NASA Releases World Viewer

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."

Amazing...

[jhtrih (218203)]

This is cool. I can see my house! Now if my neighbor had been sunbathing at the time...

Re:Amazing...

[grub (11606)]

Now if my neighbor had been sunbathing at the time...

...you'd be checking out his package?

Re:Amazing...

[hsteck_ylf (695640)]

too bad we crashed nasa's webserver in under 20 minutes :)

Re:Amazing...

[Shakrai (717556)]

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 ;)

Already slow

[networkBoy (774728)]

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

Re:Already slow

[networkBoy (774728)]

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/BlueMarb le/ [nasa.gov]
This site has some absolutely stunning still shots of earth. Available as several hundred K JPGs, 1-2 meg JPGs, and up to 30 meg TIFFs.
-nB

Geostationary Satellite Server

[ackthpt (218170)]

I've been watching the weather and all sorts of neat stuff on the NOAA GEOS [noaa.gov] site for years. Not great for spying on your city, but great animations for tracking weather and hurricanes

Takes a hefty chunk of hardware

[Mr Guy (547690)]

Recommended Specifications * Windows 2000, XP Home, or XP Professional * Intel Pentium 3 1 ghz or AMD Athlon or higher * 256 MB of RAM * 3D Graphics Card o nVidia GeForce 2 Ultra o ATI Radeon 7500 o Intel Extreme Graphics 2 * DSL / Cable connection or faster * 2 GB of disk space The requirements are a bit high, but the demo pictures they show are quite impressive. It does appear to be opensource, wonder how long it'll be before someone makes a Linux port, and ties to a newsfeed! Trouble in the Middle East? Lets take a look!

Re:Takes a hefty chunk of hardware

[Azghoul (25786)]

For a..... web site??

Bastards...

[raider_red (156642)]

There's no Linux or Mac version. This means I'll actually have to pull the damn windows box out of the closet I stashed it in.

Re:Bastards...

[napa1m (154836)]

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! [creaturesinmyhead.com]

Chalk another one up for Neil Stepehenson.

[SuiteSisterMary (123932)]

"YOU ARE HERE."

WE SLASHDOTTED NASA

[dijjnn (227302)]

that's just cool.

Re:WE SLASHDOTTED NASA

[AndroidCat (229562)]

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?

Re:WE SLASHDOTTED NASA

[Skye16 (685048)]

We really need to get "slashdotted" entered into the Oxford dictionary. Seriously, if "bling-bling" can make its way in, at least something practical AND unobnoxious should get in easily.

Wow!

[by Anonymous Coward]

I can finally see the world outside of my Mother's basement!!!!

A free version of Keyhole?

[Andorion (526481)]

I had a subscription to Keyhole World Viewer [keyhole.com] for a while, it's the same type of thing with a shnazzy interface and features. You can download it for a free trial at their site, I haven't tried the NASA one so I don't know how it compares.

~Berj

Re:A free version of Keyhole?

[bentfork (92199)]

Nope, it is a 3d accelerated GIS viewer.

They have a huge amount of data in varried resolution. Most of it is available from multiple sources for free; however they have it all in one spot and all converted for their program.

What makes it truly great is the ability to add your own overlays directly over top of its data. Quite a spectacular product.

If you have it give this a try take a image of vegitaion [A] and overlay it over Iraq with at 30% transparency. Add a overlay that with the sunni / sheite population densities [B] and do the same.

KaPow! Data in context. Quite amazing really.

[A] vegetation [reliefweb.int] will require some cutting and pasting... but the images you have w/ key hole are pretty good
[B] Religious groups [globalsecurity.org]

If you want to check them out they are here:
earthviewer

[ I dont' work for them, but I would ;) ]

Re:A free version of Keyhole?

[John Jorsett (171560)]

I use Keyhole and it has a geographical bookmark feature, at least as I understand the concept. Also, the newest version has finally added display of coordinates, which I've wanted for years.

It certainly must be comprehensive...

[tcopeland (32225)]

...since it's a 259 MB download.

What a perfect (and missed) opportunity for NASA to use BitTorrent [bittorrent.com] instead of a huge zip file. Ah well.

Re:Hosting a torrent

[wscott (20864)]

How about this one:

http://centraldownload.mine.nu/download.php?id=110 6&hit=1&file=worldwind.torrent [centraldownload.mine.nu]

(I didn't make the torrent, but I did post the link. ;-)

Can we..

[segfault7375 (135849)]

Will we be able to zoom in on the smoking ruins of the slashdotted webserver? :)

Re:Can we..

[Henk Poley (308046)]

Try this link, it seems to work:
http://learn.arc.nasa.gov.nyud.net:8090/worldwind/ features.html [nyud.net]

And a 'direct' download link

[Henk Poley (308046)]

http://freecache.org/http://opensource.arc.nasa.go v/archives/worldwind-1_2.zip [freecache.org]
Also cached of course.

Re:Can we..

[Tackhead (54550)]

> 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.

Re:Can we..

[pete-classic (75983)]

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]

Really cool, but it needs a good internet connection

Are you talking about me or their server?

C# And DirectX...

[malakai (136531)]

Pretty cool stuff. The developer says the core will compile on Mono, but obviously there isn't DX for Mono.

Maybe someone can think about a Manged-DX style wrapper around OpenGL for the Mono Project.

Can't think it would be easy though. DX does a lot for you.

The source is supposed to be placed on SourceForge soon. Should be a fun project to hack on.

Don't be so proud of your technological terror...

[weeboo0104 (644849)]

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

Just like enemy of the state

[grifter7 (73822)]

Now you can play "enemy of the state" at home, without having to retask satellites on your own.

Celestia

[Milo Fungus (232863)]

For those of you who like this sort of software, check out Celestia [shatters.net]. It is a 3D space simulator, and lets you visit objects in our solar system and a bunch of stars. It's really amazing, and it's open source! My sister uses it for teaching astronomy to the neighborhood kids in their home-schooling class.

Big brother

[vijaya_chandra (618284)]

If the version released for the public itself is that comprehensive, think of the view of the big brother out there.

Hope my thick black hair and beard'd consume all the light rays and reflect nothing.

BEWARE - Way too proprietary!

[by Anonymous Coward]

It currently only works with ONE planet!

Commercial site (free usage)

[McFly69 (603543)]

Here is a commercial site [globexplorer.com] but you can use it for free with watermarks. You can zoom to a persons house. All you need to type in the address of the place. Pretty nice, check it out. Only problem is that some of the images are a couple years old... but then how often do streets and house move/change physcially?

Re:Commercial site (free usage)

[tbase (666607)]

but then how often do streets and house move/change physcially?

You don't live in Florida, do you? :-)

Celestia and World Viewer

[cOdEgUru (181536)]

Hope someone would integrate this in to Celestia [shatters.net]or the other way around. Explore the deepest corners of the galaxy and be in your neighbourhood in a splitsecond.. Nice..

servers is down but

[jjshoe (410772)]

you can still download the program from here [nasa.gov]

Tremendous graphics!

[suicidedoll (754455)]

I wonder what engine the builder used to design that world? It's pretty fantastic! And the level design, simply AMAZING!

Snow Crash reference

[perlchild (582235)]

Am I the only one who sees a Stephenson's Snow Crash reference in this?

Oh my god

[nanojath (265940)]

We just slashdotted the World.

How long before Tom Ridge kills this?

[clickster (669168)]

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."

"Hello, World!"

[johnthorensen (539527)]

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

BitTorrent to the rescue!

[Jaeger (2722)]

Until NASA's servers manage to recover from the demand, here's a Torrent [festing.org] for your downloading enjoyment.

Open Source & Porting

[Bungopolis (763083)]

I emailed lead developer Randy Kim about the use of the proprietary DirectX library in World Wind, and the possibility of ports to Linux and other systems. Here is his response:

World Wind is still a new piece of software and we're still defining all the features that go into it. Afterwards, we would like to port it to as many platforms as possible but it is a matter of resources. We have only one main coder and pseudo-designer (myself). We're just interns! When steps start heading in that direction, we'll update our web site.

We started with a windows platform since that is where most of our audience is. It is our full intention to port World Wind. Meanwhile, we'll definitely invite the possibility of having the open source community help out with the porting.

Re:A threat to our security?

[hey (83763)]

Sorry I don't believe you really work at homeland security and are first posting. But your other comments seem possible to me.

Re:A threat to our security?

[Izago909 (637084)]

Everything is a threat to national security. There are a half dozen other free websites that offer nearly the same services as this one. Soon, the EU will have its own version of GPS which can be accessed by the public. If someone really wants to kill others, they will find a way regardless. Has anyone noticed that most security implementations after the attacks tend to make people feel safer without making them truly safer? No security is better than a false sense of security; at least people would be on their toes instead of walking around oblivious.

Re:A threat to our security?

[slungsolow (722380)]

Any GIS type application is considered a threat to our national security. If you take a look at these aerial views of DC [dc.gov] you can see how the federal government had the overhead views of the whitehouse and the capitol removed (or blocked). The last thing the government wants is to be responsible for a terrorist act. They feel that tools like this are useful to the general public, so they make them available. At the same time, they can see the emminent threat, so they limit its capabilities.

Re:A threat to our security?

[lukewarmfusion (726141)]

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.

Re:NSA

[TheClassic (816274)]

"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.

Re:259M download!

[by Anonymous Coward]

http://centraldownload.mine.nu/download.php?id=110 6&hit=1&file=worldwind.torrent [centraldownload.mine.nu] Here is the torrent. It is slow to start but is getting faster with more people.