rdunk
01-29-2012, 06:21 PM
One of the challenges for all of us who do anomaly research, or, just have an interest in a personal exploration of Mars, is just knowing how to get to the best tools and data for doing that. I haven’t been involved in this type of research very long, and when I started, I had high hopes, and good intentions, but little knowledge of the tools and data I needed. As a result, I made numerous early-on anomaly posting errors. What I thought to be anomalous objects were just oddities in the bad source data I had used.
Well, what is needed for positive and effective research, is the very best data NASA has been able to produce. That is the only way to conclusively present
anomaly details that others/all are able to visualize, and receive, with any level of confidence. So, my intent with this post is to begin to make available for all what I have learned, from others, and on my own, about how to get to, and use, some of the best Mars data.
I am going to present one tool at a time, so we can discuss it to any length needed, so that each tool becomes practical for your use. I also want to encourage anyone here, who likewise has some knowledge of other such tools, to feel free to also post them, for all of our benefit.
The tool I am presenting first is Google Mars, which is one element of the Google Earth software. Yes, this is the “source data” that initially got me in trouble. But I will discuss how to use it effectively.
For those who haven’t seen it, Google Mars is a complete planet globe. constructed by Google, using NASA photographs. Just using it to look around the planet can be an interesting and fun thing to do, but just know, sometimes what you see, is not the reality of what is in the actual NASA photos.
So, here we go, for effectively using Google Mars:
1. Download the "Google Earth" software, and install - this is free.
2. Click on the Google Earth icon to open.
3. When opened the Earth screen automatically comes up.
4. Notice in the upper tool bar, is a “planet icon” - click on this icon, and see a selection of different search areas - Earth, Sky, Mars, and Moon
5. Select Mars - the planet Mars comes up, and you are ready to start looking around.
6. Your mouse/cursor is your “control stick” for all of your search movements on Google Mars. With the cursor you can move the globe in any direction, and if you double-click on a specific place on the globe, it will take you closer to the surface, each time, as you double-click. Also, a tool in the upper right will zoom in or zoom out, as well as modify your view directionally.
7. The toolbar has several other useful icons, including a ruler, which can be used to measure size and distances on the surface, from any altitude above the surface. This is really handy! The toolbar also includes a “place-mark” which you can use to save areas of interest to the “Places List”/sidebar on the left side of the screen.
8 Just play with it to become familiar with the general use of Google Mars, and to see some of what is there.
9. Now, here is a major instruction - notice in the lower area of the sidebar on the left, you will see a list of items that are in the Primary Google Mars Database. There are several items, which you may or may not have an interest in. But I direct you to the most important item there for high quality data for anomaly research - that would be “Spacecraft Imagery”. Spacecraft Imagery is the key to effectively using Google Mars in anomaly research.
10. Click on the Spacecraft Imagery box. This will bring up drop-down boxes that will list for selection, each of the Mars Orbiter spacecraft cameras. The area photos for each of the cameras you select will now show up - clickable - on the planet’s surface. These photographs are the real NASA data, and provide the best possible source data for most of the planet. Each imagery camera photo icon on the surface will be a different color, for your selection.
11. Also notice at the bottom of the Google Mars screen, the location of your cursor will be translated to precise planetary “map coordinates”, with position shown in degrees/minutes/-- lat/lon -- north/south/east/west. You also can use map coordinates to find a specific place on the planet, by inserting the coordinates into the “Fly To” box at the top of the sidebar.
That should be enough for anyone to get started in using Google Mars. Please remember, use the Google Mars data for looking at areas of interest. For sure, use only the “spacecraft imagery photographs” for specific detail research and anomaly reporting. There is another tool for use in finding the “spacecraft imagery photographs”, which I will present and discuss later. Questions and suggestions are solicited for this, and all tools, and all can feel free to discuss.
I hope this is helpful for some of you. After we get this Mars tool “settled” I will post other Mars tools of equal or greater importance in our quest for the truth relative to ExtraPlanetary existence. Future tools to be posted will include:
* Mars Rover photo websites
* Mars Global data/spacecraft imagery
* Various source data links.
Note, the Google Earth tool can also be used for some degree of research on the Moon, but, so far, “I haven’t been there and done that yet”!
Well, what is needed for positive and effective research, is the very best data NASA has been able to produce. That is the only way to conclusively present
anomaly details that others/all are able to visualize, and receive, with any level of confidence. So, my intent with this post is to begin to make available for all what I have learned, from others, and on my own, about how to get to, and use, some of the best Mars data.
I am going to present one tool at a time, so we can discuss it to any length needed, so that each tool becomes practical for your use. I also want to encourage anyone here, who likewise has some knowledge of other such tools, to feel free to also post them, for all of our benefit.
The tool I am presenting first is Google Mars, which is one element of the Google Earth software. Yes, this is the “source data” that initially got me in trouble. But I will discuss how to use it effectively.
For those who haven’t seen it, Google Mars is a complete planet globe. constructed by Google, using NASA photographs. Just using it to look around the planet can be an interesting and fun thing to do, but just know, sometimes what you see, is not the reality of what is in the actual NASA photos.
So, here we go, for effectively using Google Mars:
1. Download the "Google Earth" software, and install - this is free.
2. Click on the Google Earth icon to open.
3. When opened the Earth screen automatically comes up.
4. Notice in the upper tool bar, is a “planet icon” - click on this icon, and see a selection of different search areas - Earth, Sky, Mars, and Moon
5. Select Mars - the planet Mars comes up, and you are ready to start looking around.
6. Your mouse/cursor is your “control stick” for all of your search movements on Google Mars. With the cursor you can move the globe in any direction, and if you double-click on a specific place on the globe, it will take you closer to the surface, each time, as you double-click. Also, a tool in the upper right will zoom in or zoom out, as well as modify your view directionally.
7. The toolbar has several other useful icons, including a ruler, which can be used to measure size and distances on the surface, from any altitude above the surface. This is really handy! The toolbar also includes a “place-mark” which you can use to save areas of interest to the “Places List”/sidebar on the left side of the screen.
8 Just play with it to become familiar with the general use of Google Mars, and to see some of what is there.
9. Now, here is a major instruction - notice in the lower area of the sidebar on the left, you will see a list of items that are in the Primary Google Mars Database. There are several items, which you may or may not have an interest in. But I direct you to the most important item there for high quality data for anomaly research - that would be “Spacecraft Imagery”. Spacecraft Imagery is the key to effectively using Google Mars in anomaly research.
10. Click on the Spacecraft Imagery box. This will bring up drop-down boxes that will list for selection, each of the Mars Orbiter spacecraft cameras. The area photos for each of the cameras you select will now show up - clickable - on the planet’s surface. These photographs are the real NASA data, and provide the best possible source data for most of the planet. Each imagery camera photo icon on the surface will be a different color, for your selection.
11. Also notice at the bottom of the Google Mars screen, the location of your cursor will be translated to precise planetary “map coordinates”, with position shown in degrees/minutes/-- lat/lon -- north/south/east/west. You also can use map coordinates to find a specific place on the planet, by inserting the coordinates into the “Fly To” box at the top of the sidebar.
That should be enough for anyone to get started in using Google Mars. Please remember, use the Google Mars data for looking at areas of interest. For sure, use only the “spacecraft imagery photographs” for specific detail research and anomaly reporting. There is another tool for use in finding the “spacecraft imagery photographs”, which I will present and discuss later. Questions and suggestions are solicited for this, and all tools, and all can feel free to discuss.
I hope this is helpful for some of you. After we get this Mars tool “settled” I will post other Mars tools of equal or greater importance in our quest for the truth relative to ExtraPlanetary existence. Future tools to be posted will include:
* Mars Rover photo websites
* Mars Global data/spacecraft imagery
* Various source data links.
Note, the Google Earth tool can also be used for some degree of research on the Moon, but, so far, “I haven’t been there and done that yet”!