Slashgeo

redgeographics writes "Google has just unveiled Google Mars, a Google Maps application showing Mars in false-color elevation (MOLA), black-and-white visual (MOC) and infrared (THEMIS). There's links to higher-resolution photos by NASA, check out the stories, spacecraft etc. links." Parts of the Slashdot summary: "Google has launched Google Mars, based on the work done by Arizona State University's THEMIS researchers. With an AJAX-driven interface based on Google Maps (and Google Moon) [...] Be sure to check out the so-called Face, the landing sites for Spirit and Opportunity, and the Polar Lander." A Slashdot user shares a link to Mars 3D with NASA WordWind 1.3.3.

The Bull's rambles blog links to a Nature article on NASA World Wind's Moon visualization. From the article: "We got our hands on imagery and elevation data from NASA's [1994] Clementine mission. [...] Most of the imagery is at 100-metre resolution, but about 10% is at 20-metre resolution. There are also shaded elevation data, provided by the US Geological Survey, which has different colours for elevation, so that the mares [lunar 'seas' of old lava floods] stand out against higher structures." Here's the WW Moon wiki entry. NASA World Wind was also downloaded over than 10 million times.

As expected, NASA World Wind 1.4 has been released yesterday, here's the what's new. Those interested should read The Earth is Square blog and may be interested in the World Wind Tours page. Slashdot also discuss the news, where I underline the fact that Google Earth can't be installed at work and could be a factor in favor to NASA World Wind and the Virtual Earth high resolution imagery plugin for NASA World Wind. From the what's new, you'll learn about WMS importer, time controller and a lot of new features. See also the numerous related stories below.

Because you can't legally install Google Earth (Free or Plus) at work, virtual globes licenses are important. The Earth is Square shares info from Patrick Hogan, the NWW project manager explaining the NASA World Wind licenses. From the post: "Patrick Hogan [the NASA World Wind project manager] has stepped up and posted this to the mailing list as an explanation to the licensing and how they all interact [...] Rather than try to decipher each of the issues expressed regarding the World Wind (WW) license, it should be clearly stated that NASA World Wind.NET and NASA World Wind Java, under the NASA Open Source Agreement (NOSA) license, allow for anyone to make 'changes to the core' and redistribute. This 'core' will necessarily fall under the NOSA. But, this *does not restrict* the ability for third-parties to combine the World Wind core with their proprietary extensions or applications that leverage this core."

The official Google Lat Long blog describe the updated Google Moon mashup. From the blog: "This update brings higher-resolution map imagery, text search, and photos and stories from every Apollo landing. We even included Street View-style panoramas of the moon's surface, taken by the Apollo astronauts ... something you won't see anywhere else. And last but certainly not least, we tossed in scientific charts that are good enough for actual mission planning and science classrooms alike." See related stories below, including about NASA World Wind's 3D moon and Google Mars.

The Earth is Square informs us NASA World Wind Java SDK 0.3 has been released. This Pat Murris blog entry provides numerous screenshots and an analysis of what's new. The Bull's Rambles blog reminds us this is truly a cross-platform virtual globe and links to the Java webstart app. Amongst the changes from EiS: "# - Memory cache refactoring and optimization # - Reimplementation of Polylines. Polylines on surface. # - Shape and icon dragging # - Math classes re-engineering # - WMS capabilities doc parsing # - Texture cache # - Proxy support # - Anaglyph stereo "

The Earth is Square blog informs us about GeoMapApp, a virtual globe using the NWW Java API. From the entry: " GeoMapApp is a data exploration and visualization tool that is continually being expanded as part of the Marine Geoscience Data System. [...] But more than that, this is a very good example of how useful the WWJava API is, instead of having a full virtual globe and adding to it, you just add the globe view to your application."

The Earth Is Square blog reports about this new plugin for WorldWind to ingest the OSM data. From their summary: "Yes, you can get some road data, for the US you have Topo maps. Or you can use the Virtual Earth plug-in. Or you can load shapefiles or your own data. But now we have a WorldWind XML that works in WorldWind.net to load the OpenStreetMap tiles in via a WMS server, all thanks to someone wanting to load the tiles in WorldWind Java.

Open Street Map data is a perfect fit for WorldWind. Why? Because their goal is to make a global road map of the globe that is in the Public Domain and free for all to use without restrictions."

For more information and relative links (including the plugin xml), please visit The Earth Is Square blog.

Slashdot discuss the announcement of new radar data over the Moon released today by the NASA. Their summary: "[...] NASA has some new high-resolution radar maps of the Moon obtained by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The new images have also been used to create a simulation of the Moon's day and a movie of a Moon landing from the point of view of the astronaut. "NASA is eying the Moon's south polar region as a possible site for future outposts. The location has many advantages; for one thing, there is evidence of water frozen in deep dark south polar craters. Water can be split into oxygen to breathe and hydrogen to burn as rocket fuel--or astronauts could simply drink it. Planners are also looking for 'peaks of eternal light.' Tall polar mountains where the sun never sets might be a good place for a solar power station."" See also related stories.

Slashgeo was down last Friday night, thus the majority of our 1400+ registered users which receive the daily headlines or newsletter by email haven't got it. Here's the stories you missed: The OGC Membership and KML and a Little More, NASA World Wind 0.4.1 Released and Moon and Mars Layers and Géoportail Gets 3D Buildings. Meanwhile, I added the NAVTEQ topic to our topics selection, they're very useful as a way to find specific stories.

Mr Minton writes "Martian Island in the Ares Valles Mapped in EVS Precision What if the surface of Mars could be flooded to a depth of 20-meter? There would be islands where hills stand today. One of these islands would be this unnamed small island located in Ares Valles (16-lat — 30.4W lon). It would look like a barrier island, a 2-meter above water sand spit, shaped by tides and wind." I copied some related stories below, such as Google Mars.

The Earth Is Square blog has an article about this big release of the WorldWind SDK. To avoid duplication, please head on over to their website to see the huge list of features.