Explore Mars with 'Be a Martian'
By siliconindia   |   Thursday, 19 November 2009, 15:39 IST   |    39 Comments
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Explore Mars with 'Be a Martian'
Bangalore: Have you ever dreamt of a trip to Mars? Now you can take it, at least virtually. NASA and Microsoft have launched an interactive website called 'Be a Martian' that allows web surfers to become Mars explorers. Unveiled at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles, the site follows a crowd sourcing approach where users will help scientists to improve Martian maps, take part in research, and assist in studying data about the planet. The website hosts hundreds of thousands of pictures of Mars including many which have never been released to the public before. Users can pan, zoom and explore the planet through these images. The photographs have been clicked by Mars landers, roving explorers and orbiting satellites dating from the 1960s to current time. To get started, users will be required to create a Martian user name, and account to virtually explore the planet. The site also host games. There's a game called Mapping Mars where users can earn points by helping NASA examine and organize the images into a more complete map of the planet. There's another game where users can count impact craters and help scientists understand better the relative age of rocks on Mars' surface. In the past, counting Martian craters has posed a big challenge because of the vast numbers involved. Users in turn will earn reward points assigned to a robotic animal avatar they select. This according to NASA and Microsoft will help build interest in science and technology among students around the world. Users will be able to explore details of the solar system's grandest canyon, which resides on Mars. Users can call up images in the Valles Marineris canyon before moving on to chart the entire Red Planet.

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