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July 15, 2007
Solar System Moons in Google Earth
This is interesting: a size comparison of every moon (natural satellite of a planet) in the solar system larger in diameter than 100 km - all 34 of them - viewable in Google Earth. Download the 34 moons KML file here 
(4.5 Mbytes). James Stafford released the collection at his Barnabu blog today. The moons are actually fully texture-mapped 3D models placed in a single orbit around the Earth. This is a very cool way of applying 3D models to make a scientific illustration! James used, with proper credits, texture maps from a variety of sources including NASA, USGS, and the Naval Research Laboratory, and many others (see his post for more details). Not only that, but he made a handy video which shows each moon in order around Google Earth:
Thanks for the fun James!
Learn how to turn Google Earth into other planets:
- Google Jupiter - Turn GE into Jupiter and show clouds in motion
- Google Saturn - this uses a 3D model for the clouds, also done by 'barnabu'
- Mars Add-on for Google Earth
- Google Mars in Google Maps
- Moon and Mars overlay for GE
Other cool Google Earth content found at Barnabu recently:
- How to add sky to Google Earth
- London Eye Animation with Shadows
- Monthly Cloud Animations in Google Earth
Posted by FrankTaylor at July 15, 2007 7:33 PM
Comments
Posted by: PenguinOpus at July 15, 2007 9:47 PM
Very cool indeed, although I'm a little confused why there is detailed surface imagery for Charon when we don't actually have any?
Looks to me like maybe baranabu has used textures from http://inkido.indiana.edu/a100/planetary_textures.html
, and the fault is theirs, I reckon.
Posted by: db at July 16, 2007 3:51 AM
I want to watch solar system planets in Google Earth, too.
Posted by: tatu at July 16, 2007 7:51 AM
This is brilliant! I knew that Titan and Ganymede were big, but I didn't know they were *that* big.
Posted by: Eugene at July 16, 2007 11:06 AM
If you want to travel through the solar system as you do in Google Earth try Celestia, which is an open source project (also free of charge) that really "makes you fly through space". Bye
Posted by: chapu at July 24, 2007 10:14 AM
You Google Earth and we all see the solar vision of a city filled with Rays of Sun!
Posted by: Larry at August 1, 2007 2:14 AM
This is so incredible that this can be done with the Google Earth! I had no idea that this was out there. This will be very helpful.
Posted by: Lizzie at January 27, 2008 9:42 PM
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Posted by: Solar Systems at March 12, 2009 8:24 AM
Thank you very much for given this great post....
Posted by: Renewable Electricity at June 22, 2009 6:41 AM
Renewable natural resources are those that, with proper care can be maintained or even increase. The main renewable resources are plants and animals. In turn the plants and animals depend for their livelihood on other renewable resources are the water and soil. Although water is abundant, it is not permanent resource since it is easily contaminated. Once contaminated it is very difficult to restore water purity
Posted by: investment costa rica at August 16, 2010 5:04 PM
I find it very interesting that every moon in the solar system larger in diameter than 100 km is viewable in Google Earth. This is a handy resource when applying 3D models to make scientific illustrations.
Posted by: Dr. Ben - Solar Inventor at January 12, 2011 12:47 PM
I installed the many moons plugin. It installed right the first time with the moons and the surface texture showing. Every time I open Google Earth again and turn on the Many Moons they only show up as round spheres with no surface textures. I reinstalled the file again, the textures showed up, but when reopening Google Earth again I get the same results. Anyone know why I keep losing the surface texture maps?
Thanks,
Susan
Posted by: make solar panels at May 22, 2011 3:57 AM
That was really cool. :) I enjoyed watching that so much. Thanks for sharing. :) I really like it so I'll share it with my friends as well. :)Kudos to you!
Posted by: Solar pv southwest at July 10, 2011 3:06 AM
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This is an amazing KML and is again one of those that I didn't realize could be done. Congratulations to barnabu!