Fort Wayne will soon join a list of cities that includes Singapore, Mexico City, Paris, Beijing and Washington, D.C. as being home to Science On a Sphere, anexhibit developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Sphere will soon be a permanent featured attraction inside Science Central, Fort Wayne’s popular hands-on science center. The new exhibit space has been built in the unused portion of Science Central, tapping into 35,000-square feet of space. The exhibit, which started construction in April of this year, will officially open to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony slated for 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 5. Free admission to Science Central will be offered to the general public from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on opening day.
Martin S. Fisher, executive director of Science Central, says that the new exhibit will be the first of its kind in Indiana museums. “We’re excited to open Science On a Sphere here in Fort Wayne,” said Fisher. “This is a world-class exhibit that will provide amazing science-related educational opportunities for our state and our region. It will give people a whole new perspective on the sciences that are continuously taking place around the world…and other worlds!”
Science On a Sphere is a dynamic, animated global display system developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It uses computers and video projectors to show planetary data on a six-foot diameter sphere. It was developed by NOAA researchers initially as a research tool, and ultimately as an educational tool to illustrate science to people of all ages. To the naked eye, the Sphere actually appears to be floating and rotating in mid-air, just like a real planet. It will be a “must see” exhibit at Science Central, illustrating earth, space and social sciences. It will also provide real-time imagery, such as satellite, buoy and sensing station links to global weather, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other activities occurring on Earth, as well as NASA images of the planets and moons of our solar system. Visit http://sos.noaa.gov for more information.
Science On a Sphere was invented by Dr. Alexander "Sandy" MacDonald, the director of the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, CO, and Chief Science Advisor for NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Dr. MacDonald came up with the concept for Science On a Sphere in 1995 as an outgrowth of other visualization projects he was directing within the former Forecast Systems Laboratory.
Science Central will have trained education specialists making presentations about data sets being featured on the Sphere. Regularly scheduled demonstrations of the new exhibit will take place on a daily basis.
Admission to the Sphere will be included in the $8 daily admission fee to Science Central.
Science Central, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization, has provided a hands-on fun learning environment for almost 18 years. Through our 120+ exhibits, school tours, distance learning programs and weekend public events, we bring the excitement of science and technology to over 130,000 children and adults annually. For more information, contact Science Central at 260-424-2400 or visit us on the web at www.sciencecentral.org.
