The Dome: Ever Wonder What 25 Million Pixels Can Do?

If you think our weather here on earth gets finicky, you'll be thinking there's no place like home once you watch the "Wildest Weather in the Solar System" film on the new Dome screen at the Science Museum of Virginia.

The new digital theater, as you may have guessed, is a 360-degree screen, and the most technically advanced digital dome theater in the world.
 
We visited the Dome this past weekend and watched two films: "The Great White Shark" and "The Wildest Weather in the Solar System."
 
"The Wildest Weather" uses actual NASA photos and intel to mimic a mind-bending astronomy class. Did you know when it rains on Titan, Saturn's largest moon, it rains down liquid methane? Be glad we have water down here. You'll also learn that Titan also has only two seasons, each lasting 40 years. (When they say "Winter is coming," they really mean it.)
 
After the film, Justin Bartel, an immersive experience specialist, turns the screen into live mode and takes any questions you may have about the solar system. He'll point out constellations, moons and stars, and make the planets seem within reach as he zooms in on the 360-degree screen to show the contrast. 
 
The Dome is a 25-million-pixel screen system, so you can assume that you'll be getting the best quality that a 360-degree screen has to offer. The screen is controlled by five digital projectors attached to 40 computer servers for an ultra-vivid experience.
 
The Science Museum of Virginia is located at 2500 West Broad St. in Richmond, Va., about two hours south of downtown D.C.  Museum admission is $11 for adults, $16 for both films and exhibits or $9 per film. Members get discounts for admission and films.
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