Mars. Cool!

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) created Maestro, a tool to use on your personal computer to view the images created by the Mars rover, Spirit, in 3D panoramas.

You can download a free copy of Maestro for Mac OS X from NASA JPL that allows you to see Mars in ways you've never imagined. "It's actually the same software that the scientists use to view downlink data and to plan Rover activities from day to day," says Gene Chalfant, technical staff member at NASA JPL.

Here's what you need to do: Make sure that you have Mac OS X 10.3 You'll also need Java 1.4.1 which is available via Software Update. Download the Java 3D and Java Advanced Imaging Update. Download Maestro from NASA. Then download the latest images from the rover. Currently, the landing pictures are available as well as tutorials for using the software.

For at least 12 weeks starting in early January, JPL will provide fresh sets of image data once per week that you can download and view using Maestro as your window into a new world. It's an unprecedented way to track and watch as scientists attempt to unearth some of the planet's hidden secrets. "It's kind of a sandbox for people to play in," Chalfant says. "The visualization builds a 3-D model you can spin around and look at."

The article is at: http://www.apple.com/hotnews/articles/2004/01/marsrover/

the Maestro software can be found at: http://mars.telascience.org/softwaredownload

pictures are at: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit.html