Stellar Synthesizer

The Stellar Synthesizer is an interactive astronomy science installation designed to allow viewers to gain an in-depth understanding of the birth process of stars through interact in person. The top part of the installation simulates the shape of the nebula, showing how scattered gas and dust in the universe gradually gather under the action of gravity and eventually form stars. In the experience, the audience make the nebula to generate a new star by turning the turntable. The audience can also choose the mass of the nebula and determine the type of star formed - from hot and bright massive stars, to warm and stable medium-mass stars, to long-lived small-mass stars. Each choice shows the impact of mass on the color, brightness and life cycle of the star.