The 4D2U Project
The Four-Dimensional Digital Universe (4D2U) Project develops the “4D2U contents” presenting celestial bodies and astronomical
phenomena in 4 dimensions (3D spatial dimensions + time). As the name implies, this project aims to bring the Universe in
4D “to you (2U)”, using scientiﬁcally correct visualizations based on astronomical observations provided by telescopes and numericalsimulations provided by supercomputers. The 4D2U contents are useful not only for scientiﬁc research and education, but also forvarious roles such as entertainment.

Scientiﬁcally Correct
4D (Space + Time)
Digital UniverseContents

Astronomical Data
Obtained fromObservations andSimulations

Research, EducationandEntertainment

Using the 4D2U Contents
Anyone can download the Mitaka software and movie contents from the 4D2U website free of charge.
4D2U Website: http://4d2u.nao.ac.jp/
Mitaka : http://4d2u.nao.ac.jp/html/program/mitaka/index̲E.html

For personal use andeducational use at schools:

Showings at museums and planetariums，and use in movies and published materials:

Anyone can use the 4D2U contents for personal or non-commercial
educational purposes without needing apply for permission. Explicit

Partyies wishing to use the 4D2U contents for these purposes shallcredit shall be given to the 4D2U Project, such as “Courtesy of therequest permission by e-mail (4d2u-apply@nao.ac.jp) prior to showing

4D2U Project, NAOJ.”

the contents or reproducing the materials.

4D2U Dome Theater
The 4D2U Dome Theater at Mitaka Campus, which opened in March
2007, oﬀers a full dome stereoscopic experience. Everybody can enjoy
the movie contents presenting the latest astronomical research and/ora journey through the Universe with Mitaka software. The movie

N AT I O N A L A S T R O N O M I C A L O B S E R VAT O R Y O F J A PA N
FOUR-DIMENSIONAL DIGITAL UNIVERSE PR OJEC Tcontents and the software used in the theater were developed by
the 4D2U Project.

A scence of the 4D2U Dome Theater projecting Mitaka contents.

Contact Information
For the 4D2U Project and Contents:

4D2U Project, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 JAPAN Website: http://4d2u.nao.ac.jp/E-mail: 4d2u-apply@nao.ac.jp Twitter: @4d2u

For screenings at the 4D2U Dome Theater:

Public Relations Center, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 JAPAN

Tel: +81-422-34-3688

Front Page: Simulation of the formation of a cD galaxy. (Data provided by Yoko Funato)

Fax: +81-422-34-3810
2015.02

Software

Movie Contents

Mitaka : The Four-Dimensional Digital Universe Viewer

The 4D2U Project produces movies visualizing observational and computational data. The movies are avairable at the 4D2U website.

Mitaka is software which visualizes the hierarchical structure of the Universe using data obtained from observations and numericalsimulations. Users can seamlessly navigate across the Universe from Earth to the edges of the observable Universe. This software can be
downloaded from the 4D2U website.

The following pictures are examples from the movies.

Movies Based on Observational DataMars Exploration

This video provides a tour of Mars from Mt. Olympus to Valles
Marineris. This 3D model of Mars is based on data obtained by
the Mars Global Surveyor. (Data provided by MEGDRs.)“KAGUYAʼs Moon” Exploring the Lunar Surface

This stereoscopic lunar surface model is based on data obtained by the laser altimeter(LALT) and the terrain camera (TC) on the lunar orbiter space craft “KAGUYA”.
(Data provided by JAXA, LISM/TC team and RISE Project, NAOJ.)

Movies Based on Simulation Data

System Requirements:
OS : Windows 8/7/Vista/XP CPU : Pentium4 1.8GHz or better Memory : 512MB or more
Graphics Adapter: GeForce3 or better Display Resolution : 1024 x 768 pixels (XGA) or more
Hard Disk Space : 50MB or more

Formation of the Large Scale Structure

Galactic Merger

From planetesimals to Earth-like Planets

Formation of the Moon

This movie shows the results of an extensive many-body simulation whichcalculates the evolution of the distribution of dark matter from 13 billion
years ago to the present.
(Data provided by Hideki Yahagi and Masahiro Nagashima.)

This movie shows a collision of two disk galaxies which activates starformation and causes the formation of massive star clusters.
(Data provided by Hidenori Matsui.)Zindaiji & Oosawa :Astronomical Many-body Simulation and Volume Data Visualizer
Zindaiji is software for visualizing the data of many-body simulations. Equippted with an intuitive interface, this software can showsimulation results from any point of view and produce high quality movies.
Oosawa is a GUI front-end tool using Pov-Ray for ray tracing of volume data time series. Users can edit the movies using a timeline.

This movie shows the planet formation process, from planetesimals collidingin the protoplanetary disk up to two Earth-like planets.
(Data provided by Eiichiro Kokubo and Hidenori Genda.)

This video shows how the Moon fromed from a proto-lunar disk createdby a collision between the the proto-Earth and another protoplanet.
(Data provided by Takaaki Takeda and Robin M. Canup.)The 4D2U Project
The Four-Dimensional Digital Universe (4D2U) Project develops the “4D2U contents” presenting celestial bodies and astronomical
phenomena in 4 dimensions (3D spatial dimensions + time). As the name implies, this project aims to bring the Universe in
4D “to you (2U)”, using scientiﬁcally correct visualizations based on astronomical observations provided by telescopes and numericalsimulations provided by supercomputers. The 4D2U contents are useful not only for scientiﬁc research and education, but also forvarious roles such as entertainment.

Scientiﬁcally Correct
4D (Space + Time)
Digital UniverseContents

Astronomical Data
Obtained fromObservations andSimulations

Research, Education
andEntertainment

Using the 4D2U Contents
Anyone can download the Mitaka software and movie contents from the 4D2U website free of charge.
4D2U Website: http://4d2u.nao.ac.jp/Mitaka : http://4d2u.nao.ac.jp/html/program/mitaka/index̲E.html

For personal use andeducational use at schools:

Showings at museums and planetariums，
and use in movies and published materials:

Anyone can use the 4D2U contents for personal or non-commercial
educational purposes without needing apply for permission. Explicit

Partyies wishing to use the 4D2U contents for these purposes shallcredit shall be given to the 4D2U Project, such as “Courtesy of therequest permission by e-mail (4d2u-apply@nao.ac.jp) prior to showing

4D2U Project, NAOJ.”

the contents or reproducing the materials.

4D2U Dome Theater
The 4D2U Dome Theater at Mitaka Campus, which opened in March
2007, oﬀers a full dome stereoscopic experience. Everybody can enjoy
the movie contents presenting the latest astronomical research and/ora journey through the Universe with Mitaka software. The movie

N AT I O N A L A S T R O N O M I C A L O B S E R VAT O R Y O F J A PA N
FOUR-DIMENSIONAL DIGITAL UNIVERSE PR OJEC Tcontents and the software used in the theater were developed by
the 4D2U Project.

A scence of the 4D2U Dome Theater projecting Mitaka contents.

Contact Information
For the 4D2U Project and Contents:

4D2U Project, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 JAPAN Website: http://4d2u.nao.ac.jp/E-mail: 4d2u-apply@nao.ac.jp Twitter: @4d2u

For screenings at the 4D2U Dome Theater:

Public Relations Center, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 JAPAN

Tel: +81-422-34-3688

Front Page: Simulation of the formation of a cD galaxy. (Data provided by Yoko Funato)

Fax: +81-422-34-3810
2015.02