The best sites on the ‘Net
OUR MONTHLY ROUND-UP OF THE WEB’S MOST ILLUMINATING, USEFUL, OR JUST-PLAIN-COOL WEBSITES.
Light Pollution Map TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE MEGALOPOLIS. lightpollutionmap.info
If you’re curious about just how much light our planet is putting out into the night sky, then there are few answers to this question as comprehensive as this online light pollution map. You can view the world map using either the road or hybrid satellite map from Bing and overlay the light pollution data on top of that, with a variable amount of transparency. The core light maps are sourced from either VIIRS data (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) from the National Polar-Orbiting Partnership spacecraft, or the World Atlas’ 2015 zenith sky brightness measurement. The dropdown side menu can give you a nifty legend to decipher all the pretty colours, as well as the ability to view measurements from amateur astronomers using a SQM (Sky Quality Meter) or SQC (Sky Quality Camera) and even upload your own. You can quickly zoom to your current location, get exact information about a specific point or selected area, or open up an extensive database of statistics per country.
WebGL Water THE LATEST PROJECT IN AN EXCELLENT SERIES OF DEMOS. madebyevan.com/webgl-water
It may not possess all that much in the way of utility, but the WebGL Water demo by software developer Evan Wallace is certainly very pretty. Using the interactive web-based WebGL platform, Evan’s latest project allows you to play around with the simulation of a ball in a pool of water. You can splash about the surface of the water, forming lovely patterns of ripples, or move around the ball to stimulate the motion of water around objects. There are a number of ways to interact with the view, the light source, and gravity, all of which show off the ray-tracing, ambient occlusion, and other neat graphical tricks being demoed here. Returning to Evan’s main page offers up a whole string of great simulations often utilising the WebGl platform, ranging from demos explaining mathematical concepts to games and other visual effects.
Dimensions Guide DISCOVER DETAILS, DISTANCES, AND DIRECTIONS. dimensions.guide
Want to know the size of some commonplace item that isn’t necessarily on-hand? Dimensions Guide has your back. Billed as a comprehensive database of the measurements and sizes of everyday objects and spaces, this site offers you details on everything from IKEA furniture to yoga positions. In some cases you’ll get to-themillimetre accuracy on the height, width, and depth of a piece of furniture, but in others you’ll find the average size of an Anklyosaurus or the angles formed by the human body in certain yoga poses and instructions on how to hold them. Each page is accompanied by minimalistic and clear diagrams and text that demonstrate the subject for quick reference. You can browse by broad categories, or search specifically for what you’re trying to measure, and there’s also a form to request something be added to the archive.