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C. B. Emmart, B. P. Abbott, R. J. Wyatt (AMNH), S. Levy (NCSA)
Software for displaying 3-D astronomical data, developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, has been adapted for the American Museum of Natural History's newly rebuilt Hayden Planetarium. Cross-platform compatibility allows us to run the software in environments ranging from the 430-seat planetarium dome to smaller desktop or laptop units, for the purposes of educational outreach as well as astronomical research. We have engaged in the three-dimensional mapping of data groups varying in scale from the solar neighborhood to the grand structure of the local universe. Multiple data sets can be displayed simultaneously, and interactive adjustment of their characteristics reveals and emphasizes interrelationships. Dynamic simulations can also be displayed and manipulated interactively within this environment. In addition, remote site interactions and virtual conferencing are also supported. Potential applications of this display system as a component of the Virtual Observatory are under review.
This project was developed by the Grid Technology Group in the NSF Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure (PACI) program at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), UIUC.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: abbott@amnh.org