Nearly any global data can be displayed on Science On a Sphere^TM, including the weather, climate, geology, images of solar system bodies, or any type of geographical information that covers a large portion of a planet’s surface. NOAA’s mission to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment can derive special benefit from the ability to present its data with a geometry that corresponds to that chosen by nature. In many ways, Science On a Sphere^TM provides an ideal way to educate the public on many important issues, both environmental and economic, that face NOAA, the United States, and the entire world.

The initial Phase 0 prototype was developed in the summer and fall of 2001, using an Apple G4 with four video cards, low-end video projectors, and an acrylic sphere. The system had limitations in terms of resolution (400 x 400 pixel imagery) and a low video frame rate, along with deficiencies related to mapping and synchronization of the images on the sphere. However, even with these limitations, the visualizations and overall concept convinced other NOAA organizations to invest in the project. The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR); National Weather Service (NWS); National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS); and National Polar Orbiter Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) provided resources to support the next development stage of Science On a Sphere^TM. NESDIS gave additional help and played an important role by providing a freestanding suspension structure for the sphere, significant support for dataset creation, and indispensable aid in planning and logistics for conferences and remote events.

The goals during Phase 1 development were to improve the system by 1) creating additional media sets to display on the sphere; 2) increasing the pixel resolution used by the display system; 3) improving the focus, convergence, and overall quality of the projected imagery; 4) creating a user interface to control the system; and 5) developing more portable and scalable construction techniques for the sphere itself. All of these goals were achieved to a large extent by December 2002.

Phase 1 development culminated in a series of presentations and remote events, starting with a week-long educational workshop at Broomfield Heights Middle School (near Boulder) in October 2002 to test the idea: "Can Science On a Sphere^TM be used as a teaching tool?" The system was set up in a science classroom at the school, and for one week, nearly 500 students (some future scientists, no doubt) were led through exercises in atmospheric science, geography, and other earth science disciplines. The reactions from the students during the teaching exercises were fascinating to observe. They voiced their surprise to see the Earth and other planets at this scale and were very responsive in the classroom exercises. Some students were so influenced by the presentations and lessons that they were still discussing science at lunchtime in the cafeteria, a rare event according to one teacher. Parents attending parent/teacher conferences saw the sphere in the evening as enthusiastic students showed them what they were learning in science class.

In December 2002, Science On a Sphere^TM was at the NOAA Science Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, for presentations to NOAA staff and management. Various NOAA groups participating in the program were excited with the prospect of displaying new NOAA data from their own group on the sphere. Science On a Sphere^TM was exhibited at the Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society in Long Beach, California, where FSL hosted nearly 2,000 participants from the general public and the scientific community during the week-long conference. Overall comments and audience reactions were very positive, with the more common response that this is a dramatic way of looking at the geographic and atmospheric processes of our planet and conveying that information to the viewer.

Most recently, Science On a Sphere^TM was shown at the Department of Commerce’s Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., (Figure 3) as part of the national program, "Excellence in Science, Technology, and Mathematics Education Week."

• Annotation – Provide the ability to draw markers and place text over data being displayed on the sphere.

• Simplified System Architecture – Investigate and implement more compact computers and technology, along with a lighter and easier to assemble display structure, to facilitate setup and reduce the cost of transporting and assembling Science On a Sphere^TM for conferences, workshops, and schools.

• Documentation – Create technical documentation and a user manual describing the operation and use of Science On a Sphere^TM.

• Display Preparation Package – Develop and provide a software package to convert scientific data to an SOS-ready format. Provide documentation on SOS data format.

• Real-Time Data Ingest – Provide for real-time data ingest for a limited set of NOAA satellite and model data products and develop an automatic way of distributing Science On a Sphere^TM ready images from a central facility to remote Science On a Sphere^TM sites.

• Unattended Operational Mode – Build the capability for Science On a Sphere^TM to run in an unattended mode for public display, featuring automatic loading of data with synchronized audio narration.

• Pole Rotation – Add the ability to display the Earth or other planets at arbitrary angles of rotation. This feature includes the ability to rotate the Earth so that the poles can be displayed anywhere on the sphere for easier viewing and data exploration.

The continued success of NOAA Science On a Sphere^TM is dependent on the support of NOAA and other government organizations, industry, and the private sector. Early and future development of the system is also supported by a very dedicated, capable team at FSL under the leadership of Sandy MacDonald.