Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Most Detailed Image Of Earth Yet

Posted by Hemos on from the lookin'-purty dept.

TomDM writes "BBC News has a story on how scientists created the most accurate and detailed image of our planet yet, composing the image from satellite data, and adjusting it for the correct colours. "

6 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. path radience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is an image of what the ground looks like from the ground, not from space. Path radience effects the eye just like a camera. Not explained well in the article...

  2. I want one. by red5 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I want a poster for my wall.
    That would be rad.
    Even better if they print it with light sensitve ink.
    So when I turn out the lights I get the night version.

    --
    I know I'm going to hell, I'm just trying to get good seats.
  3. This planet looks familiar... by jbum · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I believe this is the same project that was reported February 8th as "Blue Marble".

  4. Publicity stunt with altered photos by danspalding · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This whole thing smells like PR for NASA so they can get an adequate budget. Using IR cameras to measure global warming, measuring the changes in the icecaps, that makes sense. But a big dorm-room poster? This is right up there with putting a camera on the Mars rover. Neat, but what did it accomplish?

    What bugs me is that the Earth is made to look prettier than it is. Where are the cities? If you didn't know better, you'd think the planet's one big grassy plain with a desert in the middle. It's clear they made cosmetic touch-ups, right down to the cloud photos they chose to make the photo look more "typical."

    And while it's great to see the planet without any clouds, if by "clouds" you mean "smog and pollution," then you might as well be editing out cities. You just don't end up with a meaningful view of the planet if you leave out how we've changed it.

    This doesn't appear to be a useful, or even honest, project. It's more of a publicity stunt.

    --
    Teaching, coding, coffee, revolution.
  5. Japan by Sivar · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Japan is lit mor brightly than Las Vegas, or anywhere else in the word for that matter. Talk about population density.

    --
    Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. --E. W. Dijkstra
  6. Here (I think) by helo2u · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This might be an older version of it, but it's good enough for me.