At
the center of the Hall hangs the Dynamic Earth Globe,
measuring eight feet in diameter. This hemisphere houses a unique internal
projection system that beams a digital film to render a stunning view of Earth
from outer space. As the twelve-minute video loop progresses, visitors in
the granite amphitheater below are able to watch Earth make a full rotation
as its cloud cover slowly disperses, revealing a surface of dark, deep oceans
and lush green continents. All the vegetation and then the water slowly disappear,
uncovering the Earth's rugged topography, and resulting in a final, haunting
view of the Earth without atmosphere or water. All the elements dramatically
reappear as the globe completes its rotation. To create the
most realistic images of the Earth, programmers used data from a variety of
sources, including U.S. Air Force Defense Meteorological satellites and polar
orbiting weather satellites.
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