Microsoft and Nasa have teamed up to offer people the chance to explore the surface of Mars from their PCs in unprecedented detail for the first time. The result is an interactive map which can be downloaded and then explored with visitors able to swoop in and explore a 3-D rendering of the mountains and valleys that cover the surface of Mars. Computer engineers at Microsoft spent three years crunching data from high resolution images produced by Nasa space mission to make the map. Viewers can now take exclusive interactive tours, hear directly from NASA scientists, and view and explore the most complete, highest-resolution coverage of Mars available. Dan Fay, director of Microsoft Research’s Earth, Energy and Environment effort said: ‘We were able to take the imagery from NASA, combine it with their elevation models and lay those onto the surface of the globe of Mars. Now users of the WorldWide Telescope can zoom down and actually experience the surface-level detail of Mars. They can pan back and see the height of the craters or the depth of the canyons. The new Mars experience allows people to feel as though they’re actually there.’ Viewers can even swoop in and explore Victoria Crater and Olympus Mons - a low valley and the highest peak in our solar system. Fay worked closely with Michael Broxton of the NASA Ames Research Center’s Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG). Broxton leads a team in the IRG informally called the Mapmakers, which applies computer vision and image processing to problems of cartography. Over the years, the Mapmakers have taken satellite images from Mars, the moon and elsewhere, and turned them into useful maps.(Daily Mail)Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Visit Mars! Microsoft and Nasa team up to let you explore planet using stunning new interactive map
Microsoft and Nasa have teamed up to offer people the chance to explore the surface of Mars from their PCs in unprecedented detail for the first time. The result is an interactive map which can be downloaded and then explored with visitors able to swoop in and explore a 3-D rendering of the mountains and valleys that cover the surface of Mars. Computer engineers at Microsoft spent three years crunching data from high resolution images produced by Nasa space mission to make the map. Viewers can now take exclusive interactive tours, hear directly from NASA scientists, and view and explore the most complete, highest-resolution coverage of Mars available. Dan Fay, director of Microsoft Research’s Earth, Energy and Environment effort said: ‘We were able to take the imagery from NASA, combine it with their elevation models and lay those onto the surface of the globe of Mars. Now users of the WorldWide Telescope can zoom down and actually experience the surface-level detail of Mars. They can pan back and see the height of the craters or the depth of the canyons. The new Mars experience allows people to feel as though they’re actually there.’ Viewers can even swoop in and explore Victoria Crater and Olympus Mons - a low valley and the highest peak in our solar system. Fay worked closely with Michael Broxton of the NASA Ames Research Center’s Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG). Broxton leads a team in the IRG informally called the Mapmakers, which applies computer vision and image processing to problems of cartography. Over the years, the Mapmakers have taken satellite images from Mars, the moon and elsewhere, and turned them into useful maps.(Daily Mail)