In collaboration with CIRES, researchers at NOAA developed Science On a Sphere® as an educational tool to help illustrate Earth System science to people of all ages. This includes animated graphics of atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperature and allows educators and learners alike how to explain complex environmental processes in a way that is simultaneously intuitive and captivating. Read more about the program here. 

NOAA's SOS Explorer® (SOSx) is a flat screen version of Science On a Sphere® (SOS). The software takes SOS datasets, originally designed to be seen on a 6-foot sphere in large museum spaces, and makes them accessible for educators, students, and curious people everywhere. The visualizations show information provided by satellites, ground observations and computer models. The newest update of SOSx includes a much-requested search feature and the ability to tag and save your favorite datasets. 

There are two versions available. SOS Explorer® is for Windows computers and SOS Explorer® Mobile is for mobile devices. Download both here.