An Integrated Web Solution for Planetary Data Visualization and Exploration
Ananya Maheshwari, Love Lakhwani, Pariav Naik, Abhishek Kumar, Jai Gopal Singla, Amitabh Amitabh, Nitant Dube, Vijaypal Singh Dhaka · 2024
The exploration and study of planetary bodies have produced vast amounts of geospatial data, creating a need for effective visualization and analysis tools. Many existing solutions are constrained by platform limitations and are resource-intensive, reducing their accessibility for broader use. To overcome these challenges, we developed a lightweight, web-based platform that visualizes interplanetary data and supports multiple geospatial data formats, including shapefiles, KML, and CZML. Our solution includes unique features such as 2D and 2.5D terrain visualization, 3D tiles, and tools for navigating to specific coordinates and measuring distances. These enhancements allow users to explore and interact with geospatial data from various planetary bodies across multiple devices without requiring specialized hardware or software. By modifying the underlying system, we extended its application to planetary data while preserving accessibility and performance across different platforms. This paper discusses the methodology behind these customizations, the challenges we encountered, and the potential applications of our platform in scientific research and education.