We've stopped taking pictures since we went past Neptune. How would you describe to laymen what you're learning about the universe these last several years?ĭODD: I look at Voyager right now as somewhat of a weather satellite, in some ways. INSKEEP: So we presume no one has listened at this point, but you are getting information. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: (Non-English language spoken). UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken). UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Non-English language spoken). INSKEEP: The record contains greetings in many languages. They actually attached a needle with that record on the outside of the spacecraft, so the technology is definitely 1970s technology with Voyager. Would anybody know how to play it?ĭODD: Right. INSKEEP: You know, when I first read about the gold record as a kid, I think, I wondered, would, you know, any alien life form - would they know how to play it? And I'm now realizing it's been going so long that if it came back to Earth with this gold record, we'd have the same question. SUZANNE DODD: It does have this gold record on it that contains the sounds of our planet Earth, and it's on this spacecraft for any future being to discover it. Suzanne Dodd, who manages Voyager 2 from a California lab, says it's now 13 billion miles away recording information and also ready for contact just in case. In recent weeks, a programming error on Earth caused the agency to lose contact, leaving NASA waiting for an automatic reset to kick in this fall. That spacecraft has been hurtling away from the Earth since 1977. While the image resolution process can be sluggish, World Wind manages to set itself apart thanks to its landmark finder and fun tools like the Moon visualizer and the Lewis & Clark trail.The space agency NASA is waiting to reestablish contact with Voyager 2. World Wind is as good a digital imagery program as Google Earth. World Wind points to significant landmarks which should be of interest to students or history amateurs. Additionally, World Wind recreates the infamous Oregon trail mapped out by American adventurers Lewis and Clark at the beginning of the 19th century, stretching out from Independece, Missouri to the Pacific state of Oregon. Focus in on its craters, deserts and plains and search for Apollo 11’s landing site. Capitalizing on its lunar explorations, the aeronautics administration lets you view the Moon in extremely high definition. To set itself apart from Google Earth, World Wind provides two original tools. These can clog up your screen however, so you’d be wise to configure World Wind to only show the information you need, like country borders and urban areas. The more you focus down on a place the more names of cities and significant locations pop up. Zoom in over the map using the rollover button of your mouse and skim to parts of the screen with your mouse. It is important to point out however that the search function in World Wind is not as good at finding cities as it is landmarks.Īnother of World Wind’s assets is its usability. Click on the tag and you will be directed to the Wikipedia page for that particular landmark, where you’ll be able to read all about it. If you select the landmark finder tool from the top section, World Wind will exhibit small tags for all locations it considers of significance. Landmarks are particularly well catalogued. Find a destination by typing its name in the search tool located on the top bar. Be aware though that the lower you go, the more detail will appear, and World Wind will take more time to process the image.Ī digital globe wouldn’t be complete without its own search option. Browse mountain ranges and observe the snowy peaks, the clouds, and the different colors of the rock, with incredible precision. Blue Marble exposes Earth in its true colors, Landsat 7 gives you high resolution imagery, and MODIS can display time relevant data such as earthquakes, fires or floods. World Wind reveals Earth in many different perspectives thanks to the large variety of maps. World Wind’s real selling point is the quality of its satellite imagery. So what sets World Wind apart from Google Earth? However, anything coming out of the prestigious aeronautics administration is definitely worth a closer look. NASA released World Wind six months before Google Earth, yet it failed to make as much of an impact. This program uses satellite technology to bring the globe to your desktop. Browsing over any part of the world and focusing down on a spot with incredible precision is now possible with free software like NASA World Wind.
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