Sea and sky look state of the art in an aquarium built on science

The centerpiece of the Ocean Explorium is the massive blue cube that houses the Science on a Sphere exhibit. Visitors who step inside the cube’s darkened interior are greeted by a rotating, three-dimensional image of our planet, seemingly hovering in midair like a “Star Wars’’ hologram.

Computers and multiple video projectors create motion animation of Earth and other celestial bodies, graphically displaying historical and real-time scientific data captured by satellites on the exterior of the 68-inch-diameter sphere. One minute you can watch the seas recede to reveal the depths of the ocean floor, the next you can be astonished as the globe becomes speckled with many thousands of dots representing commercial aircraft in flight.

The Explorium can present upward of 20 narrated programs on the sphere. Visitors can learn about natural phenomena - such as global weather patterns, earthquakes, and lightning strikes - as well as man-made activities that affect the planet, such as squid fishing off Japan or slash-and-burn agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Explorium’s Science on a Sphere exhibit, developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is one of only 41 in the world and the only one in New England. The animation is mesmerizing with brilliant colors and amazing detail. The bright orange, red, and yellow glow of an X-ray of the sun feels as warming as a roaring hearth on a snowy day.

The power of Science on a Sphere is its ability to visually communicate environmental issues on a global scale. “It’s great for interpreting complex information,’’ says Mark Smith, executive director of the Explorium. “It uses technology to bring issues to life, and it’s a starting point to tell stories, such as those about sea-surface-temperature abnormalities and coral bleaching.’’