Oct 07, 2019 14:00:00

NASA distributes ultra-high-precision CGI data of the moon as 'CGI Moon Kit' for free

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) distributes free high-precision moon CGIs designed for use with artists in 3D rendering software as ' CGI Moon Kit '. The CGI Moon Kit is a data set that contains depth data, not just images, making it easy to create very detailed 3D maps of the moon.

SVS: CGI Moon Kit
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4720

NASA shares 3D Moon data for CG artists and creators | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/05/nasa-shares-3d-moon-data-for-cg-artists-and-creators/

CGI Moon Kit was created by a group of experts such as Arnie Wright from Goddard Space Flight Center . Lunar CGI data has been created for more than 10 years using image data taken with a camera (LROC) on the Lunar Reconnance Orbiter (LRO) in orbit around the moon. The area that LROC can shoot at a time is a small part of the lunar surface, but LRO orbits the moon, so by combining multiple photos taken during the orbiting into one data, `` the lunar surface We have succeeded in making the 'visible region' one image data. However, CGI can only be used in the visible area, and the area that falls on the shadow of the moon cannot be converted into data.

Images can be downloaded as 24-bit RGB TIFF or JPEG files. The maximum size of data that can be downloaded is 27,360 x 13,680 pixels, 494.1MB, which is very huge.

LRO measures not only the image data of the lunar surface but also the depth data by using the laser altimeter LOLA . LOLA emits a pulsed laser on the moon and measures the time and intensity until the laser returns, thereby analyzing the details of the lunar irregularities and the material covering the moon. As a result, it seems to be able to understand whether a specific part of the lunar surface is covered with hard rock or soft regolith .

A monthly displacement map created using the LOLA depth data is also distributed. The displacement map is used as a texture to be pasted on the surface of the sphere, so that it will be possible to create a highly accurate lunar CG with realistic representation of the irregularities of the lunar surface.

A GIF image created using the distributed data to create a lunar CG.


The published CGI of the moon is not intended for use in the scientific field, but is optimized for use in the art field. Therefore, if you want to use lunar CGI data in scientific applications, it is recommended to use different source data .

The overseas media TechCrunch notes that NASA's free release of the moon's CGI data is 'proving that moon data collected for other purposes is popular with 3D artists.'