new worlds for habitation Movies

  • Polar Vortex Splitting Event
    • This movie shows the Antarctic polar vortex splitting event of 2002 as revealed by Lagrangian coherent structures (or LCS). The evolution of LCS curves, the time dependent analogues of separatrix surfaces, is shown for the days surrounding the splitting event (based on NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data). The attracting (repelling) curves, analogous to unstable (stable) manifolds, are shown in red (blue). Before and after the splitting event in late September, we see an isolated blob of air, bounded by LCS curves, slowly rotating over Antarctica. In the days leading up the splitting, the vortex pinches off, sending the 'upper' blob off into the midlatitudes while the 'lower' one goes back to its regular position over Antarctica. The rich lobe structure has implications for stratospheric transport and mixing. Learn more about LCS here.


  • Decentralized Collision Avoidance for Multiple Aerial Vehicles
    • Four swarms of different colored vehicles pass through each other at an 'intersection' where some buildings are in the way. In this animation, four swarms of different colored vehicles pass through each other at an "intersection" where some buildings are in the way. The spheres denote a vehicle's safety shell. Collisions occur if the safety shell touches an obstacle, another vehicle, or the ground. In the simulation, there are no collisions, despite the crowded conditions, and each of the 64 vehicles gets to its intended destination.
    angled view (mov) | top view (mov) | side view (mov) |
    vehicle view (mov) | VRML (wrl)


  • Optimal flapping strokes for self-propulsion in a perfect fluid
    • A movie of a four-link mechanism propelling with greatest locomotive efficiency
    (mpg)


  • Low energy GEO to lunar orbit trajectory
    • Seen in Earth-Moon rotating frame Seen in Earth-Moon rotating frame
    (mov)
    Seen in Earth-centered inertial frame Seen in Earth-centered inertial frame
    (mov)


  • Earth-Moon L1 Gateway station transfers
    • Earth-Moon L1 to Sun-Earth L2 Transfer (Solar Rotating Frame Earth-Moon L1 to Sun-Earth L2 transfer seen in the solar rotating frame
    (mpg) | (qt)
    Earth-Moon L1 to Sun-Earth L2 Transfer (Solar Rotating Frame Earth-Moon L1 to Sun-Earth L2 transfer seen in the lunar rotating frame
    (mpg) | (qt)


    Low energy Earth-to-Moon trajectory ("Shoot the Moon" concept)
    Low Energy Earth-to-Moon trajectory ('Shoot the Moon' concept) Seen in solar rotating frame
    (mpg) | (qt)
    Low Energy Earth-to-Moon trajectory ('Shoot the Moon' concept) Seen in an inertial frame
    (mpg)


  • Petit Grand Tour, a low energy multi-moon orbiter
    • Petit Grand Tour seen in an inertial frame Petit Grand Tour trajectory seen in an inertial frame
    (mov)
    Petit Grand Tour trajectory in inertial frame (orbital plane projection) Petit Grand Tour trajectory in inertial frame (orbital plane projection)
    (mpg)
    Ganymede flyby seen in Ganymede rotating frame Ganymede flyby seen in Ganymede rotating frame
    (mov)
    Europa orbit insertion see in Europa rotating frame Europa orbit insertion see in Europa rotating frame
    (mov)


  • Comet Oterma's resonance transition via 3-body effects
    • Oterma's trajectory in the Sun-Jupiter rotating frame Oterma's trajectory in the Sun-Jupiter rotating frame
    (mpg) | (qt)
    Oterma's trajectory in the Sun-centered inertial frame Oterma's trajectory in the Sun-centered inertial frame
    (mpg)


  • Manifold "tubes" of a halo orbit
    • Manifold 'tubes' of a halo orbit In solar rotating frame, centered on Sun-Earth L1.
    [color](mov) | [b/w](mov)


  • Pulsating spherical formation around the Earth
    • Pulsating spherical formation around the Earth In Earth-centered inertial frame
    (mov) | (avi)


  • Rendezvous trajectory with halo orbit
    • Rendezvous trajectory with halo orbit In solar rotating frame, looking toward Sun-Earth L1.
    (avi)


  • Interplanetary Superhighway animation (by Cici Koenig)
    • Interplanetary Superhighway animation (by Cici Koenig) Artist's impression.
    (mov)



    Related movies by others:

  • Astronomy resource pages with animations [1] [2] [3]

  • Scientific Visualization Studio : collection of animations at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Europa Orbiter mission (mov)

  • General 3-body problem solutions (courtesy Randy Paffenroth)
    Figure 8 orbit (mov) (gif)
    Another orbit (mov) (gif)
    Yet another (mov) (gif)

  • Comet and asteroid impacts
    Asteroid impact (mov)
    Comet hitting New York City (mov) (avi)
    Comet hitting Earth (cross-section) (mpg)
    Shoemaker-Levy 9's breakup and final approach to Jupiter (mpg)
    Shoemaker-Levy 9 fragments impacting Jupiter (animation) [1](mpg) [2](mpg)
    Shoemaker-Levy 9 fragment A impacting Jupiter (observation) (qt)
    Comet breaking up in Jupiter's atmosphere (cross-section) (mpg)

  • Asteroids near the Sun-Earth L4 and L5 points
    Simulation of these particles (mpg)
    Flying through the L4 point (mpg)

  • Asteroid companion of the Earth (asteroid 3753 Cruithne)
    In an inertial (non-rotating) frame (mpg)
    From non-rotating to rotating (mpg)
    In the rotating frame (mpg)

  • Poincare section, Poincare map
    Poincare section fixed in phase space (mov)
    Poincare section moves through phase space (mov)

  • Poincare map of 3-body problem for Sun-Jupiter system (courtesy Carl D. Murray and Stanley F. Dermott)
    Interior region (mov)
    Exterior region (mov)

  • Asteroids (courtesy Carl D. Murray and Stanley F. Dermott)
    Asteroid orbits (mov)
    Asteroid orbital elements (mov)

  • Formation of the solar system
    Contraction of the solar nebula [1] (mpg) [2] (mov)

  • Flight through the solar system (mpg)

  • Collision of galaxies (mpg)

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