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Posted by: mhoward Nov 2 2009, 09:26 PM

Hi all,

I've made my iPhone/iPod Touch app http://midnightmartian.com/MoonGlobe/ (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=333180321) free (as in free beer) for the month of November. It's currently #32 on the U.S. App Store list of Top Free Educational Apps, and going up. That translates into hundreds (maybe thousands) of downloads!

If things work out, I hope to keep it free indefinitely, as an educational outreach. There are a few things that could go wrong with that plan which are beyond my control, so I'm not making any promises. If you download the app, your positive (by which I mean five-star) reviews will help me keep it free.

Just thought you'd like to know.

Mike

Posted by: lyford Nov 3 2009, 01:30 AM

This is so great! Thanks...!

Posted by: mhoward Nov 3 2009, 05:27 PM

You're welcome. It was downloaded 5,439 times yesterday, so I hope some people get to see the Moon in a new way.

This screenshot shows the Top Free Educational Apps in the U.S. at the moment. Moon Globe is at number 2; second to NASA's app.

Posted by: mhoward Nov 18 2009, 04:36 PM

Moon Globe 1.1 is now out, incorporating the Kaguya laser altimeter data for much more realistic lighting. Since it went free, the app has been downloaded over 50,000 times. (And that's without any promotion at all from certain fruity companies which could feature it if they chose to, but haven't.)

Posted by: mhoward Nov 18 2009, 05:18 PM

P.S. Here's a screenshot from the new version, showing off the new improved surface lighting.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marscat/4114652927/sizes/o/

Posted by: john_s Nov 19 2009, 05:12 AM

Gorgeous! I just upgraded my copy and I'm admiring Mare Orientale on my phone as I type. Congratulations.

Now we've got Mars and the Moon, I want the Earth too! I don't see an equivalent app quite this elegant for our own planet.

John

Posted by: mhoward Nov 19 2009, 06:09 AM

Thank you. For the Earth, there's always the Google Earth app. I think it would be difficult to compete with it.

Posted by: john_s Nov 19 2009, 04:40 PM

Indeed, though I'd really like something that handles topographic shading as nicely as the Moon and Mars globes apps do- that's not Google Earth's strong suite (unless there's a way to tweak it that I haven't discovered yet).

John

Posted by: mhoward Nov 19 2009, 04:53 PM

I think you're right; "Earth Globe" might be really pretty. I'll keep it in mind. No, I don't think even the desktop version of Google Earth does real lighting, as far as I remember. It really seems designed with a different (equally valid) set of assumptions. But I think it'd be really difficult to explain that to a mainstream audience.

Posted by: elakdawalla Nov 19 2009, 05:34 PM

I think the point of an "Earth Globe" app would be to look at Earth as a planet -- with topographic shading, and maybe with overlays of volcano names, impact crater locations, etc. It would be cool if there were a map you could use color coded for the age of the crust. The key question would be what kind of global databases are out there for such physical geography -- Earth science is quite Balkanized compared to planetary science!

Posted by: mhoward Nov 19 2009, 07:22 PM

That's an interesting way of looking at it.

On the subject of Moon Globe: Any desire to see a color topographic map in it? I don't find it to be as essential for understanding as it is for Mars, but it might at least be attractive, as Doug has demonstrated in the Kaguya Data thread.

Posted by: elakdawalla Nov 19 2009, 08:30 PM

I think that'd be interesting, as it'd help the user compare topographic variation globally instead of just locally. It takes a color-coded elevation map to make the South pole-Aitken basin pop into relief.

Posted by: ilbasso Nov 19 2009, 11:28 PM

Spec-freakin'-tacular! Thanks for making this beautiful app!

Posted by: mhoward Nov 30 2009, 11:56 PM

As part of my ongoing tests to assess Moon Globe's accuracy, I made another screenshot-to-photo comparison using Stu's recent Moon Watch shot. The Kaguya elevation data definitely helps things along.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marscat/4148769550/

Posted by: john_s Dec 1 2009, 07:44 PM

Fabulous! I'd say the app passes that test with flying colors. I especially like the perfect reproduction of the "jeweled handle" of Sinus Iridium in the upper left.

John

Posted by: mhoward Dec 2 2009, 01:35 AM

Up close, the story is a little more complex. But still not bad, I'd say, considering. The real photo is again Stu's, this time his Eddington Crater shot from yesterday. Thanks to Stu for letting me use these.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marscat/4151874782/

Posted by: ilbasso Dec 2 2009, 02:03 AM

I say that you should never let reality interfere with the enjoyment of a really good simulation.

Posted by: JohnVV Dec 2 2009, 08:29 AM

if anybody is interested i am remapping the clementine map to the new Kaguya elevation data

there is a bit of a mismatch ( mostly at the north pole )
at 333 m/p there is about a 20 to 80 pixel offset .This i am hopping to fix

Posted by: Stu Dec 5 2009, 11:07 PM

Thanks to Mike for sending me some 'Moon Globe' pics of Eddington crater, which I've used in a post on my blog. When it's in next week's "Carnival of Space" I hope it brings some more downloaders your way, Mike!

http://cumbriansky.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/looking-at-eddington-crater

And thanks to everyone else here who took the time and trouble to send me Eddington views, too. I've more than enough to tell its story in the Outreach talks I have left this year.

Posted by: scalbers Dec 5 2009, 11:18 PM

QUOTE (elakdawalla @ Nov 19 2009, 05:34 PM)

Posted by: mhoward Dec 15 2009, 08:42 PM

I'm collecting ideas for version 1.2 of Moon Globe - any little things that people might want added, changed, or tweaked. I probably won't be seriously working on it for a while, but thought I'd throw it out there, so you can throw it back at me if you like.

On another topic, Moon Globe passed 100,000 downloads yesterday.

Posted by: ilbasso Dec 17 2009, 01:51 AM

My favorite feature for sheer coolness is to flip the date wheel and watch the Moon undulate through librations, perigee and apogee, and phases at accelerated speed!

Posted by: elakdawalla Dec 17 2009, 06:16 AM

Yes, I have to say that's my favorite feature too.

Mike, honestly the only thing I've ever wanted to do with Mars Globe or Moon Globe that I can't do at present is to quickly go to a particular date. (Date and time, actually, but once you're at the date it is super easy to use the slider to get the time you want; it's navigating to a date beyond a few weeks in the past that's a hassle.)

Posted by: mhoward Dec 17 2009, 03:23 PM

A menu option to jump to a particular date (and maybe time) is a good idea. Thanks for reminding me! (I keep forgetting that one.)