Google Earth event hints at moon mapping
One of the images returned by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter--coming soon to Google Earth?
(Credit: NASA)At least the residents of the moon are unlikely to be annoyed by the Google Street View car.
Google announced plans Thursday to hold a press conference on July 20 in Washington, D.C., to discuss "a very special announcement about the newest addition to Google Earth," according to an invitation sent to reporters. Further details were not included, but it's not too hard to guess what Google might be up to here.
July 20 is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. One of the men who set foot on the moon that day, Buzz Aldrin, will speak at the event, as will Andrew Chaikin, author of "A Man on the Moon." And NASA's launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in June has yielded all kinds of new detailed images of the moon's surface.
Google already offers a limited overhead view of the moon that highlights the sites of the Apollo landings, but it seems more detailed maps could be in the works as part of the ongoing partnership between Google and NASA. All kidding aside, Street View for the moon is probably not on the agenda, although those lunar rovers are still up there.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
At least with Street view it's GOOGLE (or a company they hired) that's driving around in their little google mobiles.
Cody
By gosh, I am so glad people like you guys commenting here still have a sence of humor.
Seaspray - I got it, Moom Walk (space in between) and Moonwalk - Michael Jackson's legacy move.
I hope we can continue to come together in our comments FOR OR AGAINST, respecting each other's right to comment without insulting others and bringing valid points on all issues to the table.
Geo
Did you REALLY post that comment or was it the government simulating people so that it can stay in power since we all know that the humans died off 50 years ago...
Sheesh :-)
The world is certainly in need of a new lunar atlas. We've had some decent lunar atlases published in recent years, but they seem to have all gone out of print just as fast as they have come along. There is also a Moon globe you can get from Sky & Telescope, but it don't contain a lot of detail (you're pretty limited with a 30cm sphere). I've always wanted to make my own photographic atlas of the Moon, but I need to reside at a site that has unobstructed eastern and western horizons and it would have to be a multi-year project (given all possible phases of the moon, different librations, and apogee/perigee variations, not to mention weather restrictions). A Google Lunar Atlas would be the perfect solution to these issues.
I watched live the LRO/LCROSS launch a couple of weeks back with great excitement. I'm guessing the new Google Lunar Atlas would be using this new data. To answer the first question, the lunar landing sites and equipment left by US and Soviet missions should be observable by LRO.
I have met Andy Chaiken as well as Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean (who I will be seeing again next month at Stellafane) and have autographed copies of their books.
I'm hoping this Google venture will get more people seriously interested in science and space exploration.
- by LokiFreeman July 17, 2009 10:24 AM PDT
- Google is doing this in partnership with NASA? That means the same airbrushed cover up photos that hide the ancient ruins, alien bases, and ufo's that NASA already puts out now. Whoopee. Big deal.
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