"Red Planet Rise," is a patchwork quilt of short film made by Seán Doran and using images from HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
So grab a glass of wine, turn the lights down low, and screen mirror this meditation from Mars.
After Perseverance Rover dropped from the sky onto the crusty surface of Mars, we've all gone a bit mad for the amazing footage that shortly followed.
It was hugely hazardous entry to the planet.
So much so that NASA personnel that handle the rovers have coined the event the "seven minutes of hell" because at any given moment a rover worth millions in funds and thousands of hours can be ripped to pieces upwards of 240.63 million km away.
It's what we imagine parents see when their helpless little child gets picked on at the playground, only you're looking on delay because it's what feels like a lifetime away.
So, while still Mars mad but a bit burned out on the intensity of the seven minutes from hell, we found a remedy while still scratching our Mars itch.
Thanks to prolific space artist Seán Doran, we can take a low-intensity look at the otherworldly experience that Perseverance is charged with.
Doran's flair for the dramatic adds to the images released by NASA.
Soaring flyovers of monumental landscapes with expansive craters and sweeping plains that would make John Wayne blush. And low to ground shots that feel like pod racing on Tatooine.
All made possible by the high-resolution of the data which allows us to feel like we're closer to the ground than the orbiter is in reality.
“[HiRISE] can resolve imagery at 25-centimeters per pixel and height data of around 1-meter per pixel,” Doran says. “The fidelity of the data means that it is possible to recreate drone-like 'glide-by' footage of Mars.”
“I converted the data from HiRISE to create a very high quality 3d model of the scene using Blender,” he continued. “I processed the corresponding image data for the scene in Photoshop and created a glide-by animation in 3DS Max.”
The moody black and white sets a tone (literally) of simplicity and depth to the rugged structure of Mars. But if colour and shades are what you're looking for, Doran has a bunch of color videos from HiRISE data. Below is 'his' perspective of the Arabia Terra region of Mars, which you might know from Andy Weir’s novel "The Martian", and its film adaptation with world renowned Team America actor, Matthew Damon.
Additionally, the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter houses a High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) can also be used to make gorgeous flyover views of Martian features as seen by Doran's Mojave Flyby.
So if you're like us and totally smitten by the video footage of Mars that makes this a pivotal time to be alive, take the time to experience the footage captured by a true artist wielding science from a worlds away.
While hostile and barren, there is an eerie familiarity to this view of its desolate, but beautiful, features. Who knows, you might be looking at the landscape a future generation of humans will call home.
Thanks for reading - and hopefully watching.
Give this a chare with a friend who needs to escape and travel far, far away on a Monday.
We love you all and thanks for spreading ARSE *big hug*
#Space_Aus
PS: Ahoy its me Clintern.
we just got in a bunch of ultra snuggly hoodies to beat the brisk.
If you're keen on imitating a warm wallaby, grab one here before they bounce!
Laters!!
