Looking at Earth from Space: The Big Picture
The NASA/NOAA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations from space in a historical perspective.
Go back to the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics and see the fly-in from outer space seen by over 100,000 at the opening and closing ceremonies here on campus at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Fly in from deep space to Athens and site of the 2004 Summer Olympics using 1 m IKONOS "Spy Satellite" data. Also see a fly-in to Beijing and the Forbidden City the site of this summer's 2008 Olympic Games.
Contrast the 1972 Apollo 17 "Blue Marble" image of the Earth with the latest US and International global satellite images that allow us to view our Planet from any vantage point. See the spectacular images from NASA/NOAA/Commercial remote sensing missions like Terra, GOES, TRMM, SeaWiFS, & Landsat 7, QuickBird of the SE Asia Tsunami, the devastation from the incredible 2005 hurricane season including Katrina movies and damage to to New Orleans and Mississippi.
See how High Definition Television (HDTV) is revolutionizing the way we do science communication. Take the pulse of the planet on a daily, annual, and 30-year time scale. See daily thunderstorms, the annual blooming of the northern hemisphere land masses and oceans, fires in Africa, dust storms in Iraq, and carbon monoxide exhaust from global burning.
See the seven seasons of Sundance: Observe small scale seasonal changes in flora, snow, ice, shadows, etc, from Landsat in Provo Canyon. See visualizations featured on Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science covers & National & International Network TV.
Spectacular global visualizations of the observed and simulated atmosphere & oceans are shown. See the currents and vortexes in the oceans that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny plankton and draw the fish, whales and fishermen. The vehicles and techniques for going back to the Moon and on to Mars with NASA's new Exploration program are presented. See also 3D pictures of Mars from the NASA rovers.
In understanding our planet better and comparing it to Mars, we see Earth's unique place in the reachable Universe and why we had best take good care of it....and what every person can do to help protect it from global warming and other degradation. The Etheater will be presented using the latest High Definition TV (HDTV) and video projection technology on a large screen. See city lights around the globe and Utah observed by the "night-vision" DMSP satellite. Also see the latest on how 3D Google Earth uses satellite and aerial photography to help you find your location on the Wasatch Front in 3D and plan your vacation with dramatic visualizations.
About the presenters
Dr. Arthur F (Fritz) Hasler, has studied at the Universities of Wisconsin and Munich earning a B. S. in Applied Math & Engineering Physics, as well as MS and Ph.D. degrees in Meteorology. He spent most of his 40-year professional career at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center after terms at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder and the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique in Paris.
He as also spent considerable time at the DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen Germany and in SLC on assignment during the 2002 Olympics. He retired from NASA in April of 2005 and is now a NASA Emeritus Scientist and Adjunct Professor at the University of Utah. Dr. Hasler's research has involved estimation of winds using satellite imagery.
He has 45 scientific papers describing his research. In recent years Hasler has been primarily involved in visualization for scientific analysis and public outreach and production of HDTV movies. Dr. Hasler is famous for his visualization of severe weather events that have appeared in scientific and popular literature and on television such as ABC, NBC, CBS, CBC, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC & French TV, as well as on the covers of National Geographic, TIME, Popular Science, Newsweek, Der Spiegel, the Weekly Reader, and in the TIME/LIFE Collection of Great Photographs of the 20th Century.
He has developed the NASA/NOAA Earth Science (E)lectronic Theater and has taken it on tour across US, Europe, South Africa, Australia/New Zealand, and Japan. Dr. Hasler has received numerous honors and awards including the NASA/GSFC Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, Excellence in Outreach Award, and the 2005 AIAA Barry Goldwater Award for public outreach. The award, won the previous year by Senator John McCain was presented to him by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. In retirement Fritz is a certified Alpine Ski Instructor and recovering Alta Powderholic as well as continuing to present the Etheater across the US and around the world.