Updated
Updated · WTOP · Jun 18
Smithsonian Launches 5,000-Square-Foot Cosmos VR Experience in D.C.
Updated
Updated · WTOP · Jun 18

Smithsonian Launches 5,000-Square-Foot Cosmos VR Experience in D.C.

2 articles · Updated · WTOP · Jun 18

Summary

  • A 5,000-square-foot virtual reality attraction called Smithsonian Starstruck has opened in Penn Quarter, billed as Washington's first immersive 3D cosmos experience.
  • The installation was built from actual scientific data through a collaboration between events company Fever and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, with astrophysicists helping map the known universe.
  • Guests use headsets to move through scenes including the sun's surface, a black hole's event horizon and the Pillars of Creation, with the design emphasizing the scale of space.
  • The launch extends the Smithsonian brand into location-based immersive entertainment, pairing science education with a public-facing attraction in downtown D.C.

Insights

As 'Starstruck!' plans its world tour, can this high-tech model for science education succeed globally?
When scientific wonder becomes a ticketed VR show, does it truly educate or just entertain?
Can a 40-minute VR trip to a black hole genuinely change our perspective on the universe?