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Science On a Sphere

Schoolchildren crowd around the railing surrounding Science On a Sphere during a presentation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce

NOAA’s Science On a Sphere® is a room-sized, global display system that projects visualizations of planetary data onto a six foot diameter sphere to help illustrate Earth System science to people of all ages.

  • A Globe for the digital age

    NOAA’s Science On a Sphere® uses computers and projectors to display visualizations of planetary data on a sphere, analogous to a giant, animated globe.

  • Over 600 datasets

    There are over 600 datasets available for SOS and SOSx ranging from ocean currents to ultraviolet visualizations of our sun.

  • 175+ locations

    NOAA’s Science On a Sphere and SOS Explorer® are installed at over 175 sites worldwide.

No room for a six foot sphere? No problem!

NOAA’s SOS Explorer® is a flat screen version of the widely popular Science On a Sphere (SOS). The revolutionary software takes SOS datasets, usually only seen on a 6-foot sphere in large museum spaces, and makes them more accessible. The visualizations show information provided by satellites, ground observations, and computer models.

Learn from others in the SOS Users Collaborative Network

Institutions that have NOAA’s Science On a Sphere®, as well as other partners who are creating content and educational programming for SOS, have formed the SOS Users Collaborative Network. The Network is supported by NOAA’s Office of Education.

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