T215 Engaging the Public in Science: Promoting a Deeper Understanding of Our World and Beyond

Wednesday, 18 October 2023
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
328

OPENSPACE: VISUALIZING EARTH, PLANETS, AND A UNIVERSE FOR LEARNING

Paper number: T215-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:05 AM – 8:20 AM

Authors

Abstract

OpenSpace is free, open-source software for interactive data visualization to virtually explore Earth, planetary, solar, and galactic data, and the entire known universe [1]. It supports dynamic presentation of data from space mission planning and operations to observations and simulations. OpenSpace works on multiple platforms with an extensible architecture. Development continues as a collaboration between the American Museum of Natural History, Linköping University, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, and the University of Utah Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute [2].

OpenSpace enables engagement of audiences through live-streamed or recorded videos produced by Informal Science Institution professionals [1], astronomy groups, science communicators, educators, and researchers. In 2022, over 203 programs and 4 exhibits utilized OpenSpace to communicate science and engineering concepts, reaching 513,329 people onsite. Virtual programs reached 348,611 people online and received over 38.5 million views on social media platforms. Public programs using OpenSpace may be found online [3].

Release Beta-12 (0.19.0) adds a host of improvements and new capabilities, among them the ability to customize the complexity of the user interface; a complete documentation redesign with improved navigation; the ability to add video of user-chosen speed to globes, spheres and planes; a new GUI for ongoing missions like OSIRIS-REx; constellation selection; notable landmark models for scale; and local caching of remote layers [4].

OpenSpace is particularly effective as a science communication tool, with compelling visuals to explore questions about crustal processes, planetary morphology, landscape evolution, and celestial phenomena at all scales, as we will demonstrate [5].

[1] http://openspaceproject.com/

[2] http://wiki.openspaceproject.com/

[3] https://www.youtube.com/c/openspacesoftware

[4] https://wiki.openspaceproject.com/docs/general/releases/changelog/0.19.html

[5] Gemma et al. (2023) https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2023/pdf/2596.pdf

Acknowledgments: OpenSpace is supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate in response to NASA Cooperative Agreement Number (CAN) NNH15ZDA004C, Amendment 1, and by the Knut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Swedish e-Science Research Centre.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 55, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2023AM-392075

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