Week 1: From the Outside Looking In —
Changing Our Perspective of Earth
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Eyes on the Earth
Chances are, most of us will never get to view Earth as Sally Ride did during her flights on the Space Shuttle Challenger. However, computer simulations like
Eyes on the Earth 2.0 give us the opportunity to explore Earth from the eyes-in-the-sky perspective of more than a dozen NASA satellites currently orbiting the Earth.
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Learn About Eyes on the Earth 2.0
- Open the Eyes on the Earth 2.0 3-D simulation. NOTE: This program runs as a Java applet. You will need to allow the applet to access your computer. When prompted, choose "Allow."
Also be aware that this program contains a large amount of data, so it may take a few minutes for all of the features and datasets to load. Be patient—it's worth the wait!
- Take some time to familiarize yourself with the Eyes on the Earth 2.0 interface and viewing options. Use the "help screen" image below as a guide to help you explore the many features of this exciting interactive virtual reality visualization.b>NOTE: Click on the "Home" button at any time to reset the interface.
Click image to view at full size in a new window.
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Take a Closer Look at AQUA or OSTM
Some of the satellite missions featured in Eyes on the Earth 2.0 have associated data sets. Choose one of the following satellites with data sets (AQUA or OSTM) to explore in more detail. As you go through this exercise, think about how you might use one of these data sets to teach your students about an environmental issue.
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AQUA
- Mouse over the Mission Selection Button and choose AQUA from the list of options. Information about the Aqua mission will appear in the Side Bar.
- Get a feel for the size of the satellite by clicking "COMPARE SIZE" in the side bar and choosing "SCIENTIST" or "SCHOOL BUS." Click and drag the satellite to change the viewing angle.
- Select a data set (CO2, CO, or Ozone).
- Choose to view the "LATEST DATAMAP" or type in specific dates of interest. Explore the data on the globe. Refer to the "help screen" image above to help you locate available features.
- Click "view vital sign" to get more information about the dataset.
- Click "choose dates" to return to the dataset options or "view AQUA mission" to return to the mission overview.
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OSTM (Ocean Surface Topography Mission)
- Mouse over the Mission Selection Button and choose OSTM from the list of options. Information about OSTM will appear in the Side Bar.
- Get a feel for the size of the satellite by clicking "COMPARE SIZE" in the side bar and choosing "SCIENTIST" or "SCHOOL BUS." Click and drag the satellite to change the viewing angle.
- Select the Sea Level dataset.
- Choose to view the "LATEST DATAMAP" or type in specific dates of interest. Explore the data on the globe. Refer to the "help screen" image above to help you locate available features.
- Click "view vital sign" to get more information about the dataset.
- Click "choose dates" to return to the dataset options or click "view OSTM mission" to return to the mission overview.
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