Thursday, September 17, 2015

NASA's Eyes

During my first visit to JPL, I came across multiple ideas and inventions that struck my curiosity. One that most interested me was NASA's Eyes. This includes Eyes On The Solar System, Eyes On Pluto, Eyes On Earth, and Eyes on the Exoplanets. Eyes On The Solar System is an amazing program that lets viewers explore our planets, stars, comets, moons, via the space crafts in use since the 1950's through 2050. The space crafts include, but aren't limited to Dawn, Cassini, and Juno. This is important for those who want to educate themselves about space in an interactive environment. The visualizations of space are helpful in understanding what cannot be communicated through a textbook or lecture. It is available on Mac or PC after downloading the app on this website: 
http://eyes.nasa.gov/
It is also available via mobile device, so you can learn on the go. You can click on different planets and moons for more information, statistics, photos, and you can even compare the size to other planets including Earth. For example, I learned that Mars is 6.146x10^23 kg and Earth is 5.972x10^24 kg. However, the Sun is 1.989x10^30. If you aren't good at math like I am and can't picture the size, NASA's eyes shows you a visual comparison to get the idea. I also learned that Mars has seasons, like Earth, when the polar ice caps grow or recede. Mars also has the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons. The controls in the program can let you customize your experience, including time, destination, and speed, but if you're unsure how to work the program, you can refer to this video I found that explains how to navigate it: 
https://youtu.be/GLN-T3-nsiU
But who created this program that combines 3D digital art with science? I wanted to look more into the artistic skill behind the program. The 3D art director is Brian Kumanchik, a freelance artist/animator specializing in low polygon modeling for game engines. The 3D artists include Christian Lopez, Matthew Garcia, Christopher Garcia, and Yina Chang. "By basing our visualization primarily on mission data, this tool will help both NASA and the public better understand complex space science missions," says Kevin Hussey, manager of Visualization Technology Applications and Development at JPL. This is important for the development of young minds as well as students like me who want to explore the connections between art and science.

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