The Wild Center | Tupper Lake, NY | May, 2012 |
| Governor Tauese P.F. Sunia Ocean Center | Pago Pago, American Samoa | Jul, 2012 |
| Space Foundation | Colorado Springs, CO | Jul, 2012 |
| The Climate Corporation | San Francisco, CA | Aug, 2012 |
| Telus World of Science | Edmonton, Canada | Sep, 2012 |
| Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila | Saltillo, Mexico | Oct, 2012 |
| Gwangju National Science Museum | Gwangju, Republic of Korea | Nov, 2012 |
| National Youth Space Center | Goheung, Republic of Korea | Nov, 2012 |
| Great Valley Museum – Modesto Junior College | Modesto, CA | Dec, 2012 |
| China Science and Technology Museum | Beijing, PRC | Dec, 2012 |
| Fuzhou Science and Technology Museum | Fuzhou, PRC | Jan, 2013 |
| South Florida Science Museum | West Palm Beach, FL | Jan, 2013 |
| E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center | Freeport, FL | Mar, 2013 |
| Cyberinfrastructure Building at Indiana University | Bloomington, IN | Apr, 2013 |
| Museo delle Scienze | Trento, Italy | May, 2013 |
| Techmania Science Center | Pilsen, Czechia | Nov, 2013 |
| Centro de Educación y Vigilancia Climática Global | Ciudad Victoria, México | Dec, 2013 |
| Discovery Center | Higashimatsushima, Japan | Mar, 2014 |
| Imagination Station Science Museum | Wilson, NC | Apr, 2014 |
| St. Charles High School | Waldorf, MD | Apr, 2014 |
| Climate Institute | Monterrey, Mexico | Jun, 2014 |
| Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum | Bangalore, India | Jul, 2014 |
| Exploreum | Pasay City, Philippines | Aug, 2014 |
| Precision Planting | Tremont, IL | Sep, 2014 |
| Discovery Cube Los Angeles | Sylmar, CA | Sep, 2014 |
| MTA Natural History Museum | Ankara, Turkey | Sep, 2014 |
| Children's City | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Jan, 2015 |
| Climate Institute | Reynosa, Mexico | Jan, 2015 |
| Hong Kong Maritime Museum | Hong Kong, SAR | Feb, 2015 |
| GulfQuest Maritime Museum | Mobile, AL | Mar, 2015 |
| EarthDay Texas | Dallas, TX | Apr, 2015 |
| EcoParque Los Yarumos | Manizales, Colombia | May, 2015 |
| Alternator Science Center | Trebic, Czech Republic | Jun, 2015 |
| Wings of Eagles Discovery Center | Horseheads, NY | Jun, 2015 |
| Chongqing Museum of Natural History | Chongqing, PRC | Jul, 2015 |
| China Nantong Meteorological Museum | Nantong, PRC | Jul, 2015 |
| Museum of Arts and Sciences | Macon, GA | Aug, 2015 |
| Rochester Museum and Science Center | Rochester, NY | Aug, 2015 |
| Baotau International Convention and Exhibition Center | Baotau, PRC | Aug, 2015 |
| Panasonic Avionics Corporation | Lake Forest, CA | Oct, 2015 |
| Room of Science at the Governor's Office | Manado, Indonesia | Nov, 2015 |
| Sanya Meteorological Bureau | Sanya, PRC | Dec, 2015 |
| Macau Science Center | Macau, SAR | Feb, 2016 |
| Casa de la Tierra, Descubre Museo Interactivo de Ciencia y Tecnología | Aguascalientes, Ags, Mexico | Feb, 2016 |
| Science City | Kolkata, India | Mar, 2016 |
| National Science Centre, Delhi | New Delhi, India | Mar, 2016 |
| Discovery Museum | Bridgeport, CT | Mar, 2016 |
| JiangXi Weather Bureau | Nanchang, PRC | Mar, 2016 |
| Yan'an Science and Technology Museum | Yan'An City, PRC | Apr, 2016 |
| Spaceport Sheboygan | Sheboygan, WI | Apr, 2016 |
| Fair Oaks Farms | Fair Oaks, IN | May, 2016 |
| Nehru Science Centre | Mumbai, India | May, 2016 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Museum | Kalamazoo, MI | Dec, 2016 |
| National Media Museum | Bradford, England | Feb, 2017 |
| Keesler Air Force Base | Biloxi, MS | Mar, 2017 |
| Santa Fe Community College | Santa Fe, NM | Mar, 2017 |
| Climate Planet | Aarhus, Denmark | May, 2017 |
| Morristown-Beard School | Morristown, NJ | Aug, 2017 |
| B M Birla Planetarium | Chennai, Tamil Nadu India | Nov, 2019 |
| Marian West and William Blanton Blakemore Planetarium | Midland, TX | July, 2019 |
Films
In 2005, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center ordered what would become the eighth SOS to be permanently installed. Michael Starobin, Goddard's senior media producer at the time, began the process of developing a presentation that would showcase NASA data. Through the autumn of 2005 and into the winter of 2006, Starobin worked on collecting source material to craft this presentation. Faced with the challenge of producing a seamless product akin to traditional video programs, Starobin came up with the idea for presenting video content from source material that did not originate as inherently spherical data. The goal would be to blend one edge of a video or still photographic frame with the opposite edge in order to create a fully spherical image. In the beginning of 2006, a small but powerful team of NASA Goddard staff joined the project, including data visualizers from the Scientific Visualization Studio and master editor and digital artist Victoria Weeks. On May 4, 2006 the team unveiled Footprints, the world's first fully realized spherical film. The project demonstrated a number of dramatic new techniques for visual conceptualization, including the idea of a seamless visual wrap.Since the release of Footprints, several other movies have been made or are currently in production for SOS, including:
- Blue Planet Produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota and the American Museum of Natural History, this project examines the role of water in a variety of Earth processes.
- Cooking Up a Storm Produced by Rockwell Schrock, NOAA Hollings Scholar for the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, as a summer project.
- Coral Science from Outer Space to Inner Space Produced by NOAA as part of the International Year of the Reef 2008.
- Energy Planet This short film, commissioned by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is believed to be the first SOS project produced by a fully private production company.
- Energy Revolution NREL commissioned a sequel to Energy Planet, with a focus on five core technologies that can have significant positive influence on the nation's growing energy needs. It debuted at the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
- Frozen Working with the most advanced satellite data available from NASA, FROZEN showcases those places on Earth where temperatures do not generally rise above water's freezing point.
- Largest Jupiter is not only the most massive planet in the solar system, but it may be one of the most influential as well. In LARGEST, NASA takes a close look at Jupiter, and considers its scientific and poetic place in the solar system.
- Return to the Moon To commemorate the 40th anniversary of first Moon landing and to celebrate NASA's newest vehicle to visit the moon—the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter—the Space Agency commissioned this short film.
- Tsunami NOAA, in partnership with the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, produced "Tsunami", a new Science On a Sphere presentation to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
- Flow: Currents and Climate Produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota, this piece looks at the role of oceans in the global climate.
- Forecast: Tropical Cyclone Produced by the American Museum of Natural History, this dataset provides an overview of the history of forecasting tropical cyclones and insights into the future of forecasting.
- "Loop" Everything in the universe seeks equilibrium. But equilibrium is elusive, with destabilizing forces always knocking things off kilter. In this NASA movie, data visualizations and dramatic imagery of the natural world present a science story about equilibrium in an inventive, conceptual way, and illustrate the propulsive essence of circulation in its many forms.