NASA Releases World Viewer

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Posted by michael on Friday September 24, 2004 @05:04AM from the to-infinity-and-beyond dept.

Klatoo55 writes "Nasa has released a comprehensive world viewing tool that allows you to zoom from planetary resolution down to where you can pick out individual streets. Really cool, but it needs a good internet connection and a decent graphics card. There's all sorts of interesting features, such as the ability to tilt your view for a flight-sim like experience and a data display feature that shows current natural disasters, political boundaries, weather patterns, and landmarks on the Earth's surface, all while providing a dynamic satellite's eye view of the planet."

21 of 432 comments (clear)

Amazing... by jhtrih · 2004-09-24 05:05 · Score: 5, Funny

This is cool. I can see my house! Now if my neighbor had been sunbathing at the time...
1. Re:Amazing... by grub · 2004-09-24 05:11 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Now if my neighbor had been sunbathing at the time...
  
  ...you'd be checking out his package?
  
  --
  Trolling is a art,
2. Re:Amazing... by hsteck_ylf · 2004-09-24 05:37 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  too bad we crashed nasa's webserver in under 20 minutes :)
  
  --
  If you are expecting something here, I don't know what to tell you...
3. Re:Amazing... by Shakrai · 2004-09-24 06:21 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  You know thats quite some achievement.. ;) .. Usually nasa servers can take large amounts of load ..
  
  Maybe they calculated the load using the Metric system while /. uses the American system...
  
  Just a thought ;)
  
  --
  I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
  We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
Already slow by networkBoy · 2004-09-24 05:06 · Score: 5, Funny

I ran to check out the sit and it is Cooooool, but Nasa's gonna have an astronimical bandwith bill today :)
-nB

--
whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
WE SLASHDOTTED NASA by dijjnn · 2004-09-24 05:07 · Score: 4, Funny

that's just cool.

--
~dijjnn
1. Re:WE SLASHDOTTED NASA by AndroidCat · 2004-09-24 05:15 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Are you sure? Has anyone checked to see if the dolphins are still around or large slab-like somethings are hanging in the sky very much unlike bricks?
  
  --
  One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Wow! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-24 05:07 · Score: 5, Funny

I can finally see the world outside of my Mother's basement!!!!
Can we.. by segfault7375 · 2004-09-24 05:09 · Score: 5, Funny

Will we be able to zoom in on the smoking ruins of the slashdotted webserver? :)
1. Re:Can we.. by Tackhead · 2004-09-24 05:30 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  > Will we be able to zoom in on the smoking ruins of the slashdotted webserver? :)
  With a 259MB download, you won't need to zoom in. You'll be able to see the crater from orbit. Heck, you'll probably be able to see the crater from the surface of the moon.
2. Re:Can we.. by pete-classic · 2004-09-24 06:07 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  You'll be able to see the crater from orbit. Heck, you'll probably be able to see the crater from the surface of the moon.
  
  I remember back when the moon was in orbit. Man, those were the days.
  
  -Peter
Heh by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-24 05:09 · Score: 4, Funny

Really cool, but it needs a good internet connection

Are you talking about me or their server?
Don't be so proud of your technological terror... by weeboo0104 · 2004-09-24 05:12 · Score: 5, Funny

The power to view a planet is insignificant next to the power of a slashdotting.

--
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -Frederick Douglass
BEWARE - Way too proprietary! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-24 05:15 · Score: 5, Funny

It currently only works with ONE planet!
Re:Bastards... by napa1m · 2004-09-24 05:17 · Score: 5, Funny

Don't lie. I'm using it right now on my Windows box and I can see into your closet, there's nothing in there but skeletons and that 'touchy' uncle!

-- ^nA
the CREATURES, they live!

--
^nA! Creatures in my Head
Tremendous graphics! by suicidedoll · 2004-09-24 05:28 · Score: 5, Funny

I wonder what engine the builder used to design that world? It's pretty fantastic! And the level design, simply AMAZING!
Re:A threat to our security? by lukewarmfusion · 2004-09-24 05:40 · Score: 4, Funny

Actually, the government erected huge white platforms above parts of the city to obscure the stuff that satellites were seeing. It blocked out the sun and all the plants died. They realized it was a bad idea, took the platforms down, and just used Paintbrush to erase the parts they didn't like.
Oh my god by nanojath · 2004-09-24 05:47 · Score: 4, Funny

We just slashdotted the World.

--
It Is the Nature of Information to Transgress Artificial Boundaries
How long before Tom Ridge kills this? by clickster · 2004-09-24 05:53 · Score: 4, Funny

Tom: "Terrorists could use this to pinpoint places to strike." Powell: "Tom, I have a Hammond Street Guide to Washington D.C. in my back seat that they could use for that. Let's be realis..." Tom: "George, Dick, how in the hell did he get out of the basement? Agents Smith and Johnson, please escort Mr. Powell back to his cell. And get the CEO of Hammond on the phone." News Reporter: "Quickie Marts all over the country were raided by the FBI today in a massive crackdown on the selling of maps. Store clerks were rounded up and shipped to Guantanamo to possibly face charges of providing material aid to terrorists...or was that tourists. Either way, if they're ever actually charged, I'm sure the secret tribunal will execute justice...or was that Lady Justice...to the fullest extent possible."

--
If you mod me down, I shall become less powerful than you could possibly imagine.
Re:NSA by TheClassic · 2004-09-24 06:31 · Score: 5, Funny

"I have a feeling that they can count the fucking hairs on your nut sack with the technology they have now-a-days."
One of the many reasons I wear pants.
"Hello, World!" by johnthorensen · 2004-09-24 07:16 · Score: 5, Funny

So this is what you get when you put a bunch of rocket scientists together and tell them to write a "Hello, World?" app?

-JT