The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Koto City, Tokyo Prefecture, has opened two new permanent immersive exhibits that take visitors on a journey through the planets of our solar system and the world of Earth's clouds. These exhibits feature large, curved screens designed to look like spaceship windows, allowing visitors to experience the unique characteristics of various stars and the transition of the sky from morning to evening as if they were actually traveling. While focusing on the power of unexplored worlds and extraordinary spaces, the museum emphasized a scientific perspective under the supervision of experts.
Jupiter's moon and its geysers, right before your eyes
Both exhibits, located on the 7th floor, opened on the 25th. The solar system exhibit, titled "Voyage: Beyond the Unexplored," is featured in a newly established "Theater Room." After taking a close-up look at the true faces of the Sun and Mars, visitors plunge into the clouds of the gas giant Jupiter to witness an imagined landscape.
You in turn touch down on the surface of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. It is a world covered in ice, believed to have a water ocean beneath its surface. With Jupiter in the background, the exhibit depicts geysers erupting from this underground sea through the surface. Similar subsurface oceans are thought to exist on Saturn's moon Enceladus and others, drawing intense interest regarding the possibility of life. The exhibit also introduces the U.S. Voyager probes, which continue their journey to the edge of the solar system carrying messages from humanity. Finally, the display highlights that "unexplored worlds" exist on Earth as well, such as the deep sea. Musician Ichiko Aoba provides the narration.
The video lasts 15 minutes. It is screened daily (subject to cancellation), with numbered tickets distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
During a press conference on the 23rd, supervisor Jun'ichi Watanabe (Distinguished Visiting Professor at Kyoto Sangyo University and Director of the Koyama Space Science Institute) said: "Thanks to various explorations, landscapes that cannot be seen on Earth are now visible as if they were right in front of us.
You can see them with the sensation of actually being there on a space trip. This immersive experience is completely different from looking at a computer screen. While parts of Jupiter's clouds and Europa's geysers remain unexplored, the video team and I worked hard to ensure the depiction didn't deviate from current scientific knowledge. I hope it sparks an interest in science, especially in children."
A "once-in-a-lifetime" encounter with clouds
The cloud exhibit, "Sky: Cloud Journey," is located in the "Innovation Hall." Using almost the entire surface of the walls and floor, visitors experience the phenomena of the sky and clouds from sunrise to sunset. Visitors can walk around the room freely. This exhibit has no narration, focusing more on the physical experience.
The video begins with the appearance of morning mist over the sea. Following a phenomenon known as "angel's ladder," where beautiful light shines through gaps in the clouds, the perspective shifts to a sea of clouds in the sky. When strong updrafts at the top of a cumulonimbus cloud break through the troposphere, an "overshoot" occurs where clouds appear even above the anvil cloud. Visitors have a simulated experience of entering that space.
At the upper parts of cumulonimbus clouds, crystals of snow and ice form the clouds. These snow crystals grow into various shapes, not just the commonly imagined dendritic (tree-like) crystals. These are depicted based on the latest theories. Within the cumulonimbus, ice pellets called "graupel" form, colliding with crystals to create lightning. Passing through the bottom of the cloud as rain, visitors descend back to the ground while viewing a circular rainbow in the sky. The day ends with a sunset.
The video lasts 5 minutes. Screenings are held on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (and sometimes weekdays) with no reservation required. There are multiple "special installation sessions" a day (an exhibition style in which visitors enter the space and walk around to experience the changes) that produce fog.
Supervisor and Cloud Researcher Kentaro Araki (Senior Researcher at the Meteorological Research Institute) spoke of the exhibit's charm: "The detailed depictions change constantly, showing imagery that is beautiful and scientifically fascinating. When the mist effect is active, the view changes depending on how many people are in the room, allowing you to enjoy a 'once-in-a-lifetime' encounter with clouds, just like the real sky. The clouds (fog effects) and the wind can create an experience as if you are really walking on a sea of clouds. When there is no mist, you can clearly see the phenomena projected on the floor, so it can be enjoyed many times."
Chief Executive Director Chieko Asakawa explained: "Both exhibits offer audio guides and subtitles in Japanese and English via rental devices or smartphone apps. As someone with a visual impairment, I experienced it myself and found the sound effects wonderful. In the Cloud Journey, the mist allows you to enjoy the experience using senses other than just sight. We plan to develop programs for schools and groups that utilize these immersive installations to deepen interest in space and meteorology." Miraikan will be closed for renovations starting October 1 and is scheduled to reopen on April 23 of next year.
The new exhibits are designed so that entertainment and scientific interest naturally connect through physical experience. It seems Odaiba has gained another "Instagrammable" spot.
Original article was provided by the Science Portal and has been translated by Science Japan.