
In search of the frozen heart of Pluto is the latest virtual reality film from The New York Times, which takes viewers through space on NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft as it makes a pass over Pluto to take photos.
The New York Times says he worked with the Lunar and Planetary Institute and the Universities Space Research Association to build a virtual representation of Pluto’s surface for viewers to explore.
It’s one of the most immersive and awesome VR videos to come to the app yet, as you’re placed right on the surface of the planet and watch everything from planes of icy rock to the pink mountains that seem vast in the distance.
Narrator Dennis Overbye explains calmly and in a calming manner that these mountains would actually be quite easy to climb since Pluto’s low gravity would give humans the jumping powers of a common cat.
Sometimes it is better to turn around in the virtual world and not look at the mountain range in front of your eyes, but the Sun of our galaxy. It is humbling to see the same light that shines so brightly on earth make it to the cold caverns of Pluto.
As quickly as NASA’s Horizon must have passed through the planet, the virtual journey must also end with a look back at the rock’s silhouette in space as Horizon analyzes the glow of atmospheric particles.
This video is a great demonstration of how virtual reality can literally transport us to different worlds and provide a learning experience. And you don’t even need the $ 600 Oculus Rift to do it.
Anyone with Google’s inexpensive, low-tech cardboard VR headset can watch the movie by loading the app on a phone and placing it in the headset. Space fans can also just watch it as a 360 video on a smartphone if they don’t have Google Cardboard.