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<BODY bgColor=#dbdbdb>RELEASE: 11-288<BR><BR>NASA GIVES PUBLIC NEW INTERNET TOOL
TO EXPLORE THE SOLAR SYSTEM<BR><BR>The "Eyes on the Solar System" interface
combines video game <BR>technology and NASA data to create an environment for
users to ride <BR>along with agency spacecraft and explore the cosmos. Screen
graphics <BR>and information such as planet locations and spacecraft maneuvers
use <BR>actual space mission data. <BR><BR>"This is the first time the public
has been able to see the entire <BR>solar system and our missions moving
together in real-time," said Jim <BR>Green, director of NASA's Planetary Science
Division at the agency's <BR>Headquarters in Washington. "It demonstrates NASA's
continued <BR>commitment to share our science with everyone." <BR><BR>The
virtual environment uses the Unity game engine to display models <BR>of planets,
moons, asteroids, comets and spacecraft as they move <BR>through our solar
system. With keyboard and mouse controls, users <BR>cruise through space to
explore anything that catches their interest. <BR>A free browser plug-in,
available at the site, is required to run the <BR>Web application. <BR><BR>"You
are now free to move about the solar system," said Blaine <BR>Baggett, executive
manager in the Office of Communication and <BR>Education at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, <BR>Calif. "See what NASA's spacecraft
see -- and where they are right <BR>now -- all without leaving your computer."
<BR><BR>Users may experienced missions in real-time, and "Eyes on the Solar
<BR>System" also allows them to travel through time. The tool is <BR>populated
with NASA data dating back to 1950 and projected to 2050. <BR><BR>The playback
rate can be sped up or slowed down. When NASA's Juno <BR>spacecraft launched on
Aug. 5, 2011, users could look ahead to see <BR>the mission's five-year journey
to Jupiter in a matter of seconds. <BR><BR>Point of view can be switched from
faraway to close-up to right "on <BR>board" spacecraft. Location, motion and
appearance are based on <BR>predicted and reconstructed mission data. Dozens of
controls on a <BR>series of pop-up menus allow users to fully customize what
they see, <BR>and video and audio tutorials explain how to use the tool's many
<BR>options. Users may choose from 2-D or 3-D modes, with the latter <BR>simply
requiring a pair of red-cyan glasses to see. <BR><BR>"By basing our
visualization primarily on mission data, this tool will <BR>help both NASA and
the public better understand complex space science <BR>missions," said Kevin
Hussey, manager of Visualization Technology <BR>Applications and Development at
JPL, whose team developed "Eyes on <BR>the Solar System." <BR><BR>"Eyes on the
Solar System" is in beta release. It has been <BR>demonstrated at science
conferences, in classrooms and at the 2011 <BR>South by Southwest Interactive
Conference in Austin, Texas. <BR><BR>Designers are updating "Eyes on the Solar
System" to include NASA <BR>science missions launching during the coming months,
including GRAIL <BR>to the moon and the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover.
<BR><BR>"Eyes on the Solar System" and an introduction video are available at:
<BR><BR><A
href="http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eyes">http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eyes</A>
<BR><BR>Updates on new features are available through the tool's Twitter
<BR>account: <BR><BR><A
href="http://twitter.com/NASA_Eyes">http://twitter.com/NASA_Eyes</A>
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