NASA releases unique frozen Earth movie

GREENBELT, Md., March 18 (UPI) -- NASA says it has produced a unique movie about Earth's changing ice and snow cover to be shown at U.S. science centers and museums.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration says the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., produced the film for its "Science on a Sphere" projection system -- a fully spherical video technology. The six-foot spheres are installed in more than 30 locations around the world.

The space agency said "Frozen" uses satellite data to investigate all parts of Earth where water exists in solid form as snow or ice, known as the cryosphere.

"The movie takes viewers from the everyday experience of sensing heat and cold to a discussion of how satellites "see" heat and cold with advanced sensors," NASA said, including changing Arctic sea ice and global snow cover.

"With 'Frozen,' we're not only breaking new ground in terms of spherical film making but also transforming an otherwise technical subject into a powerful and poetic drama about the state of Earth," said Goddard's Michael Starobin, one of the film's producers.

A list of locations that will present the film is available at http://www.nasa.gov/frozen.