Science On a Sphere

SOS was invented by Alexander E. MacDonald, the former director of the Earth System Research Laboratories.{{Cite web|url=http://sos.noaa.gov/about/|title=SOS: What is SOS?|date=September 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929204924/http://sos.noaa.gov/about/|archive-date=2006-09-29}} MacDonald devised the original idea for SOS in 1995. A team of NOAA staff wrote the SOS software and developed the SOS hardware and system architecture. A patent was awarded to NOAA for Science On a Sphere in August 2005.{{cite web|url=http://sos.noaa.gov/Docs/SOSFloorplan.pdf |title=Science On a Sphere Geometry |website=Sos.noaa.gov |access-date=2016-11-26}}

SOS uses many off-the-shelf hardware and software components.{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.noaa.gov/docs/new_install.html |title= Setup and Installation Details|access-date=August 3, 2009}} A spherical screen covered in ordinary latex paint hangs suspended in the center of the projection space. The screen is inert; it neither moves nor has any electronic parts. Surrounding the screen are four video projectors, with each projector responsible for one quadrant of screen space. One CPU is used to control the system. The SOS software runs on Linux.{{cite web |url=http://sos.noaa.gov/download/how_sos_works_audio.mpg |title=Archived copy |website=sos.noaa.gov |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528150135/http://sos.noaa.gov/download/how_sos_works_audio.mpg |archive-date=28 May 2010 |url-status=dead}}

The carbon fiber sphere is {{Convert|68|in|m}} in diameter and weighs under {{Convert|50|lb}}.{{Cite web|url=http://sos.noaa.gov/docs/requirements.html|title=Site Requirements|date=September 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929210134/http://sos.noaa.gov/docs/requirements.html|archive-date=2006-09-29}} 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 and blurring.{{Cite web|url=http://sos.noaa.gov/docs/sphere_mounting.html|title=SOS: Pictures and Movies|date=January 20, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120214557/http://sos.noaa.gov/docs/sphere_mounting.html|archive-date=2008-01-20}}

The system requires high quality, bright, long-duty cycle projectors, 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.{{Cite web|url=http://sos.noaa.gov/equipment/|title=SOS: Documentation|date=September 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929210218/http://sos.noaa.gov/equipment/|archive-date=2006-09-29}}

The newest configuration{{when?|date=July 2023}} uses one Ubuntu Linux computer with NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards, and an iPad app to control the system.

File:equirectangular-projection.jpg; the standard parallel is the equator.]]

The majority of SOS assets are so-called "datasets". Originally conceived as a video system for showing space-based collections of Earth data, the 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.{{Cite web|url=http://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050905145959/http://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/|archive-date = 2005-09-05|title = Dataset Catalog}} 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 others, including a number of movies.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/exhibits/footprints.html |title=NASA – 'Footprints' and Science On a Sphere |website=Nasa.gov |date=2009-02-18 |access-date=2016-11-26}}{{cite news|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1939342,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061211210537/http://www.time.com/time/2006/techguide/bestinventions/inventions/light4.html |url-status=live |archive-date=December 11, 2006 |title=Best Inventions of 2006 |publisher=TIME |access-date=2016-11-26}}

The data format for SOS datasets is the equirectangular projection, as shown by the map to the right.{{cite web|url=http://sos.noaa.gov/Support/content_creation.html |title=Content Creation | Science On a Sphere |website=Sos.noaa.gov |access-date=2016-11-26}}

A collaborative network has been established by institutions with access to SOS, as well as partners who are developing educational programming and content for these systems. The SOS Users Collaborative Network is backed by the NOAA Office of Education (OEd) and the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratories (ESRL).{{cite web|url=http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/network/ |title=Science On a Sphere Users Collaborative Network |website=Oesd.noaa.gov |access-date=2016-11-26}}

• Virtual globe

{{Reflist}}

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• [http://bwcviz.com/ BWC Visual Technology] A distributor and installer of Science on a Sphere
• {{official website|http://sos.noaa.gov}}
• [http://sos.noaa.gov/SOS_Explorer/ SOS Explorer], the desktop version of SOS for Windows and Mac computers, was released in September 2015 and is free for classroom or personal use.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Science On A Sphere}}

Category:Display technology

Category:Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

Category:Science and technology in the United States

Category:Spheres