NASA and
Google, Inc., have teamed up to build the ultimate
atlas for Mars fans eager to explore the red planet in three-dimensional
detail while keeping their feet firmly on Earth.
Google Mars
3D, a new mode included in Google's latest version of Google Earth software, allows
users to tap into high-resolution and three-dimensional views
of Martian terrain from the comfort of their own personal computer.
The mode,
which relies on NASA data and imagery from the agency's Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter and other spacecraft, is designed so users can "fly" through Martian
canyons in a virtual mode and see the red planet's surface through the camera
eyes of those long-lived NASA rovers Spirit
and Opportunity, as well as other Mars missions.
"They can
fly to the top of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano
in our solar system, read geo-located excerpts about different locations on the
planet from 'A
Traveler's Guide to Mars,' observe where various Mars rovers and landers have touched down and much more," Google officials
said in an announcement.
The new
Mars mode also includes a sharing feature so users can add their own 3D content
to the Mars map for all to see.
NASA's Ames
Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., collaborated with Google to build the
new Google Mars 3D mode. In addition to NASA data, the software includes data
produced by researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University, SETI Institute and
other organizations.
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