| Aurora Clouds is an LED lighting installation for the Penguin Chill exhibit designed by Ideum at the Albuquerque BioPark. As part of Morgan Barnard’s digital art residency at Ideum, Aurora Clouds was created to be an entry point to a thematic journey through Tierra Del Fuego to Antarctica. Aurora Clouds uses live satellite data from the Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create a dynamic light display that responds to fluctuations of solar winds interacting with the Earth’s upper atmosphere. New data showing the predicted visibility of the Aurora Australis is downloaded every five minutes to provide continuous data. This data is then interpreted and colorized to make it appear similar to visual sightings of the Aurora in the southern hemisphere. As the intensity of the solar energy increases more vibrant colors are seen moving in the overhead display. Aurora Clouds is created with 8,208 individual RGB LEDs behind the fabric panels to create the dynamic simulation. Design and Production: Ideum Digital Artist: Morgan Barnard Fabrication: SAS Media Systems Infrastructure and Installation: Ideum |
