Visuals

The LRO blog has started posting LRO visualizations. I'd suggested to our deputy project manager and our visualization lead yesterday that screen snaps from their system could be posted on the blog. (Thanks to my friend Rob Simmon for asking me if more visuals could be provided, that got my thinking cap on.) I'd asked if a visual akin to the "in-flight airline progress display" familiar to overseas jetliner passengers could be posted from time to time, showing current positions of Earth, LRO/LCROSS, and the Moon. One of those has recently been posted.

Rob works at nearby Building 33 at Goddard (we're in 32) as the art director of NASA's Earth Observatory web site. His claim to fame is conception and creation of the familiar and near-ubiquitous "Earth's City Lights" image:



He's also famous (in my social circle) for whipping up excellent mixed drinks, although I never partake of that particular vice.

Rob and I are long-time Washington Capitals season ticket holders, still coping with the bitter aftereffects of their nemesis, the Pittsburgh Penguins, having recently won the Stanley Cup (and vanquishing the Caps in a closely-contested playoff series several weeks ago). A number of Pens and Caps fans are among the LRO team but no quarrels have broken out. Caps fans can at least rejoice that Alex Ovechkin received three awards a couple of nights ago as the National Hockey League's most valuable player and leading goal-scorer, and voted most outstanding player by all of the other players around the league.