Ministry of Propaganda - 29/Nov/2004: "Islay From Space"
[Previous entry: "Crap Name, Great Music"] [Home] [Next entry: "Gone Walking (Hopefully)"]
Islay From Space
Now I know why I upgraded to 1Mb broadband recently: The download of the software is a whopping 260MB alone, after that broadband is pretty much a must for it to be usable. For what? NASA World Wind (found at Das E-Business Weblog). World Wind allows any user to zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth, leveraging high resolution LandSat imagery and SRTM elevation data to experience Earth in visually rich 3D, just as if they were really there.
Installation was fairly straightforward, then I had to decide where to go first. Unfortunately Alan only had a few pictures pictures from Islay (but he promised me to take a few more when he gets a chance, I'm looking forward to see them). Off to Islay I went...
My first attempt was a view straight down from space, you can see the result on the right (or download a larger version incl a better of view of Jura and parts of Kintyre). Fascinating to see all of the places I've been to from high above. Then I discovered how to tilt and turn the view and how to fly over a landscape. I decided to approach Islay from the west, this is what I came up with:
I quite like this view, some of my favourite places are in view including Machir Bay. I also discovered how to turn on the display of place names, download the larger version to read them and see much more of the picture. In the distance you can see among others Kintyre, the Isle of Arran, the Isle of Jura (with the Paps of Jura), Loch Fyne and Gigha. On the left Oronsay and a part of Colonsay with The Strand (at high tide) between them. If you look closely you can also just make out the runway of Islay airport (roughly in the middle of the Big Strand, moving left from Kintra). And I'm sure there's more to discover.
Tomorrow I'll have a go at Ben Lomond and Loch Lomond, the Arrochar Alps and possibly the Trossachs.
End of entry
Entry trivia
- When writing this entry the weather was: clear, cold (below freezing)
- When writing this entry I was listening to: BBC 6 Music
- I'm currently reading/have just finished reading this book/publication: none really
- I recently visited this website/-page: none apart from the ones mentioned above
- The last drink I had was/is: Finlaggan Ale from Islay Ales, it just had to be that one. My last one. Need to replenish my stock now.
End of entry trivia
Spread the word:
Do you like this weblog? Do you think others might be interested in it? Then please tell a friend! Thank you.
Send me feedback about this entry:
The form below will send me an e-mail. To discuss in public, please use my discussion forum.