[X] My Assistant

[Phil Stooke]

Here's a bit of something I have been working on for the last few months. I am making a high resolution photomosaic of 433 Eros. It will eventually go in the Planetary Data System.

This square image is part of the mosaic, hot off the press. It extends from approximately 60 north to 60 south, and 240 west longitude (right edge) to 360 (AKA 0) at the left edge. The original is 5000 pixels square. The projection is Simple Cylindrical. When finished the original will be 14400 by 7200 pixels.

I leave on Monday for a couple of weeks in the UK. When I get back I'll post a version of this with a grid, and the two polar sections I have also done.

I should add that in areas where this appears distorted (lower left region), this is caused by the extreme irregularity of Eros in this region.

Phil

[dvandorn]

Excellent work, Phil! I am more and more impressed with your abilities.

-the other Doug

[jasedm]

I second that - marvellous job!
Enjoy your time in the UK Phil - the sun's shining as I type.....

[climber]

I leave on Monday for a couple of weeks in the UK. When I get back I'll post a version of this with a grid, and the two polar sections I have also done.

Could you also add the landing point ?
Thanks Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Okely-dokely, umsferino.

meanwhile, check this out:

http://near.jhuapl.edu/iod/20010212b/index.html

Phil

[belleraphon1]

Phil...

beautiful.....

looking at this I am tempted to caption it "The Gravel Runs Through It".

Craig

[Phil Stooke]

Just time to post this before leaving... complete consistency in lighting is not possible at the poles.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Here is the new Eros section with a labelled grid.

Phil

[climber]

Here is the new Eros section with a labelled grid.
Phil

Phil, you're our (H)ero(s)

[ElkGroveDan]

I thought that image looked familiar. Finally put my finger on it.

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[tedstryk]

Wow...that is really incredible. Also, the Scream resemblance is uncanny!

[kenny]

Phil,

Do I hear correctly that you are now working on a high res photo-mosaic of Eros? What sort of projection are you planning to use? The square grid one does make it hard to visualise the "banana-shaped" object.

It would be good to get some place names on there as without The Saddle and whatever else indicated it's hard to relate such a weird angular place to the spectacular photos we saw a few years back.

And weren't you going to add the landing spot of NEAR?

Keep up the great work

Kenny

[Phil Stooke]

Hi Kenny!

Yes, I'm working on the map. One third of the whole thing is posted above. I have nearly finished the second third now. It's a very slow process.

As I have said to others elsewhere, the square grid version - a simple (or equidistant) cylindrical projection) is the most useful format for compiling a global image database, because pixel location translates directly to latitude and longitude. Other representations, including images draped over 3D shape models for dynamic display, are better for many reasons... but where do you get the global mosaic to drape over the shape if some poor slob hasn't devoted a year of his life to compiling it?

So I'll do the hard bit - making a global mosaic. It will go into PDS for everybody to use, and I'll post reduced versions here. But I'll let others do the 3D versions, the animations, the annotated versions etc.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Here's a version with the approximate landing site added, taken from the NEAR website illustration linked to above.

Phil

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

Here's a superb scale model of Eros:
http://www.npaci.edu/online/v4.17/eros.html

A must-have for any planetary globe collector

[chuckclark]

This is my first post so we'll see if this works . . . I've loaded the attachment, but I don't see it anywhere. Presumably it will show up when I post this? Or do I have to do something else to finalize it?
Here is a novel projection world map of Eros showing topography, ponds, and as much of Phil's mosaics as I've been able to paste in so far - all but the above mosaic.
The map is a "constant-scale natural boundary" map, made by geometrical methods of my own devising. After I learn a bit more about links I'll direct you some abstracts describing the method.
If you cut it out and fold it properly, where the various facets adjoin, it will make a fairly good model of the asteroid.
That is to say, the mapping method has inherent proto-topological properties.
And, that there is very little relative distortion of size and shape.

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[ngunn]

Welcome to UMSF! I'm not a mapping person but that one looks like an interesting piece of work. I hope you get good discussion from Phil Stooke and the other experts here.

[Juramike]

Very, very cool!


(I cant wait to get the scissors and tape! Now I have to go see if I can find a potato for a model....)

[chuckclark]

Very, very cool!
(I cant wait to get the scissors and tape! Now I have to go see if I can find a potato for a model....)

Here are several views of the folded-up CSNB (constant-scale natural boundary) map of Eros. This map has not quite the same data set as that posted above -- there are no mosaic sections, and certain craters (bright-walled ones, I think, but I'll have to check) are shown in red. There are two classes of "red" craters shown: simple circles and circles with stars. At the moment I can't recall the distinction.

The point is to show you what you're going for if you give folding a go.

Cheers.

Folding Tips:
1) When cutting it out, leave a bit of paper as a tab on one side of the seam to fold under the pieces as they come together.
2) This "extra" paper (let's assume it is white) is inconsistent with the 3-D geometry -- you'll see what I mean as tries to bunch up on iteself -- so, to release the compressional stress make a series of short (transverse) snips from the edge of the white to the edge of the map.
3A) The little scissors that come with small swiss army knives work well for cutting.
3B) 1/4" clear scotch tape works well; the narrower the better. I'd use 1/8" if I could find it and were a fussier sort of person.
3C) Run the tape transverse across the seam, and only as often as you need to to hold it together. The touch or feel of folding up a CSNB map is, for many, counterintuitive at first. It is not like folding up, for example, a cube or a cuboctohedron.
Not to digress, but I once had a class of fifth graders, working in groups, successfully fold up CSNB maps of Earth; so you can probably do it too.
4) Joining the last sections is tricky because you can no longer get your fingers inside to resist the pressure you need to apply the tape. A narrow rod or straw (better with a ball on the end) can be poked in through a tape-gap antipodal to the spot you still need to tape and maneuvered into position to resist taping pressure.
I make a lot of these, so I bent a small (3/16") whorl at one end of a 10" length of piano wire, putting the other end into a file handle.

Here also is a series of photos of a "real" model of Eros with the edge of this CSNB map marked in white.

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[Phil Stooke]

I should point out that I've known Chuck for several years, and I provided the small mosaic sections on his posted map, above. When I finish my big mosaic he might add that to his map as well.

My second map section is almost ready, but it is very fiddly and time consuming.

Phil

[Juramike]

Here are several views of the folded-up CSNB (constant-scale natural boundary) map of Eros.
The point is to show you what you're going for if you give folding a go.

Cheers.

It's not a potato...it's a sweet potato!

This is going to be a huge hit around the Thanksgiving table!

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Mike

[chuckclark]

Here is the CSNB map with, except at most of the poles, Phil's latest mosaic. I didn't realize how much more contrast is in this new mosaic than the old ones. Took me a few pastes before I realized I needed to redo the old, and I failed to download Phil's new poles posted above.

No one should loose sight that these CSNB maps are experimental formats. My ridge-edge is not in strict registration with Phil's lighting, to say the least, nor is my ridge-edge jam-on accurate from a digital model. All to say that those who try to cut and fold the map shouldn't expect, where the folded edges come together, the photomosaic to match perfectly.

I'll edit the post above with the folded-map pictures to add some tips for putting one together yourself.

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[chuckclark]

Here is another CSNB map of Eros. Obviously, it has a much more extensive boundary set, and it folds to a very accurate replica of the asteroid.
If this were accurately loaded with Phil's mosaics, and folded up, the result would be a very fair representation of the asteroid. Like the 3-D animations you see in the computer, but one you could hold in your hand. (Call the earlier posted map CSNB_Eros_1, call this one CSNB_Eros_2.)
Eros_1 with Phil-mosaics will be a slightly "shrunken" version of the real thing.
Eros_2 with Phil-mosaics will be a so-to-speak hard-copy of the object.
Don't hold your breath, because a lot of tedious registration work would be required to locate Eros_2's edges within the mosaics. But the possibility is intriguing nonetheless. Eros-1 will hint at it.

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[chuckclark]

And here is a model, made from hardware cloth -- so it would hold shape a bit better than paper -- of the highly interrupted CSNB Eros map, along with comparison photos to a "real" Eros model. Thanks, by the way, to Peter Thomas, for letting me have the CAD-CAM Eros model.

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[djellison]

I had a go myself with the net - and it's brilliant. It doesn't work too well with normal paper - but it does work

Any chance of the CAD file being shared? The PDS release isn't the sort of thing that will drop into 3DS Max too easily

Doug

[chuckclark]

Any chance of the CAD file being shared? The PDS release isn't the sort of thing that will drop into 3DS Max too easily

Doug,
What do you mean by "the CAD file"? By the "PDS release"? By "3DS Max"? By "I had a go with the net"?

I can easily provide higher resolution versions. Perhaps you mean that?

At present, a world map with constant scale natural boundary can only be made the old-fashioned way, that is, by hand, tracing lines on a object, or plotting points by measurement. All those trigonometric formulas you'll find in, for example, Snyder & Voxland's Album of Map Projections are not germane. You have to go back one more step to the Renaissance era, back when point-plotting of perspectives was a new science. Those are still the active tools for making CSNB maps -- creating the outline and subdividing the map's interior (usually into a grid of longitude and latitude). All the fancy eye candy, the satellite derived imagery, is added later.
Constant-scale natural boundary mapping is a method distinct from our 470-year-old Mercator-based tradition.
Not that it's impossible to digitize the process; indeed, with today's computers and 3-D input devices, it's not even a big challenge. It's just that nobody's done it yet.

[Phil Stooke]

Latest version of the Eros map. I'll post larger images soon. Can you tell which bit hasn't been done yet?

Phil

[jasedm]

Outstanding!
Yes, I think I can just make out the remaining area to be done.

[chuckclark]

here is the new mosiac in the constant-scale natural boundary format

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[Phil Stooke]

Nice one, Chuck.

Here's the next large section of my map.

Phil

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

Very nice work indeed Philip,
Is that a cylindrical projection similar to the one You've made of Mars' largest moon Phobos?
Remember I've added Your Phobos map to my 2005 article on mapping the Martian moons...
the other Philip

[Phil Stooke]

Yes it is cylindrical.

Here's a greatly reduced copy of my poster for Houston - on show next week if anybody's there.

Phil

PS - I have another poster with image mage Ted Stryk.

[tedstryk]

That is impressive! I look forward to seeing the real thing.

[Phil Stooke]

It's been a few months since I posted here... but my Eros mosaic is almost finished. I'll post an update shortly.

This was really just an excuse to say - I just heard today that asteroid 172996 (2006KL141) has been named Stooke. Enter the name or number in the search box here:

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi

to get the details. I always wanted an asteroid, I must admit. It's preferable to a lunar crater because you don't have to be dead, and preferable to a comet because you don't have to stay up all night looking for one.

Phil

[nprev]

Fantastic!!! Never knew anyone who had an asteroid named after him or her before. Big congratulations, Phil!!!

[Ken90000]

Congratulations.

At least it looks like your asteroid isn’t going to make a crater on The Moon (or Earth for that matter) any time soon.

When you get an asteroid, do they give you an image of it?

[TheChemist]

Congratulations Phil !!!
What's your size ? Do you have any organics on you ?

[Phil Stooke]

"What's your size ? Do you have any organics on you ?"

(1) No comment

(2) - no, I had a shower only this morning.

Phil

[jamescanvin]

Wow, congratulations Phil!

What are you going to do with it?

[Phil Stooke]

I'm going to put a Tim Hortons franchise on it.

Phil

[nprev]

No, man, do an online casino instead, seriously. How offshore can you get?

[Phil Stooke]

Ahh, you old non-Canadian you! Where are people in the asteroid belt supposed to go if they want to Rrrroll up the Rrrrim?

Phil

[nprev]

Ah...the wily, highly educated college professor, published author, and asteroid namesake Canuck has thoroughly confused the Tijuana-born robot! (Not that that's particularly hard to do...) I trust your business judgment, sir!

[ElkGroveDan]

Congratulations Phil! I can't imagine that it gets any better than that. !!!

Can we call you PJ now?


EDIT: Gosh darn it I'm going to be about 2 miles from Ontario next week, and it would have been great to buy you a couple rounds to celebrate, but alas I'll be on the other end of the province, 350 miles away.

[Phil Stooke]

Back on topic - sorry for the digression.

Here's the current state of the last section of the Eros mosaic. Roughly 60N to 60S, 0 longitude (right edge) to 120 longitude (left edge) - but with a bit of overlap outside those boundaries so everything fits perfectly when assembled into a global map later.

Phil



(PS sorry to miss you EGD)

[chuckclark]

Here's the current state of the last section of the Eros mosaic. Roughly 60N to 60S, 0 longitude (right edge) to 120 longitude (left edge) - but with a bit of overlap outside those boundaries so everything fits perfectly when assembled into a global map later.

Phil

Looks good, Phil; keep me posted on when the final is wrapped up. I've gotten one new constant-scale natural boundary map of Eros (outline only)of the drawing board; the "peeled banana" you suggested, but test folding it shows it, the outline, needs work. Normally I'd overlook these relatively small discrepancies in the folded model, but the whole point of this new Eros CSNB map is to make a very accurate model with photomosaic, I'm gonna try to iron the bugs before I go and spent the time loading in the mosaic. Rather only do that once. Might have something by the end of next week.

[djellison]

I got to hold a 3d rapid-prototyped model of Eros a few weeks ago - suddenly it made much more sense as a 3d object in my head. Sadly, rapid prorotyping isn't cheap.

[chuckclark]

I got to hold a 3d rapid-prototyped model of Eros a few weeks ago - suddenly it made much more sense as a 3d object in my head. Sadly, rapid prorotyping isn't cheap.

Yeah, that's the amazing thing to me: that an actual object in hand is a very different sensation than seeing the object on a computer screen. It's why I'm looking forward to the photomosaic folded map-model.
Too bad we don't have a kinesthesia (sense of touch) expert to weigh in with authority on this phenomenon.

[GregM]

.

[tedstryk]

Wow, congratulations! Now what would be really cook is if you could make a map of it.

[chuckclark]

Here is the new constant-scale natural boundary map of Eros, showing Phil's new photomosaic.
Edges are primary ridges, the lobes come together at Eros's blunt end, per P.E. Clark's preferred precis.
We'll be presenting a poster of this and other CSNB maps at the Division of Planetary Sciences of American Astronomical Society in Ithaca this October.

EDIT: Oops, my mistake. I see that DPS/AAS results are embargoed until meeting time. What I get for being a non-member second author and this all is not in my usual field of endeavor, architecture. Sorry. I'll post this again in mid-October. MAKE THAT LATE OCTOBER!
In the meantime, if anyone wants to give a try to working out a good arrangement of tap locations (for map folding up--see discussion below; some fiddling is needed to perfect the tabs), send me an email and I'll forward a beta-image.

It cut and folds to a pretty good model, I'm claiming, though I haven't folded this up since I put the photomosaic onto it (I did a small version to check graticle matchlines), but I'll do that now -- I'm going to try it on 11x17 paper. EDIT: I tried it on paper; not so good still on holding shape in Shoemaker; looks like next I'll try 11x17 CARDSTOCK. And, perhaps, an inner cross-sectional rib might be needed.
For those who want to give it a try I recommend hunting around here (under New Phobos Names) for assembly tips; this one is a touch trickier to put together than the Phobos and Deimos maps were, but at least you'll get to hold the object in your hand. I'm also toying with which sides to put the tabs on; my test assembly didn't hold its shape in Shoemaker to well.


I've finally got a blog up, where I'll post other materials and images concerning this map; other maps are here

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[ElkGroveDan]

.

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[lyford]

brilliant!!

Who says only the woos get to have a little paredolic fun??

[chuckclark]

Tee hee! Yes, above all else, the asteroid belt -- like the rest of the universe and the figments of our imagination -- is there to amuse us.

Maybe the map of Ida will turn out like Wile E Coyote; or maybe Gus, that little mouse in Cinderella that Robert Frost was so fond of.

[lyford]

I hope you didn't take my comment as meaning to impugn your hard work, Chuck, which looks great - it was directed at the face on Mars crowd, if you know what I mean.


Though NASA has been known to make such allusions to imagery on more than one occasion.

With more planets dwarf planets small bodies solar system critters being explored closer and closer, the funky geometries of these objects are bound to evoke press release worthy pop culture connections. And if such stuff generates more interest in exploration, I say let the Rorschach test marketing begin!

[chuckclark]

[quote name='lyford' date='Sep 10 2008, 08:17 PM' post='125720']
I hope you didn't take my comment as meaning to impugn your hard work, Chuck, which looks great - it was directed at the face on Mars crowd, if you know what I mean.

Oh absolutely. We're on the same page. The only part that curdles my milk is, apparently, what bugs you, too -- when childlike wonder and innocent imagination are co-opted by folks who need to make a movie. Besides, maybe a Saturday morning cartoon show with cutely animated asteroids saving the solar system wouldn't be such a bad idea -- but I think I know what you mean.

[lyford]

Well, yeah, but one has to balance between diluting the science and broadening the appeal. I don't mind a cheesy hook to grab attention as long as the follow up is for real such as the NASA examples (well, I do, but I can understand its justification). You gotta get them in the door somehow, and JPL just can't give away free beer and t-shirts.

What bugs me most is the BAD SCIENCE especially in films with a pretense to working with NASA "getting people interested in space" and star Bruce Willis.

But this is enough thread drift for today.

[Phil Stooke]

Finally - two years on - I have finished my Eros mosaic. I could go on for ever improving bits of it, but now it's time to move on... to Mars. Here is the last section. I'll post a full cylindrical mosaic and a version with a grid later.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

That Eros map is now being used at the USGS nomenclature page:

http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/eros.pdf

Phil