NASA releases the most amazing high-def image of the 'blue marble' ever

bit_pattern · 27th January 2012, 11:57 PM

Mind blowing! Warning, v. high def!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/67...n/photostream/

Be sure to check out the 8000 x 8000 shot. I'd love to get a full size print of it.

gabeygoat · 28th January 2012, 12:25 AM

it's so....tannish

threadworm · 28th January 2012, 12:57 AM

Some more info:

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-01-...efinition.html

Dr. Trintignant · 28th January 2012, 02:05 AM

Originally Posted by bit_pattern

Be sure to check out the 8000 x 8000 shot. I'd love to get a full size print of it.

Pretty cool, but it's not a shot of Earth--they put together a texture of Earth's surface, then applied it to a sphere via a computer. And unfortunately, they didn't use either antialiasing, decent texture filtering, or enough precision for the color interpolation. You can see stairstepping on the edges, graininess on the more oblique angles, and some color banding.

The source data seems to be available, though... I'm very tempted to make a better version.

- Dr. Trintignant

gumboot · 29th January 2012, 03:15 AM

Is it just me, or is North America taking up way too much of the earth's surface on that "globe"?

bit_pattern · 29th January 2012, 03:59 AM

Originally Posted by Dr. Trintignant

Pretty cool, but it's not a shot of Earth--they put together a texture of Earth's surface, then applied it to a sphere via a computer. And unfortunately, they didn't use either antialiasing, decent texture filtering, or enough precision for the color interpolation. You can see stairstepping on the edges, graininess on the more oblique angles, and some color banding.

The source data seems to be available, though... I'm very tempted to make a better version.

- Dr. Trintignant

Please do!

steve s · 29th January 2012, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by gabeygoat

it's so....tannish

Must have been shot in the winter. Missouri is almost solid brown. And there's quite a bit of snow cover out west.

ETA: After reading Threadworm's link, it was taken November 24th of last year.

Steve S

DC · 29th January 2012, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by Dr. Trintignant

Pretty cool, but it's not a shot of Earth--they put together a texture of Earth's surface, then applied it to a sphere via a computer. And unfortunately, they didn't use either antialiasing, decent texture filtering, or enough precision for the color interpolation. You can see stairstepping on the edges, graininess on the more oblique angles, and some color banding.

The source data seems to be available, though... I'm very tempted to make a better version.

- Dr. Trintignant

hehe i tried in 3ds max. takes hours to only load it , never rendered it

Alareth · 30th January 2012, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by steve s

Must have been shot in the winter. Missouri is almost solid brown. And there's quite a bit of snow cover out west.

ETA: After reading Threadworm's link, it was taken November 24th of last year.

Steve S

From the flickr page

Quote:

This composite image uses a number of swaths of the Earth's surface taken on January 4, 2012

27th January 2012, 11:57 PM	#1
bit_pattern Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,349	NASA releases the most amazing high-def image of the 'blue marble' ever Mind blowing! Warning, v. high def! http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/67...n/photostream/ Be sure to check out the 8000 x 8000 shot. I'd love to get a full size print of it.
bit_pattern Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,349	__________________ "You are the epitome of the 'pigeon playing chess'. No matter how good I am at chess, you are just going to knock the pieces over, **** on the board and strut around like you've won something" "In this political climate, all of science is vulnerable to ideological attack when reality disagrees with political beliefs."

28th January 2012, 12:57 AM	#3
threadworm Muse Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 564	Some more info: http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-01-...efinition.html
threadworm Muse Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 564

28th January 2012, 02:05 AM	#4
Dr. Trintignant Muse Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 743	Originally Posted by bit_pattern Be sure to check out the 8000 x 8000 shot. I'd love to get a full size print of it. Pretty cool, but it's not a shot of Earth--they put together a texture of Earth's surface, then applied it to a sphere via a computer. And unfortunately, they didn't use either antialiasing, decent texture filtering, or enough precision for the color interpolation. You can see stairstepping on the edges, graininess on the more oblique angles, and some color banding. The source data seems to be available, though... I'm very tempted to make a better version. - Dr. Trintignant
Dr. Trintignant Muse Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 743

29th January 2012, 03:15 AM	#5
gumboot lorcutus.tolere Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 23,113	Is it just me, or is North America taking up way too much of the earth's surface on that "globe"?
	__________________ O xein', angellein Lakedaimoniois hoti têde keimetha tois keinon rhémasi peithomenoi. A fan of fantasy? Check out Project Dreamforge.

29th January 2012, 03:59 AM	#6
bit_pattern Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,349	Originally Posted by Dr. Trintignant Pretty cool, but it's not a shot of Earth--they put together a texture of Earth's surface, then applied it to a sphere via a computer. And unfortunately, they didn't use either antialiasing, decent texture filtering, or enough precision for the color interpolation. You can see stairstepping on the edges, graininess on the more oblique angles, and some color banding. The source data seems to be available, though... I'm very tempted to make a better version. - Dr. Trintignant Please do!
bit_pattern Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,349	__________________ "You are the epitome of the 'pigeon playing chess'. No matter how good I am at chess, you are just going to knock the pieces over, **** on the board and strut around like you've won something" "In this political climate, all of science is vulnerable to ideological attack when reality disagrees with political beliefs."

28th January 2012, 12:25 AM	#2
gabeygoat Muse Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Hard Corvallis, Oregon Posts: 667	it's so....tannish

29th January 2012, 10:37 PM	#7
steve s Illuminator Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,661	Originally Posted by gabeygoat it's so....tannish Must have been shot in the winter. Missouri is almost solid brown. And there's quite a bit of snow cover out west. ETA: After reading Threadworm's link, it was taken November 24th of last year. Steve S
steve s Illuminator Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,661	__________________ "Nature abhors a moron." -- H. L. Mencken Last edited by steve s; 29th January 2012 at 10:39 PM.

29th January 2012, 10:59 PM	#8
DC dedicated aphilatelist Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Switzerland Posts: 21,647	Originally Posted by Dr. Trintignant Pretty cool, but it's not a shot of Earth--they put together a texture of Earth's surface, then applied it to a sphere via a computer. And unfortunately, they didn't use either antialiasing, decent texture filtering, or enough precision for the color interpolation. You can see stairstepping on the edges, graininess on the more oblique angles, and some color banding. The source data seems to be available, though... I'm very tempted to make a better version. - Dr. Trintignant hehe i tried in 3ds max. takes hours to only load it , never rendered it
	__________________ AGW is a fact, including the A, face it

30th January 2012, 06:34 AM	#9
Alareth Expert Expertologist Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 6,673	Originally Posted by steve s Must have been shot in the winter. Missouri is almost solid brown. And there's quite a bit of snow cover out west. ETA: After reading Threadworm's link, it was taken November 24th of last year. Steve S From the flickr page Quote: This composite image uses a number of swaths of the Earth's surface taken on January 4, 2012
	__________________ Pixelated Reality \| Alareth Does Art! Light travels faster than sound, which is why some people appear bright, until you hear them speak