HR: 1340h
AN: SM53A-0403    [Abstracts]
TI: Immersive Visualization for Space Physics Science and Education
AU: * Reiff, P H
EM: reiff@rice.edu
AF: Rice Space Institute, 6100 Main St. Mail Stop 108, Houston, TX 77005 United States
AU: Sumners, C T
EM: csumners@hmns.org
AF: Houston Museum of Natural Science, One Herman Circle Dr., Houston, TX 77030 United States
AU: Kessel, R L
EM: Ramona.L.Kessel@nasa.gov
AF: Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AB: The development of new, relatively inexpensive immersive projection technologies (and portable inflatable fulldome theatres) have now allowed new ways of visualizing data and models. Students can be surrounded by moving imagery, allowing them to experience (and not just be told) about spatial and temporal variations, such as the dance of a Cluster orbit or the compression of field lines during a solar storm. Common misconceptions (such as the reason for the season) can be eliminated by experiences. Fulldome shows also allow a new exciting venue to bring space physics to the planetarium, a venue previously only showing starfields and planets. Now CMEs and solar storms can sweep over the public. New animation and visualization tools have been developed to maximize the experience, including riding on Cluster through an orbit while listening to the data stream from the four spacecraft. A demonstration of the immersive dome in action will be done if possible.
UR: http://earth.rice.edu
DE: 0815 Informal education
DE: 0845 Instructional tools
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting