NAOJ Excursion to the Sun

Experience the Sun with observational data from the Hinode spacecraft!
Traveling through the space, you will approach the Sun, land on its surface, and… look! You will see the gigantic sunspots from which magnetic field lines extend up towards space. You can freely walk around the solar surface. Using the “Atmospheres” icon you can enjoy views of the various layers of the solar atmosphere. This is a VR app designed by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan to experience the fundamental structures of the Sun.

Most of the visual images in the app are the actual observational data obtained by JAXA’s Hinode spacecraft.
Those under 13 years old can also play the app by using the “single-eye mode.”

◆Collect 4 keys and watch the movies!
Walk around and seek the 4 keys hidden somewhere on the solar surface. Each time you get a key, you can enjoy a spectacular movie of the Hinode launch, the great flare eruption, etc.

【How to use】
- Launch the app and aim the white dot in the center of the screen at the “START” button to begin.
- Move to the settings screen through the “SETTING” button to switch between the “double-eye” and “single-eye” mode, select the language (English/Japanese), and reset the history of obtained hidden movies.
- To play in the “double-eye mode,” VR glasses for smartphones are needed (sold separately).
- Those under 13 years old are required to play in the "single-eye mode."

Hinode is a Japanese mission developed and launched by ISAS/JAXA, with NAOJ as domestic partner and NASA and STFC (UK) as international partners. It is operated by these agencies in co-operation with ESA and NSC (Norway). Show More