Google Mars

[brellis]

<b>Google Mars</b> is up and running!!<br />It's a little slow to draw, but you can see the Red Planet in three formats: elevation, infrared and visible. You can zoom, scroll, travel the whole planet. Incredible!<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Its been there for a few months AFAIK. Or at least, I became aware of it back in or about March. There is also Google moon. On Google Mars, the resolution is much lower than Google earth as most of the imagery is comprised of Viking orbiter shots of Mars. In a couple of years, we will probably see MRO imagery replace the lower res Viking stuff if all goes well with MRO. MRO will give the same resolution as that available with the highest resolution earth images.<br /><br />In any case, it certainly is amazing. Wish I'd had access to this capability two or three decades ago. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

<font color="yellow">Wish I'd had access to this capability two or three decades ago.</font><br /><br />Have you worked in this field, if I may ask?<br /><br />As a professional musician, I have worked with digital sampling and fm/analog synth technology since 1982. I always think about the creative potential that any new technology provides. Google Mars provides the imagery to make a zoom/crossfade between an old Viking orbiter image to an MRO HiRISE pic and on to a MER ground-based image! Toto, we ain't in Kansas anymore! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

No, I do graphics and its just a hobby at this point. I write graphic novels and use computers to do the graphics nowadays. The cross fades I havn't seen but the ones with MER could only be cross faded to those landing sites I would think. I wrote about a human landing mission to mars and selected Noctis Labyrinthus as the base site. I have been using mostly Viking images for the image maps I use to show the spacecraft in low mars orbit as shown in the example below. Note the added atmosphere. The V and E in the star field are letters designating Earth and Venus which will be visible in this particular situation in the year 2024.<br /><br />I use Starry Night to plot the starfields and mark sublinks such as the ones for Earth and Venus in this image which I do for added realism. And the area they are passing over in the story is Valles Marineris. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

Excellent use of available tech and info! Speaking of which, here's an example of what I hope to zoom into on Google Mars:<br /><br />Scroll around till you reach Victoria Crater. You then see some available POV's from Viking, Global Surveyor, Mars Express, MRO and Opportunity. Choose a sequence, timing, crossfade, music from Holst or myself <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> and you have just made your own little E.T. film! <br /><br />IINM, Starry Night used to allow you to make similar movies of things like the shoemaker comet hitting jupiter, etc. where you can choose the pace of time. <br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

brellis:<br />Choose a sequence, timing, crossfade, music from Holst or myself.<br /><br />Me:<br />Now thats an excellent use of the technology. One thing I dont have is sound capability. I'd have to have actors for voice overs which is why I made mine a graphic novel. Starry Night used to have an anim feature for making movies? What made them do away with it I wonder? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

How long shall you be satisfied by seeing google mars.Its time to go to mars.

 

[qso1]

Couldn't agree with you more, but I'm not going to be the one to go and so I did the next best thing IMO. I wrote a graphic novel about it. I hope soon to be able to tell the story in a realistic way and at the same time, try to show different reasons to go and reasons some folks oppose it and be able to market it some way. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

We shall go to mars together.

 

[qso1]

I wouldn't be suprised to see India get someone on mars before we do. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

Lord Zubrin may say.He is the laeder of the coming new world.

 

[qso1]

If his method of going to mars is adapted, he may well do just that. But of all the mars proposals floating around out there. His is certainly the most economical. NASA did an improved version which would probably be just about ideal from most standpoints if adapted. At least until enough momentum were gained to begin serious expansion of mars outposts.<br /><br />BTW, I utilized parts of his and the NASA revised methods in my graphic novel, and credited him and NASA with it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

He is persuing legislaltors.Buinding mars on earth.Wish him all success.

 

[qso1]

Believe me, I wish him all the success in the world. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[green_meklar]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Its been there for a few months AFAIK. Or at least, I became aware of it back in or about March.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Yes, I'd already seen it a while ago too. Although I'm not sure whether the infrared map was added at that point. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>________________</p><p>Repent! Repent! The technological singularity is coming!</p> </div>

 

[brellis]

THIS is way too cool! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[search]

I must say its really nice<br />Did you check the dust devil twisters? Click on +Flash Feature <br /><br />On a funny thought note:<br /><br />What is the first thing humans do when they go to another planet?<br />They trash it...<br /><br />When you zoom the picture below you can even see some metal tubbing and the spring just left and short of the heat shield debree area:<br />http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07327

 

[alokmohan]

Trash it,SEARCH?What do you mean?

 

[docm]

<b>Trash it:</b> American slang for leaving a mess. <br /><br /><b>Derivation:</b> trash = junk or garbage. Trashing something means leaving a place in such a state that it looks like it's full of garbage. Think in terms of a teenagers bedroom <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <br /><br />SEARCH meant to imply that the first thing humans will do when they go to another world is create a garbarge dump.<br /><br />You'll find that much of American slang is metaphorical in nature. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[search]

Thanks doc.<br />That was the meaning Alo.<br />

 

[qso1]

Exellent link.<br /><br />We have entered the age of remote telepresence if you will. I remember years ago how there were concerns about computers being able to provide us experiences we otherwise could only have by actually being where the experience may be. Provide those experiences at the expense of actually going as it were. But where space is concerned. The majority opinion is that robotics does a better job of exploration and now that exploration is brought to everyday folks in ways that make the majority opinion an even more valid one from a cost standpoint.<br /><br />I still think humans should go to mars eventually, and out to the stars if we develop the technology to do so. But we have to do it at an acceptable risk cost level. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>