-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Saturday, February 24, 2001 3:04 AM
Subject: Lunar Cam 2001
>
>In a message dated 2/23/2001 10:26:32 PM Alaskan Standard Time,
>[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
>> Well, the draw was supposed to be that it was a 30 frame per second
>> streaming video (albeit about 15+ seconds from real time). You've seen
one
>> picture of the Earth, you've seen them all. Streaming video is a little
bit
>> more interesting - as long as its high enough resolution. And if the
camera
>> is recessed into a crater, with maybe a fish eye lens, then that's a bit
>> more. And actually having it on the moon should increase its expected
life
>> span. Seeing meteorites hitting the atmosphere, aurora playing in the
>> ionosphere, and anything else that just plain looks cool - and ALIVE.
Dead
>> pan pictures of a round cloudy blue thing wasn't the idea. Having a
"Best
>> of Moon Cam" link was. That, and the obscenely low price tag - which was
>> the original point. Just to say, "Hey. I only spent peanuts to do this.
Why
>> can't you?"
>
>You know, I think it's a hell of an idea, especially if you could increase
>the frame rate. However, one problem I see is that the government likes
its
>monopoly on whole earth pictures... what you're suggesting is something
with
>potential strategic consequences. For instance, would you be able to see
>troop/tank buildups? Rocket launches? Pollution clouds? Keeping control
of
>the pictures allows governments to keep control of the news.
>
Well, photos from that range certainly wouldn't be able to show much (if
anything) in the way of human phenomena, except maybe nighttime city lights.
Phenomena on Earth, both natural and man-made, can be (and are) infinitely
better observed from low Earth orbit -- and as we all know, many of those
photos are also spectacularly beautiful. Frankly, I think your Webcam idea
would work a lot better for several very small and cheap Earth-orbiting
satellites than for very long-distance whole-Earth shots, and I wouldn't be
surprised to see just that in the near future.
Bruce Moomaw
Bruce Moomaw
==
You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/
