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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. "

9 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. Scientists where... by geekoid · · Score: 5, Funny

    ..suprised to find out that the Earth, is in fact, flat.

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  2. I've been working on this myself. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have been taking pictures using my Kodak Advantix camera of the ground in 4ftx3ft areas and collaging them into a large, detailed map of the Earth's surface.

    Because I am trying to keep this as up to date as possible, I reshoot any areas that change. I haven't gotten very far, mostly my yard and part of the driveway.

  3. Where? by buserror · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wish we had access to that kind of data, as well as elevation data for the whole planet.

    Corelating both, we could have a planetwide flying simulator, or even submarine simulator.

    Then add the higher resolution satellite pictures to enrich the places where you have them, and we'd soon have a hugely interesting data set!

    I did a proto browser like that years ago, correlating the ghhs coastline data set and the etopo5 elevation map (at 1 degree resolution; nothing). And thats still the only vectorial data you can get covering the whole planet, for free.

    it's OUR planet anyway, why can't they release the data? it's not like the resolution is enought to have any military value anyway!

    1. Re:Where? by tap · · Score: 4, Informative
      You have download for free a 30 second resolution digital elevation for the whole planet from the USGS. It's called GTOPO30 and it's been avialable since 1996.

      As to why more isn't avialable for free, it costs money to create data like this. One way or another, someone needs to pay for it. If taxes aren't enough to provide hi-res images of the entire world, then that leaves private enterprise.

  4. Links to actual pictures by willybur · · Score: 5, Informative

    Look at the NASA MODIS site here if you want to actually see the pictures...

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    "Everybody wants a rock to wind a piece of string around." - They Might Be Giants, "We Want a Rock"
  5. High Res Links by mr_gerbik · · Score: 5, Informative

    Nasa has some High Res versions here.

    Yes.. you too can download a 410MB TIFF of the earth ;)

  6. Karma Whoring by bigdreamer · · Score: 5, Informative

    This goes to the directory of the newest images.

  7. works great in xplanet by Alan · · Score: 4, Informative

    Anyone who wants to use this for xplanet (a very cool globe program for *nix) can. There's a nice 2400x1200 version floating around somewhere, that combined with Hans Ecke's scripts, will create just awsome images for your desktop.

  8. full scale by passion · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have a map of the United States. It's full scale. It says on the side: "one inch equals one inch." Last Summer I folded it.

    -- Steven Wright

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    - passion