Common Themes

Released last week, the Apollo Surface Panoramas archive gives public access to some remarkable photographic panoramas taken on the lunar surface.

Apollo Surface Panoramas is a digital library of photographic panoramas that the Apollo astronauts took while exploring the Moon’s surface. These images provide a spectacular boots-on-the-ground view of the lunar landscape. The panoramas are stitched together from individual 70mm Hasselblad frames, each of which is also accessible through this new atlas. Lunar surface features captured in the panoramas can be studied using zoom and pan tools. An annotated version of each panorama is also available to assist users with the identification of major geographic features around each Apollo landing site.

I was pointed to the Great Images in NASA (GRIN) website earlier this week; GRIN offers high-resolution image galleries for everything that is NASA. The above is just one example; thousands of images await your browsing pleasure!

Another Tor.com FREE wallpaper; I chose to feature another one this week because, well, I _REMEMBER_ this edition of OMNI Magazine and I always liked the art. As of Friday May 30 it is no longer available for download; click here for a zip of all sizes (1.25 Mb.)

About the artwork:

Gregory Manchess’ painting for Omni Magazine, from the 1980’s. See more from this artist at http://manchess.com

For the past few months, Tor.com (publisher of fine fantasy and science fiction books) has been promoting their upcoming website redesign by releasing weekly FREE e-books by their authors, and FREE wallpapers featuring art both old and new. (Sizes range from iPhone to enormo-vision!)

This wallpaper is no longer available, so here’s a zip file of all sizes for your downloading pleasure (3.64 Mb).

About the artwork:

Jeff Jones’ cover art for Amazing Science Fiction magazine, September 1970. See more from this artist at http://www.ulster.net/~jonesart

IconBuffet has several versions of their “Atmospheres” icons, which feature weather elements, moons and suns, stars, aliens, ufos and comets/meteors. They are all worth a look-see; personally, Oslo Atmosphere is my favorite.

(If interested, click the button below to sign up and I’ll gladly send them to you!)