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Movie of the Earth

W

Wabbit

New Member
Sometimes, just sometimes, you see something that is just way beyond cool!
And this is it.

Found this on /. today. Here is the write up from Slashdot:

The Mercury-bound MESSENGER spacecraft took 358 images during a gravity assist swing by of Earth on Aug. 2, 2005. Those images were sequenced into an MPEG movie showing the view from MESSENGER as it departed Earth."
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It takes awhile to download the movie, but it's worth every second. It's just amazing!!! Watch the Earth as it spins and recedes as the spacecraft moves away.
 
It looks so unreal! I hate to sound like a hippy, but that's the only description that really fits.
 
I wanted to see it but I'm afraid my poor old laptop couldn't take it, it's dying a slow painful death :(
 
Thanks for your opinions. I guess I AM just too nerdy! I have always liked and been interested in this stuff.

It's interesting that it does look unreal. I think it's because we have been bombarded with so much CGI SFX in movies that it's hard to accept something like this as real.
 
Wabbit said:
I can't believe nobody commented on this! I thought it was wondrous. Maybe I'm just too nerdy :D
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I will comment then to make my bunny happy ;)
I liked the movie it was very intresting! Seriously. I only have one question...does the earth really move that fast?! :eek:
 
No it doesn't :)

The craft took 360 photos as it moved away from the Earth. The shots were taken over a long period of time and then it was made into a movie!
 
I also liked the movie. It was like watching a sci-fi film. It might be special to be in the space.
 
It struck me as a little sad when the Earth was moving away. I ran it backwards so that the Earth got closer and bigger; that was more cheerful.

By the way, the version with the timer shows that it covers about 24 hours; so all that movement is really from the Earth going around once.
 
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