We could compare it to a reversed planetarium providing a global vision of our planet. They do with Earth what they do with the universe in a planetarium, but the projection happens within a globe. Once a visitor has traveled to the end of 20th century, space technology offers a new vision of the blue planet . The day and night cycle and updated images of illuminated cities make the globe even more realistic. The visitors' feeling of experiencing space travel is enhanced by hi-fidelity digital headsets that provide explanations in a choice of five languages.
Background music plays from hidden speakers in the dark room.
Visitors, limited to 80 for each 30-minute viewing, can witness the evolution of Earth from its origin until the present time. The huge Terradome globe, one of the newest additions to the skyline of Toulouse in southwestern France, reminds some tourists of the Epcot spherical symbol at the entrance of Disney's theme park in Orlando, Florida. The big sphere, visible to every motorist on the Toulouse Beltway, was constructed using American technology previously employed in the building of massive grain silos. When this new exhibit opens to the public in November, the largest space theme site in Europe expects to score even higher attendance. That's better than the most optimistic predictions.