Science On a Sphere

Science On a Sphere (SOS) is a spherical projection system created by NOAA. It presents high-resolution video on suspended globe rather than a flat screen, with the aim of better representing global phenomena ^[1]. 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, and research institutions, although new and novel uses for these systems in a variety of presentation spaces and contexts are starting to emerge ^[2].

The system is installed in 60 locations worldwide ^[3].

SOS uses many off-the-shelf hardware and software components combined into an innovative format.^[4] 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 CPU with three graphics cards (two for the projector output and one for the user interface) is used to control the system. The custom written SOS software runs on Linux.^[5]

SOS was invented by Dr. Alexander E. MacDonald, the director of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, CO and OAR Deputy Assistant Administrator for the NOAA Research Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes.^[6] Dr. 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 Dr. 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 Dr. MacDonald credited as the inventor.^[7] General system architecture and configuration specifications are as follows. http://sos.noaa.gov/images/SOSFloorplan.pdf

The sphere size is 68" in diameter. Other sphere sizes are possible, but would require custom engineering (at additional cost to the SOS recipient). The 68" sphere is with a single seam at the equator weighs in at under 50 pounds.^[8] The sphere is attached to the ceiling or suspension structure via a three-point suspension system. The cables are rated to hold many times the weight of the sphere. The three-point suspension system is used to hold the sphere in place and reduce lateral movement.^[9] If the sphere moves, then the images become un-focused. The cables are designed for strength yet small enough to blend into the background.

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.^[10] The projectors used in the NC Aquarium installation use 4 Sony VPL-FE40 projectors rated at 4000 ANSI lumens costing over $4000 each^[11].

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 GeForce graphics cards, and a Wii Remote to control the Science On a Sphere.^[12] Previous versions used five Red Hat Linux computers.

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.^[13] There are currently over 250 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 entire catalog can be found online here: http://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/.

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.^[14]

All of the datasets for Science On a Sphere are available online in the SOS Dataset Catalog.^[15] The datasets are divided into six main categories: Land, Ocean, Atmosphere, Astronomy, Models and Simulations, and Extras. The Extras category contains all the narrated movies highlighted below. 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.

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 (OEd) and the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) 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.^[16]

NOAA’s Office of Education (OEd) 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 Conference held at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore,MD ^[17]
• October 14, 2007, Network Meeting held at the Association of Science-Technology Centers conference in Los Angeles, CA ^[18]
• July 29–31, 2008, Network Conference held at Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI and Imiloa Astronomy Center, Hilo, HI ^[19]
• October 20, 2008, Network Meeting helf at the Association of Science-Technology Centers conference in Philadelphia, PA ^[20]
• November 17–19, 2009, Network Conference held at NOAA Earth System Research Land and Fiske Planetarium

The User's Collaborative Network is currently involved in a program-wide evaulation of the effectiveness of exhibits featuring spherical display systems. Many of the SOS sites have conducted their own evaluation reports as well to better understand the educational impacts of Science On a Sphere.^[21]

Science On a Sphere is installed in science museums, zoos and aquariums, and NASA visitors centers around the United States. It has also been installed in science museums in Taiwan, Korea, France and Finland.^[22] New sites are continually being added:

In the Fall of 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.^[23][24]

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.^[25]
• Cooking Up a Storm Produced by Rockwell Schrock, NOAA Hollings Scholar for the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory as a summer project.^[26]
• Coral Science from Outer Space to Inner Space Produced by NOAA as part of the International Year of the Reef 2008 ^[27]
• 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.^[28]
• 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.^[29]
• Frozen Working with the most advanced satellite data available from NASA, FROZEN showcases those places on Earth where temperatures don’t generally rise above water’s freezing point.^[30]
• 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.^[31]
• Tsunami NOAA, in partnership with the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP), produced "Tsunami", a new Science On a Sphere (SOS) presentation to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.^[32]
• Flow: Currents and Climate Produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota, this piece looks at the role of oceans in the global climate. ^[33]
• Forecast:Tropical Cyclone Produced by the American Museum of Natural History, this datasets provides an overview of the history of forecasting tropical cyclones and insights into the future of forecasting. ^[34]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Science On a Sphere.

• Official website