VizWorld.com

The WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a computer program to allow people to view outer space. Written by Microsoft, the program turns your computer into a virtual telescope. It does this by using the best imagery available from both ground-based and space-based telescopes.

Recently the program has been updated with over 13,000 detailed images from various NASA spacecraft. This enables users to view Mars using a high-resolution 3-D map of the terrain.

“By providing the Mars dataset to the public on the WorldWide Telescope platform, we are enabling a whole new audience to experience the thrill of space,” said Chris C. Kemp, chief technology officer for information technology at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

via NASA and Microsoft provide Mars 3-D close encounter.

Science mars, microsoft, nasa

In an attempt to better connect with the public and drive some new public interest in the waning Mars rover projects, NASA has taken some guidance from James Cameron and added a 3D Camera to the next Mars Rover named “Curiosity”.  The original design actually included a 3D camera, but it was dropped back in 2007 for budget concerns.

“It’s a very ambitious mission. It’s a very exciting mission,” Cameron said. “(The scientists are) going to answer a lot of really important questions about the previous and potential future habitability of Mars.”

The camera will be capable of filming at 10fps, not very impressive by modern hardware standards.  Given the lack of much motion on the surface of Mars and that the data stream must be compressed and transmitted over such a vast difference, 10fps is probably pretty good.  Unfortunately, the camera is still in development and may not be ready in time for Curiosity, only time will tell.

James Cameron lobbies NASA to include 3-D “eyes” on the next-generation Mars rover – Pasadena Star-News.

Hardware 3d, mars, nasa, stereoscopic

The Mars rover named Opportunity landed on Mars on January 25, 2004. The original mission was to last ninety Martian days, or sols. Six years later, the small rover is still doing great science. Currently Opportunity is next to a young crater called ‘Concepcion‘. The crater had dark rays emanating from it, which means that it is likely a young crater. Since it may be young, this made it an interesting target for Opportunity to visit.

While at Concepcion crater, Opportunity took the opportunity to take some pictures of rocks that had been ejected from the 10 meter crater. In the false colored image to the right, we can see some of the differences in materials on one of the rocks.

The rover used the tools on its robotic arm to examine the texture and composition of target areas on the rock with and without the dark coating. The rock is about the size of a loaf of bread. Initial analysis was inconclusive about whether the coating on the rock is material that melted during the impact event that dug the crater.

This view is presented in false color, which makes some differences between materials easier to see. It combines three separate images taken through filters admitting wavelengths of 750 nanometers, 530 nanometers and 430 nanometers. Opportunity took the image during the 2,147nd Martian day, or sol, of the rover’s mission on Mars (Feb. 6, 2010).

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell University

On March 9th, Opportunity left Concepcion crater, and has driven 614 meters towards the Endeavour Crater. Thus far the rover has driven more than 12 kilometers, but still has about 19 kilometers to go.

via : Mars Rover Examines Odd Material at Small, Young Crater

Science astronomy, mars, nasa

Adrian Lark has produced a 3-D animation of a flight over Mars. The animation was produced from data from the Mars Explorer, and is displayed in real time. That means that there was no overnight rendering that had to be performed to produce this video. Now that is impressive.

This is an animation flying over southwest Candor Chasma on Mars. It was created from NASA’s HiRISE DTM and image data. The spatial resolution is 1 meter for the altimetry data and 0.25 meters for the image data. There is no vertical exaggeration. The animation was created using Mars Explorer and was captured in real time.

Be sure to check out some of the other fun renderings based on the HiRISE data as well.

via : The Planetary Society Blog

Science astronomy, mars, nasa

Recently we told you about the Mars Express flyby of the Mars moon Phobos that occurred on March 7. Now it is time to break out the old-time red/cyan glasses to see some spectacular views of the moon in 3-D. They have also released high resolution images of Phobos with every pixel equal to just 4.4 meters. One of the purposes of the flyby was to measure the gravity of Phobos. Another purpose was to map out future landing sites for the Russian Phobos–Grunt mission in 2011. Take a look at the site below to see the images, as well as a video of the flyby.

via : Phobos flyby images

Science 3d, esa, mars, phobos

The Mars Express is a spacecraft that has been in orbit around Mars since 2004. Yesterday it conducted a fly-by of the Phobos, the larger of the two moons of Mars. As it passed by the moon, the gravity of the moon deflected the orbit of the Mars Express. From this deflection, scientists can calculate the mass of the moon. The Mars Express Blog has published the flight dynamics of the flyby so that anyone can visualize it with Celestia. Celestia is a free space simulation software that is available on Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows. Celestia enables you to explore the solar system, or even the universe, in three dimensions.

via : Mars Express Blog

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If you have some old time red/cyan glasses, then head on over to The Road to Endeavour blog to see some great images of Mars from the Opportunity Rover. The image to the right is from a region called Chocolate Hills that is in the Concepcion Crater on Mars. While you might think that the Chocolate Hills is a reference to Valentine’s Day which was a couple of days ago, it is not. The region is named after The Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Philippines. It shows what appears to be a flat topped tower amidst a scattering of rocks. I am sure someone will think that this is a ziggurat made by ancient martians, and that NASA is keeping the truth from us. From the blog itself:

But this next rock is one of the most fascinating in the area, for sure. I wouldn’t like to try and count all the layers in it; there must be hundreds… click on this image to bring up a full size version that will (I hope !) impress you…

To see the image he is describing, you will need to head on over to the blog.

via : The Road to Endeavour blog

Science 3d, mars

Doug Ellison has taken the high-resolution imagine from NASA’s HiRISE probe and crunched it with some high-end animation packages to create a pair of flyovers of the Mars Terrain.

HiRISE creates detailed digital-elevation models. Crunch that data, add perspective and some cinematic effects, and you have the movies that Doug Ellison, founder of UnmannedSpaceflight.com, posted to YouTube this morning.

Two are available, one of the Mojave Crater and one of the Athabasca Valles . Check them out after the break.

via New Animations Take You Flying Over Mars | Wired Science | Wired.com.

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Science animation, mars, nasa

Discovery Channel’s spanish division has a new Augmented Reality toy on their site where you can check out the Mars Rover in AR, from any webcam-enabled computer.  From their Google Translated Site:

MARS MISSION game is the new Discovery Channel will debut soon for you. And, as progress, and here are the mini version of Rover, manipulable, and digital direct to your desktop.

The original Rover is made mostly of aluminum and solar panels and walk on the Martian surface collecting geological samples. The one you hold in your hands is made of bytes and you’ll be able to move it as you want, on your computer.

Marte en tu escritorio – Experiencias – Experiencia Discovery en tudiscovery.com.

Science augmented reality, discovery channel, mars

The latest issue of the IEEE Spectrum is dedicated to Mars: Getting there, what do do once we’re there, and why we aren’t there already.  The part most interesting to me is their graphic visualizing the various missions to Mars from 1960 to present.

I never knew there were so many, and that the success rate was so low.

IEEE Spectrum: Special Report: Why Mars? Why Now?.

Graphics, Science ieee, infographic, mars, nasa