Stereo effect (APOD 12 Dec 2006)

[flieg]

I would have put this into the other Dec 12 thread, but it has been hijacked by the manned/unmanned perennial discussion.

To the subject:
I was looking at the Dec. 12 comparison pictures of the "water flow" and did what I often do when I am comparing two pictures. I crossed my eyes and fused the images.

Imagine my surprise when the crater stood out in 3D! The images must have been taken from just enough different locations to give the effect.

Looking at it in 3D, it is obvious that the white deposit has little or no relief, as would be expected. However, it is also obvious that there is something else going on in the picture, in the upper left corner, where it looks as if a sinkhole has deepened.

[JohnD]

Well done, flieg!
And that ?sink hole is almost right in line with the streak, so is likely to be associated. "Flieg's sink hole"?

I admire your ability to cross your eyes. Even with my nose on the screen, I couldn't fuse the images, so here's another way, not as good, but may be applicable to others.

Take the images into PhotoShop/Photodraw or similar.
Make a copy of each image, and superimpose them.
Use 'Transparency' to register the images as much as poss.
Return to full non-transparency.
Then, delete the top one!
Use the 'Restore' and 'Redo' buttons alternately to blink the images.

Now, that sink hole leaps to your eye!

HNY!
John

[flieg]

[quote="JohnD"]Well done, flieg!
And that ?sink hole is almost right in line with the streak, so is likely to be associated. "Flieg's sink hole"?

I admire your ability to cross your eyes. Even with my nose on the screen, I couldn't fuse the images, so here's another way, not as good, but may be applicable to others.
[/quote]

[b] Actually, John, if you want to make it easier you should back off, not get closer, then you don't have to cross your eyes as much. Some people, however, never get the "fusion" for one reason or another.
[/b]
[quote="JohnD"
Take the images into PhotoShop/Photodraw or similar.
Make a copy of each image, and superimpose them.
Use 'Transparency' to register the images as much as poss.
Return to full non-transparency.
Then, delete the top one!
Use the 'Restore' and 'Redo' buttons alternately to blink the images.

Now, that sink hole leaps to your eye!

HNY!
John[/quote]

[b]And with the application of thousands of man-hours of programming, high-tech computers and manipulation of digital images, the blink-comparator has just been reinvented!

Still, since you can't hardly find a good used blink-comparator any more, the use of the restore and redo buttons is clever.[/b]