Filed under: Fun, Photo, Linux, Open Source
A spectacular view of the entire Milky Way... using open source!
by Sebastian Anthony Dec 13th 2009 at 9:00AM
Do not adjust your computer screen: what you see here is a piece of genius. A labor of love spanning two years, two hemispheres, two countries and over 3000 images... I give to you, the All-Sky Milky Way Panorama -- version 2! And, you'll be glad to hear, it was stitched together with open-source software.
Well, not just open-source software: he needed a lot of processing power too, though nothing beyond a beefed-up home computer (it ran Linux, of course). And then there was the problem of actually stitching it together, and making sure every star and and entity in the visible cosmos looks correct, relative to everything else in the sky -- for that, he used catalogs of star data and sky background data from Pioneer 10 and 11. For the entire creative process, and a list of the programs he used, check out the creator's site.
The final image, which you can probably obtain if you're a student, and if ask the creator Axel Mellinger nicely, clocks in at an impressive 650 megapixels and 7.7 gigabytes.
But the best bit, which I dutifully saved until last, is that you can surf around the maximum-resolution image using another open-source application called IIPImage. Enjoy!
Well, not just open-source software: he needed a lot of processing power too, though nothing beyond a beefed-up home computer (it ran Linux, of course). And then there was the problem of actually stitching it together, and making sure every star and and entity in the visible cosmos looks correct, relative to everything else in the sky -- for that, he used catalogs of star data and sky background data from Pioneer 10 and 11. For the entire creative process, and a list of the programs he used, check out the creator's site.
The final image, which you can probably obtain if you're a student, and if ask the creator Axel Mellinger nicely, clocks in at an impressive 650 megapixels and 7.7 gigabytes.
But the best bit, which I dutifully saved until last, is that you can surf around the maximum-resolution image using another open-source application called IIPImage. Enjoy!
Sushi Cat is one of the cutest Flash games I've ever run across. You play a blue cat with a major talent for eating and, fortunately for you, every level is filled with delicious sushi! The controls are simple: you aim and drop from the top of the screen using the mouse, trying to hit as much sushi as you can on the way down. Eat enough sushi, and you can go on to the next level.
Your score depends on how much sushi you eat, and which bucket the cat lands in when it finally reaches the bottom of the screen. The more ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
suicycle.com said 10:07AM on 12-13-2009
Although I may never see the full image myself, the description of the work and the dedication required to produce it are very worthy of commendation. Exceptional work, Axel Mellinger!
Reply
Sebastian Anthony said 10:17AM on 12-13-2009
I'm glad someone else appreciates it as much as I :)
Tom said 11:02AM on 12-13-2009
A cached image from this site was flagged up as a threat from Security Essentials.
Anyone else get the same?
Reply
James said 2:10PM on 12-13-2009
Now maybe someone will take the time, effort, genius, and creativity to solve all of our problems on Earth--all that sky stuff, what does it do to help hunger, poverty, war, famine, etc. Escapist nihilism at its best.
Reply
Sebastian Anthony said 2:20PM on 12-13-2009
Most of our inventions/technological leaps come form looking out, rather than inwards. Guess that's just how humanity does things -- rather than solve civil issues at home, we explored the world and discovered America.
But hey, that's a whole other argument, about whether technology improves or lessens our quality of life.
peegee said 9:29PM on 12-13-2009
Curiosity has always been the base for discovery. Yes, it may not solve world poverty, but that's a problem that has not been solved for thousands of years. Does that mean we do not explore? No, because it is through that that we find better ways to serve humanity.
Sebastian Anthony said 9:31PM on 12-13-2009
Well said! If I had a friends list, you'd be on it.
NotRocketboy said 7:09AM on 12-14-2009
Unfortunately, in the examples you gave, the solutions involve more than one person.
You sound like the dullards who say "Give peace a chance". Ok, I'll give it a chance, but do you want to check with the guy who's punching my face if he will give it a chance too, because, well, it kind of hurts.
falconium said 8:02AM on 12-14-2009
The human need to understand what lies beyond, literally and figuratively, is why you are able to make moronic comments on a globally networked "wonder machine".
techpops said 11:23PM on 12-13-2009
Well said indeed. Curiosity is the mother of intelligence, just ask the Kea Bird.
Maybe its a mark of just how spoilt I am with technical marvels like Google Earth that I felt a bit dissapointed when I couldn't zoom past a certain point and read the names better. Still very impressive. You'd be hard pressed to find any example of 3000 images viewable through a browser as fast and easily navigatable as this.
Reply
Sebastian Anthony said 8:00AM on 12-14-2009
Hah, I felt the same way. I thought I would simply be able to zoom all the way into the furthest depths of the universe...
But alas, I could not.
It can't be long until there's a Google Space though...
hazard said 7:57AM on 12-14-2009
It's cool and but I can't recognise any constellations in that mess of stars. I just can't find any point of reference at all :\
Reply
Sebastian Anthony said 8:00AM on 12-14-2009
If you go to his page, I think he's marked out the constellations in his previous film-based attempt (but they are in German :P)
techpops said 11:54AM on 12-15-2009
Earth is the little white spot. HTH
joseph falco said 8:10AM on 12-14-2009
Let me try to give a reference point: the Milky Way Galaxy in which we reside resembles two cymbals pressed together, i.e., a disc with a middle bulge. We live on the outer edge of the disc. When we look at Sagitarius and Scorpio we are looking at the Galactic center, as shown by the brightest sar "cloud" in the compositie photo. The reason we aren't bathed in bright Galactic light, brighter than the daytime sky? Abundant dark matter mercifully blocks most radiation from the Galactic core, sparing us from being fried to blackened crisp.
Reply
Sebastian Anthony said 8:16AM on 12-14-2009
Oh, you're sure about the dark matter now? :P
Good tips though. I keep meaning to take some photos of 'the Milky Way' but I need to get to somewhere with less light pollution.
Matthew said 6:05PM on 12-14-2009
Absolutely stunning.
Reply
techpops said 4:04PM on 12-17-2009
Just thought I'd slip this into the thread. You have to see it in HD full screen with your eyes held in with sellotape, or they will pop out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U&feature=player_embedded
Now that is awesome.
Reply
Sebastian Anthony said 4:12PM on 12-17-2009
Ahhhh. Awesome.
I think I've seen something similar to that before... but not as impressive as that.
Thanks :)