A Really Cool Toy From NASA

see your town from space

http://www.majorgeeks.com/World_Wind_d4499.html
from WinCustomize Forums
I'm still learning how to play with it, but this cool toy from NASA shows fantastic views of the Earth and has various tools to apply latitudinal/longditudinal grids, etc.......see http://www.majorgeeks.com/World_Wind_d4499.html

"World Wind lets you zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Leveraging Landsat satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, World Wind lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there.

Virtually visit any place in the world. Look across the Andes, into the Grand Canyon, over the Alps, or along the African Sahara."
1,999 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yikes!! 61Mb download!! I'll stick with Google Earth........
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As I understand the difference, World Wind depicts real time (or most recent) satellite imagery whereas Google Earth has a stock of satellite photographs (various dates not all current)to do the same thing. Another major differeence (at least for people in my business) is the inclusion of the USGS Maps for the US. Google Earth is cute and probably all anyone looking for a distraction or directions to Disney World needs. World Wind is a engineering/environmental tool with real world applications, one of which is NOT directions to Disney World.
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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Should probably mention...World Wind REQUIRES a high speed (cable/DSL or better) connection and is CPU intensive. You'll probably see the CPU running at 100% the whole time it's open.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yikes!! 61Mb download!! I'll stick with Google Earth.


Yeah, but you're not getting real time images with google Earth. As Lantec says. World Wind is more than a toy and you can zoom right in to ground level. We're having some rough weather conditions here in Tasmania at the moment, and last night I was actually watching it moving across the State. Oh, and by the way, BoXXi, I zoomed in on the Yorkshire moors earlier.....seems your lawn could use a mow and the garden beds need weeding.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Last time I looked they didn't have particularly high resolution satelite images for the UK, where as with Google Earth I could clearly see the space between 2 parked cars outside my house. WorldWind seemed very focused on the US, which is all well and good, but not exactly 'World' Wind...
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Last time I looked they didn't have particularly high resolution satelite images for the UK, where as with Google Earth I could clearly see the space between 2 parked cars outside my house.


Well if you stand on your front step and wave at 8.00pm tomorrow night, I'll check it out and let you know if it has improved for the UK

WorldWind seemed very focused on the US,


Well it has to be....Uncle Sam needs to know everything going on in his own backyard.
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Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well it has to be....Uncle Sam needs to know everything going on in his own backyard


Man, ain't THAT the truth!
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
it is more pro, it is cool becuse it can show the weather.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey! How about we all get together and find Bin Laden with this thing and put an end to the war/invasion! Yeah I know...it was a thought!