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A spectacular view of the entire Milky Way... using open source!
Do not adjust your computer screen: what you see here is a piece of genius. A labor of love spanning two years, two hemispheres, two countries and over 3000 images... I give to you, the All-Sky Milky Way Panorama -- version 2! And, you'll be glad to hear, it was stitched together with open-source software.
Well, not just open-source software: he needed a lot of processing power too, though nothing beyond a beefed-up home computer (it ran Linux, of course). And then there was the problem of actually stitching it together, and making sure every star and and entity in the visible cosmos looks correct, relative to everything else in the sky -- for that, he used catalogs of star data and sky background data from Pioneer 10 and 11. For the entire creative process, and a list of the programs he used, check out the creator's site.
The final image, which you can probably obtain if you're a student, and if ask the creator Axel Mellinger nicely, clocks in at an impressive 650 megapixels and 7.7 gigabytes.
But the best bit, which I dutifully saved until last, is that you can surf around the maximum-resolution image using another open-source application called IIPImage. Enjoy!
Well, not just open-source software: he needed a lot of processing power too, though nothing beyond a beefed-up home computer (it ran Linux, of course). And then there was the problem of actually stitching it together, and making sure every star and and entity in the visible cosmos looks correct, relative to everything else in the sky -- for that, he used catalogs of star data and sky background data from Pioneer 10 and 11. For the entire creative process, and a list of the programs he used, check out the creator's site.
The final image, which you can probably obtain if you're a student, and if ask the creator Axel Mellinger nicely, clocks in at an impressive 650 megapixels and 7.7 gigabytes.
But the best bit, which I dutifully saved until last, is that you can surf around the maximum-resolution image using another open-source application called IIPImage. Enjoy!
Comments
19
Subscribe to commentssuicycle.comDec 13th 2009 10:07AM
Although I may never see the full image myself, the description of the work and the dedication required to produce it are very worthy of commendation. Exceptional work, Axel Mellinger!
Sebastian AnthonyDec 13th 2009 10:17AM
I'm glad someone else appreciates it as much as I :)
TomDec 13th 2009 11:02AM
A cached image from this site was flagged up as a threat from Security Essentials.
Anyone else get the same?
JamesDec 13th 2009 2:10PM
Now maybe someone will take the time, effort, genius, and creativity to solve all of our problems on Earth--all that sky stuff, what does it do to help hunger, poverty, war, famine, etc. Escapist nihilism at its best.
Sebastian AnthonyDec 13th 2009 2:20PM
Most of our inventions/technological leaps come form looking out, rather than inwards. Guess that's just how humanity does things -- rather than solve civil issues at home, we explored the world and discovered America.
But hey, that's a whole other argument, about whether technology improves or lessens our quality of life.
peegeeDec 13th 2009 9:29PM
Curiosity has always been the base for discovery. Yes, it may not solve world poverty, but that's a problem that has not been solved for thousands of years. Does that mean we do not explore? No, because it is through that that we find better ways to serve humanity.
Sebastian AnthonyDec 13th 2009 9:31PM
Well said! If I had a friends list, you'd be on it.
NotRocketboyDec 14th 2009 7:09AM
Unfortunately, in the examples you gave, the solutions involve more than one person.
You sound like the dullards who say "Give peace a chance". Ok, I'll give it a chance, but do you want to check with the guy who's punching my face if he will give it a chance too, because, well, it kind of hurts.
falconiumDec 14th 2009 8:02AM
The human need to understand what lies beyond, literally and figuratively, is why you are able to make moronic comments on a globally networked "wonder machine".
techpopsDec 13th 2009 11:23PM
Well said indeed. Curiosity is the mother of intelligence, just ask the Kea Bird.
Maybe its a mark of just how spoilt I am with technical marvels like Google Earth that I felt a bit dissapointed when I couldn't zoom past a certain point and read the names better. Still very impressive. You'd be hard pressed to find any example of 3000 images viewable through a browser as fast and easily navigatable as this.
Sebastian AnthonyDec 14th 2009 8:00AM
Hah, I felt the same way. I thought I would simply be able to zoom all the way into the furthest depths of the universe...
But alas, I could not.
It can't be long until there's a Google Space though...
hazardDec 14th 2009 7:57AM
It's cool and but I can't recognise any constellations in that mess of stars. I just can't find any point of reference at all :\
Sebastian AnthonyDec 14th 2009 8:00AM
If you go to his page, I think he's marked out the constellations in his previous film-based attempt (but they are in German :P)
techpopsDec 15th 2009 11:54AM
Earth is the little white spot. HTH
joseph falcoDec 14th 2009 8:10AM
Let me try to give a reference point: the Milky Way Galaxy in which we reside resembles two cymbals pressed together, i.e., a disc with a middle bulge. We live on the outer edge of the disc. When we look at Sagitarius and Scorpio we are looking at the Galactic center, as shown by the brightest sar "cloud" in the compositie photo. The reason we aren't bathed in bright Galactic light, brighter than the daytime sky? Abundant dark matter mercifully blocks most radiation from the Galactic core, sparing us from being fried to blackened crisp.
Sebastian AnthonyDec 14th 2009 8:16AM
Oh, you're sure about the dark matter now? :P
Good tips though. I keep meaning to take some photos of 'the Milky Way' but I need to get to somewhere with less light pollution.
MatthewDec 14th 2009 6:05PM
Absolutely stunning.
techpopsDec 17th 2009 4:04PM
Just thought I'd slip this into the thread. You have to see it in HD full screen with your eyes held in with sellotape, or they will pop out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U&feature=player_embedded
Now that is awesome.
Sebastian AnthonyDec 17th 2009 4:12PM
Ahhhh. Awesome.
I think I've seen something similar to that before... but not as impressive as that.
Thanks :)