Originally posted by Grumman
Belive in google moon
WHY??!!
I posted the following several months ago in another thread, but it bears repeating:
Why does anyone think that Google Moon is a valid tool for searching the Moon?
Let me bring the discussion down to earth:
Mapping programs such as Google Maps integrate multiple images - taken with different resolutions, at different times, from different angles and under
different lighting conditions to make an
approximation of one integrated overhead view.
Stitching artifacts of one type or another are very common. Just scroll around Manhattan and you will find many, such as
this one.
Google Earth/Moon/Mars adds to the fun by overlaying this
approximation (artifacts and all) onto a digital elevation map. The resolution of
the DEM is quite low - much lower than the photographic overlay. For example, here is a photograph of Devil's Tower, in Wyoming, as viewed from the
south:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b5efbaac8ab8.jpg[/atsimg]
And here is the Google Earth view:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/504c6709f92d.jpg[/atsimg]
If an Apollo surface photograph differed from a Google Moon representation of the same area, we'd never hear the end of it on ATS. What's worse is
that many people
would assume that the the digital model is correct and therefore the Apollo photo must be "fake".
Another problem with overlaying an overhead image onto a digital map is that details on a vertical surface can be blurred and even lost. You can
certainly see this in the Devil's Tower images, above. Here's an even better example. This is an aerial photo of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3d26eab01410.jpg[/atsimg]
And here it is on Google Earth, from approximately the same angle:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2822130eb65b.jpg[/atsimg]
I have yet to hear people complaining that the US Geologic Survey is altering photographs to hide signs of intelligent works.
This brings up another point: The USGS did not alter the image of Mt. Rushmore, any more than NASA altered the photo in the OP. The original overlay
photos were provided by government agencies, however the stitching and other algorithms for Google was done by
Digital Globe, a private company, as a form of advertising (all Google Earth images have the Digital Globe
copyright).
Google Earth, Google Moon, Google Mars and Google Sky are
toys. Yes, they are interesting and fun. They can be educational and - under
certain limited conditions - useful; but make no mistake: They were designed primarily to look cool and be entertaining, so as to showcase the Google
brand and Digital Globe products. If they were really valuable resources, then there would be a charge for using them - they would not be freeware.
Also, keep in mind that the data for Earth is much more comprehensive than for the Moon or Mars. Therefore, Google Moon and Google Mars are even
less accurate than Google Earth!
Poring over Google Moon to do serious research is like staring at centerfolds to become a dermatologist. [/quote
edit on 25-2-2011 by Saint
Exupery because: I replaced a link w/ text.