Back in April 2010 I was browsing Google Moon's new high(er) resolution strip made available in 2009 and came across some sections along the seam that
appear to be more than just errors inherent in stitching process.
I decided to upload a video I made, using the tour option in Google Earth, to YouTube:
Youtube Video (Starting at 1m:10s)
(certainly not the best place to look for any real answers, that's for sure; but I digress.)
The video shows sections along the seam between the Low Resolution base moon map and the new High(er) resolution strip that don't fully make sense to
me.
In most areas where the image data appears to be missing (eg: Video @ 2m 34sec), the underlying Low-Res base map shows through. Ostensibly the
missing/corrupted image data has been changed to be transparent. This assumes that each of the individual images stitched together are rectangular and
the now-transparent pixels allow for the unusual shapes in the example to appear.
In other areas, however, the missing/corrupted image data appears as a completely blacked-out (not-transparent) area. Some of these 'blacked-out'
area's appear to be in direct relation to stitch points and may be explained as such (eg: Video @ 57sec). Others don't seem to be as easily
explainable (eg: Video @ 1:09, 1:29, 1:45)
1) Why do some areas appear to be modified to introduce transparent pixels and others remain 'blacked-out'?
2) If the areas 'blacked-out' are corrupted/missing data like the transparent areas. why do they remain black when directly adjacent areas contain
transparent areas?
3) When stitching together the numerous images to create the whole, why do these 'blacked-out' areas appear primarily along the short end of the
rectangular image and not in the center(for example. and aside from overlap to correct center problems)?
4) Am I just suffering from Pareidolia when looking at the 'blacked-out' areas in the Video @ 1:10, 1:29 and seeing shapes that are simply the result
of chance?
edit on 16-1-2011 by AlienProbed because: (no reason given)