The breathtaking Passport to the Universe reveals the wonders of our universe in a way never before possible in a planetarium. No longer dependent on a single, multi-lens projector, the presentation is driven by computers and processors that treat the audiences to realistic close-up views of star fields and planets, taking them on an exhilarating flight through a virtual re-creation of our universe, into the Orion Nebula, out of our galaxy, and deep into intergalactic space. After reaching the edges of our known universe, the tour takes a "virtual shortcut" back to Earth — in a free fall, headlong through a black hole.

Everything in Passport to the Universe is based on our latest knowledge of the universe. The Space Show offers an opportunity for Museum-goers to gain a better understanding of the cosmos through visualization and experience. The virtual universe contains data on our solar system from NASA and the European Space Agency, and a statistical database of more than two billion stars developed by the Museum.

The level of technology and scientific content presented here has never been so readily available to the general public. With its high-definition system — capable of combining real-time visual simulations with pre-rendered graphics — the new Hayden Planetarium is the largest and most powerful virtual reality simulator in the world, matched only by the supercomputers used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), or the largest of military research facilities.

Passport to the Universe script (pdf, 49kb).