A first-of-its-kind experience in São Paulo recreates a black hole and a diamond planet in virtual reality

What awaits you in Smithsonian Journey Through the Cosmos?

The “ ” experience combines science, engaging storytelling, and cutting-edge immersive technology, transforming the mysteries of space into something you can see, hear, and feel.

Using astronomical data and visuals,“Smithsonian Journey Through the Cosmos: An Immersive Experience” recreates iconic 2D images of space—including the famous Pillars of Creation —as fully immersive 3D worlds. Visitors don’t just observe the cosmos; they dive right into it.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll experience:

• Begin your cosmic journey: Meet your guide, Astro, at the summit of Mount Hopkins in Arizona (USA), home to the Whipple Observatory, operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. From there, your journey takes you into the heavens in surprising ways as you board the most powerful telescopes ever built and explore the far reaches of our galaxy.
• Feel the Sun’s energy: Take a quick detour to the Sun to witness solar flares 30 times larger than Earth. Hear the Sun’s vibrations. Feel the energy that drives all life on our planet, captured directly by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe—the spacecraft responsible for the closest and most historic approach to the Sun ever made, and which remains in operation to this day.
• Explore Janssen, the Diamond Planet: Step onto an alien landscape covered in molten lava. Watch volcanoes erupt in the distance and fissures open up in the ground, revealing large, glittering diamond structures. Discover why Earth possesses the precise conditions for life—a rare temperate zone known as the Goldilocks Zone.
• Witness the death of Betelgeuse: Watch as Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star, explodes in a spectacular supernova. Its final burst recycles stellar matter into cosmic building blocks—the raw material for new stars, planets, and, possibly, life.
• A Glimpse of Black Holes: Stand on the edge of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way, and watch a star plunge into its gravity, ejecting a thunderous burst of debris that spreads across the galaxy.

Smithsonian Journey Through the Cosmos: An Immersive Experience premieres on July 16 in São Paulo. Don’t miss this unprecedented opportunity to explore the galaxy!