**Day 2 Afternoon -- NASA Goddard Session**

**David Herring -- NASA**

-   NASA Earth Observations (NEO)
    [http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov](http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/)
    25,000-30,000 users a day.

-   Can download satellite images, open images in Google Earth. Number
    of different datasets -- different time spans.

-   Designed to allow teachers/students to wrap lessons around images --
    use ICE (Image Composition Explorer). Can't currently show ICE data
    as an animation. Revising the ICE interface to allow people to do
    this -- high numbers of visitors would make this difficult. Might
    look to give Science Centers higher level access to grab batches of
    data to animate.

-   Currently adding more data sets, more land data.

-   If people want to download images to use of the sphere -- can use
    the 'Get Image' link for single images. For multiple images can get
    through an ftp site. Looking at ways to download multiple images
    more efficiently.

-   NEO could potentially be used at the virtual library for SOS. May be
    others who are in a better position to do value-added work on the
    datasets -- might be some scope for partnering.

**Horace Mitchell -- NASA**

-   NASA has a lot or archived data -- 50 % can be converted to SOS
    quite easily. NASA's visualization sell stories -- can people in if
    needed.

-   Scientific Visualization Studio
    [http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov](http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/)

-   Most of the images are not geo- referenced -- have a separate
    website for this, some are though. Can either get images by going to
    site or using WMS server.

-   Ultrawall 9 linked screens that can show various angles of a
    simultaneous data sets

-   Footprints -- film making on a sphere

-   Most of the basic problems of filming on a sphere are understood --
    what is really left is content. SOS not just a round film -- many
    different issues that were encountered.

    -   On a sphere general rules of perspective & light will guide you
        but will not answer all questions. E.g. 'billiard ball problem'
        -- trying to animate balls moving around the sphere. When an
        object is not perpendicular to the viewer it loses it's depth.
        'Problem of egg' can't do a direct cut-away of the earth.

    -   Need to contextualize the data on the sphere -- can't just put
        up data, majority of people aren't experts -- need to have some
        context.

    -   'Chair problem' -- can't show a chair in a large form on the
        sphere -- loses it's shape & context. Should aim to use the
        sphere for data that is best suited to the sphere.

-   Why the title 'Footprints'? Mean to give a sense of human travel
    through space & time. Satellites have a 'footprint' on the earth.
    Metaphor of leaving footprints behind.

-   Budget -- didn't know until they started as to how much it would
    take. True budget represented in hours spent.

-   Used Final Cut to produce the images -- 4000 x 2000 pixel frame.

-   Not yet closed the book on how to handle very local events -- e.g.
    hurricanes. Can't zoom on the sphere, could put in a rectangle --
    still working on this issue.

-   Duration of content material? Lot of value for 45-75 second videos
    to make one point. Sphere not a platform for 2 hour presentation.
    10-25 minutes might be the sweet spot for feature length films.
    Could also do a 3-5 minute slot too.

**American Museum Natural History**

-   What can we show on a sphere vs. a flat panel? Use of highlights,
    can show more on a sphere than on a flat panel -- might look too
    busy on a screen but as you can't see the back side of the sphere it
    doesn't look that way on the sphere. On the other hand, can't just
    focus on one local even on the sphere -- backside won't get to see
    anything.

-   Coming up with shows for live presentations is key -- training,
    scripting.

-   Need to be careful about misconceptions regarding treatments e.g.
    speeding time up. Hard to figure out how to do this in an auto-run
    mode. Find that audience can take in one visual element at a time --
    need to be very clear that time is not proceeding in real-time but
    that it is synchronized and to scale.

**Earth Today Kiosk**

-   Could be put on SOS in real-time with audio.

-   Kiosk runs of a Mac G5

-   Will be a cost involved to centers that want to run kiosks -- open
    to suggestions about how to pay, grants?

**David Himes -- NOAA**

-   Apple port would also benefit Linux users -- should need fewer
    machines (2/3 PCs) but will need to upgrade hardware though. New
    multicore machines run faster & cooler than current generation of
    machines.

-   Current projectors have a resolution of 1024 x 768 -- 4400 lumens.
    Have a good number of projectors that can be used. At start of SOS
    only a few pieces of hardware that we could guarantee would work --
    now have a wider range of choices.

-   Current projectors use 800 x 800 resolution -- with new projectors
    can take advantage of higher resolution. A jump from 800 x 800 to 1K
    x 1K will double the number of pixels on the screen.