Blue Marble

For millennia, humans have stood on our planet and gazed out at the stars. This month, we are taking a step back to look at Earth from space – a relatively new concept, but something many in modern society take for granted. With countless ecosystems, overwhelming numbers of species, and billions of people, it’s easy to think about the seemingly endless resources and the vast differences and diversity that cover our globe. Heading out into space and viewing things from another perspective, we are reminded that our fragile planet is a little blue marble alone in the vast darkness of our Universe – it’s all we have, and we’re all in this together!

Visit ALNC’s exhibits this month to explore this perspective – view satellite data visuals and beautiful imagery in our Immersion Theater and Science on a Sphere and check out other interactive Earth science displays and hands-on activities. Rekindle a deeper appreciation for our living and breathing planet; it is beautiful and fragile, and it is our home.

• Our Pale Blue Dot – Science on a Sphere – Imagine the sense of wonder and astonishment that, decades ago, occurred each time a ground-breaking image of Earth was returned from off-world. Humanity has always gazed upward to the stars. Now, we are finally looking back. This new perspective seems to rekindle a deeper appreciation for our living and breathing planet.
• EarthCast – Kids Climate Cast – Broadcast yourself from around the globe in our green screen studio.
• Google Earth – Exhibit Touchscreens –  Explore Earth – zoom in and out and get a new perspective with interactive Google Earth on our dynamic touchscreens!
• Water in the Anthropocene – Current Climate News Kiosk – Evidence is growing that our global footprint is now so significant we have driven Earth into a new geological epoch — the Anthropocene. Human activities such as damming and agriculture are changing the global water cycle in significant ways. This data visualization charts the global impact of humans on the planet.
• Blue Marble Mix-and-Match – Phenology Center – Our planet is an interesting and beautiful place, marked and shaped by the natural processes around us. As seen from Outer Space, Earth’s surface carries marks and scars caused by wind, water, fire, and extraterrestrial forces. See how many of these NASA images you can classify!