Template:How amateurs beat space agencies to pictures of titan
From What The Wiki?!
How amateurs beat space agencies to pictures of titan
When the Huygens probe sent back the first raw images from Titan, these were immediately available online. An online group of space enthusiasts responded instantly. With basic photo editing software, it was possible to create simple compositions of the fitting puzzle pieces. By exchanging these first composited images, other amateurs could easily jump in on the task of completing full views of Titan. The collection of puzzle pieces quickly revealed exciting unseen panoramas which were published online. While the space agencies allowed their teams to prepare for a press conference on the first results, the group of amateurs had already sparked an online interest. The talk tells the story of how an open source philosophy allowed the enthusiasts to beat the space agencies to impressions of Titan. The scientific value of amateur compositions is discussed. Suggestions on how open source minded amateurs and space agencies can cooperate on similar future projects are presented. The talk is of interest to people with an interest in astronomy and/or open source philosophers.Keywords: amateur astronomy, Huygens, open source, space agencies, Titan.
