« News Roundup: GE Design, Live Tour de France, PhotoSketch, Iran Nuclear Project | Main | Encompassing the Globe »
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
This technique is new industrial revolution is the 21st century ..,Solar System technique is developed day-by-day.,I also developed a web site
for solar called "SOLAR ENERGY AND SOLAR POWER",My website provides the all-in-one solar energy site is providing all the information and products you need to start your own solar power project....
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
Post a comment:
NOTE: Please use English. Comments are moderated.
This is an amazing KML and is again one of those that I didn't realize could be done. Congratulations to barnabu!