Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NASA Releases New Topographic Map of North America

Posted by michael on from the look-like-ants-from-up-here dept.

robsimmon writes "Given all the NASA bashing lately (and the tendency of Slashdot contributors to assume NASA does nothing but Human Spaceflight and Space Science) here's a recent NASA success story: NASA's Newest Maps Reveal a Continent's Grandeur and a Secret. Granted, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission did fly on the Endeavour, but it was an Earth Science mission. Interesting signature of the Chicxulub impact crater, which was not visible in previous topographic maps."

17 comments

  1. Finally by jptechnical · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can see my house from here!

    --

    Boredom's not a burden anyone should bear.
    1. Re:Finally by Lshmael · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Actually, if you live in the US, you could, if you go to TerraServer.

  2. Images are available from lots of missions/craft by Exocet · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/PIADetQuery.html

    Images are available from the 2001 Mars Odyssey, Cassini, Galileo, etc. Go check 'em out!

    --
    Exocet Industries - Taking over the world, one computer at a
  3. Maybe I'm a little dense, but ... by GreatOgre · · Score: 1

    From the article:
    The Chicxulub data show a subtle, yet unmistakable, topographic indication of the impact crater's outer boundary: a semicircular trough 3 to 5 meters (10 to 15 feet) deep and 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide. Good picture here.

    I just can't tell that there is a crater there. Maybe this is because I'm an engineer and not a geoscientist or geologist. Can somebody explain to me how to tell that there are ridges where they claim there are? Without this explanation, I just feel that there are interpretting the data to fit their preconcieved idea.

    1. Re:Maybe I'm a little dense, but ... by C21 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      thats how people formulate scientific theories based on empiricism, they interpret data into their own ideas. This theory, along with every new theory, is now standing to be negated and scrutinized by anyone with the knowledge/ability to do so

      --
      this is not a sig.
  4. Something landed there. by Syncdata · · Score: 1

    While it is entirely possible that they ARE interpreting the data to fit their pre-conceived notions, if you look at the larger images, not the thumbnails, you will notice a distinct circular ridge in the upper left of the photo of the yucatan peninsula.
    Clearly though, this better fits my hypothesis of an independance day like alien death ray.

    --
    "Inattention makes clowns of us all" -Bean
  5. Re:Images are available from lots of missions/craf by (a*2)+(ron) · · Score: 2, Interesting


    Wow, there's some awesome stuff there.

    Thanks for the link!

  6. try these images by molo · · Score: 2, Informative

    It is more clear without the dashed line in the way.

    http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/earth/centralameric a/pia03379_combined_340_264.jpg

    --
    Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
  7. I'm trying not to be anti NASA here, by Lars+T. · · Score: 1

    but they did little more than send up the device with the Shuttle, and bring back the data on tape.

    --

    Lars T.

    To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    1. Re:I'm trying not to be anti NASA here, by torpor · · Score: 1

      What device, exactly, and how does it work?

      --
      ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    2. Re:I'm trying not to be anti NASA here, by robsimmon · · Score: 1
      "little more than"? how about:

      design and build the instrument

      extend the 2nd antenna 60 meters out of the Shuttle payload bay

      develop the algorithms to get topographic data out of microwave radar interference patterns

      process and calibrate data for 80% of the Earth's land surface at 30 meter resolution

      you're hard to please

      more info: SRTM: Instruments

    3. Re:I'm trying not to be anti NASA here, by Lars+T. · · Score: 1

      The Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR). Google for "Shuttle Radar Topography Mission".

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    4. Re:I'm trying not to be anti NASA here, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      they did little more than send up the device with the Shuttle, and bring back the data on tape

      Oh is that all? Well, any shmuck with a couple extra dollars could do that, eh? Well, that and a space shuttle.

  8. Now that's what I call an image... by JamesO · · Score: 3, Funny


    208 Megabytes

    Broadband? Bring it on!

  9. And of course... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Check out this blast crater.