# Parallax — third-party data and notices

## Three.js

The optional Modern-era world renderer includes Three.js r149.

Copyright © 2010-2022 three.js authors

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of
this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in
the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to
use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies
of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do
so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

## NASA/JPL NAIF satellite rotational elements

The Solar System atlas evaluates compact coefficient subsets from NASA/JPL
NAIF's [`pck00011.tpc`](https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/generic_kernels/pck/pck00011.tpc)
Planetary Constants Kernel. The file publishes pole direction, prime-meridian
phase and periodic libration, nutation and precession terms derived principally
from the IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coordinates and Rotational Elements
2015 report. Parallax uses the terms for Phobos, Deimos, Io, Europa, Ganymede,
Callisto, Enceladus, Rhea, Titan, Iapetus, Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania,
Oberon and Triton.

The formulae are evaluated locally for the current clock. For the synchronous
moons not exposed by the bundled compact satellite ephemeris, the negative
prime-meridian direction supplies the changing parent-to-moon direction. This
keeps orbital phase and textured surface orientation mutually consistent, but
is a visualisation model rather than a spacecraft-navigation ephemeris. Local
moon spacing and apparent radii remain deliberately compressed and enlarged.

## NASA Hubble OPAL Jupiter map

The optional Jupiter globe uses the 2019 Hubble OPAL global map published by
[NASA Science](https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/jupiter-global-map-2019/).
Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (GSFC), and M. H. Wong (UC Berkeley). Jupiter's
atmosphere changes with time; the map represents the 2019 observations rather
than a permanent planetary surface.

## NASA Blue Marble Earth maps

The ordinary Earth globe and its 8K close-study texture derive from the
equirectangular still published by [NASA Goddard Scientific Visualization
Studio](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3615/). Credit: NASA/GSFC Scientific
Visualization Studio. Blue Marble Next Generation data courtesy of Reto
Stockli (NASA/GSFC) and NASA Earth Observatory; cloud cover incorporates the
NOAA Climate Prediction Center composite credited on the source page.

Extreme close study uses web-optimised 1,080-pixel segments generated from the
86,400 by 43,200 August 2004 [Blue Marble Next Generation map with topographic
shading](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/blue-marble-next-generation/base-topography/).
The eight official 21,600-pixel source tiles use Terra MODIS observations at
approximately 500 metres per pixel and were processed into a cloud-free monthly
surface composite. Credit: Reto Stöckli and NASA Earth Observatory.

The separate restrained cloud shell derives from NASA Earth Observatory's
[Blue Marble cloud composite](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/the-blue-marble-true-color-global-imagery-at-1km-resolution/),
assembled from visible-light observations over two days plus thermal infrared
polar observations from a third day. It is an illustrative slowly drifting
layer, not live weather. The globe illumination is calculated by Parallax.

## NASA Earth night-lights maps

The ordinary Earth globe uses a lightweight 2048 by 1024 derivative of NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center's global City Lights composite:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30003/

At close range, compatible desktop browsers progressively replace that layer
with an 8192 by 4096 derivative of NASA Earth Observatory's 2012 Black Marble
global map:
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/NightLights

The higher-resolution source combines cloud-free observations from the VIIRS
day-night band aboard Suomi NPP. Parallax uses the resulting persistent-light
pattern as a restrained emissive layer only on the hemisphere facing away from
the simulated Sun. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory / NOAA NGDC / Suomi NPP.

At the absolute Earth zoom limit, players may optionally open the live vector
map supplied by Blitzortung.org. It is loaded directly from the provider and is
not copied or republished by Parallax. The display is for entertainment and
research context only, never protection of people or equipment. Lightning data
credit: Blitzortung.org and contributors.

## NASA / USGS Viking Mars map

The optional Modern-era Mars globe uses the Viking MDIM 2.1 global colour map,
processed by NASA Ames and the USGS Astrogeology Science Center. Its streamed
65,536 × 32,768 surface package was assembled from the public
[NASA Trek WMTS](https://trek.nasa.gov/tiles/apidoc/trekAPI.html?body=mars),
whose source layer is the 92,160 × 46,080 (approximately 232 m/pixel)
[USGS Viking colourized mosaic](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/mars_viking_colorized_global_mosaic_232m).
Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS. The map is a global data product rather than a live view
of present-day Martian lighting or weather.

## NASA LRO Moon imagery and topography

The optional Modern-era Moon globe uses the 2025 2K colour map and the compact
8-bit elevation map from NASA's [CGI Moon Kit](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4720/).
The colour map was assembled from more than 100,000 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Camera Wide Angle Camera images, with polar gaps filled from lower-resolution
LOLA laser-altimeter albedo data. The relief layer comes from the Lunar Orbiter
Laser Altimeter global digital elevation model. Parallax uses it only for subtle
surface shading and does not exaggerate the Moon's silhouette. Credit: NASA
Scientific Visualization Studio; Ernie Wright (USRA); Noah Petro (NASA/GSFC).
NASA describes the colour map as an aesthetically prepared rendering resource,
not a product for quantitative scientific analysis; Parallax uses it in that
same visual role.

At close range the globe transitions to a 65,536 × 32,768 streamed surface
assembled from NASA Moon Trek's global `LRO_WAC_Mosaic_Global_303ppd_v02` layer.
The public tiles and service documentation are available through the official
[NASA Moon Trek WMTS](https://trek.nasa.gov/tiles/apidoc/trekAPI.html?body=moon),
and the underlying calibrated map products are archived by the
[LROC Planetary Data System](https://pds.lroc.asu.edu/data/LRO-L-LROC-5-RDR-V1.0/LROLRC_2001/DATA/BDR/WAC_GLOBAL/).
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University. The mosaic contains fixed
morphological illumination and is not a live photograph of the current lunar
phase.

## NASA Magellan Venus map

After the Venus radar experiment, the optional globe uses NASA's Magellan radar
reconstruction distributed through NASA 3D Resources. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
Its simulated colours help reveal radar structure; they are not a visible-light
photograph of the surface beneath Venus's clouds.

## NASA planetary and moon surface mosaics

The Solar System atlas uses observed global maps for additional bodies whenever
a scientifically sourced equirectangular mosaic is available. Mercury uses the
[MESSENGER enhanced-colour map](https://science.nasa.gov/resource/enhanced-color-mercury-map/),
which exaggerates spectral differences and is not natural human-eye colour.
Pluto uses the [New Horizons global colour
map](https://science.nasa.gov/resource/pluto-global-color-map/) assembled from
Ralph/MVIC observations. Titan uses the Cassini ISS 938 nm [global
near-infrared mosaic](https://science.nasa.gov/resource/titan-mosaic-the-surface-under-the-haze/),
which reveals surface structure through atmospheric haze rather than showing
ordinary visible colour.

Phobos, Deimos, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Enceladus, Rhea, Iapetus,
Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon and Triton use the downloadable
equirectangular image textures in [NASA's 3D Resources
collection](https://science.nasa.gov/3d-resources/). Those maps are credited on
their individual records to NASA/JPL-Caltech and, where applicable, the USGS;
they are mosaics assembled chiefly from Viking, Voyager, Galileo and Cassini
imagery. Coverage gaps and resolution differences belong to the historical
source observations. Parallax does not substitute the collection's explicitly
fictional planet maps where an observed map or a restrained procedural
atmosphere is more honest.

At close zoom, Parallax progressively replaces those lightweight atlas images
with larger cartographic mosaics from the USGS Astrogeology Science Center for
[Phobos](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/phobos_viking_global_mosaic_5m),
[Io](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/io_galileo_ssi_voyager_color_merged_global_mosaic_1km),
[Europa](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/europa_voyager_galileo_ssi_global_mosaic_500m),
[Ganymede](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/ganymede_voyager_galileo_ssi_global_mosaic_1km),
[Callisto](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/callisto_galileo_voyager_global_mosaic_1km),
[Enceladus](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/enceladus_cassini_global_mosaic_110m),
[Rhea](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/rhea_cassini_voyager_global_mosaic_417m),
[Iapetus](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/iapetus_cassini_voyager_global_mosaic_803m),
and [Triton](https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/triton_voyager_2_global_color_mosaic_600m).
Titan's close view uses the Cassini mosaic cited above. Black or incomplete
areas in these products represent limited spacecraft coverage; the game blends
the smaller mission map beneath them rather than inventing terrain. Deimos and
the five displayed Uranian moons retain the mission-resolution NASA maps because
no comparable complete high-resolution global product was found for this atlas.

## Deep-sky survey imagery

The progressive deep-sky layer uses three observed data products. The full
Andromeda field is the optical B- and R-band Digitized Sky Survey 2 mosaic
published by [ESA/Hubble](https://esahubble.org/images/heic1112f/). Credit:
ESA/Hubble & Digitized Sky Survey 2; acknowledgment Davide De Martin
(ESA/Hubble).

The Orion Nebula uses the Hubble Orion Treasury mosaic published by
[NASA Science](https://science.nasa.gov/image-detail/orion-nebula-xlarge_web/).
Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (STScI/ESA), and the Hubble Space Telescope
Orion Treasury Project Team. It combines several visible and near-infrared
filters with ground-based coverage; its colours are a scientific composite,
not an unaided-eye view.

Messier 13 uses the archival ACS/WFPC2 composite published by
[NASA Science](https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/hubble-acswfpc2-image-of-globular-cluster-m13/).
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), with the
acknowledgments listed on the source page. The Hubble field covers the crowded
core rather than the entire apparent extent of the cluster. Parallax uses it as
high-resolution structure inside the lower-power unresolved glow.

Additional observation records use NASA/Hubble data products for the
[Lagoon Nebula](https://science.nasa.gov/image-detail/waves-breaking-in-the-stellar-lagoon/),
[Triangulum Galaxy](https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/triangulum-galaxy-messier-33-m33/),
[Bode's Galaxy (M81)](https://science.nasa.gov/image-detail/m81-print/),
[Sculptor Galaxy](https://science.nasa.gov/image-detail/c65-1/),
[Dumbbell Nebula](https://science.nasa.gov/image-detail/close-up-of-m27-the-dumbbell-nebula/),
[Sombrero Galaxy](https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/the-majestic-sombrero-galaxy-m104/),
[Ring Nebula](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-57/),
and [Whirlpool Galaxy](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-51/).
Credits are NASA, ESA, STScI and the named science teams listed on each linked
record. Several are deliberately narrow Hubble fields rather than whole-object
portraits; Parallax labels that limitation in the corresponding record.

Parallax progressively dims, desaturates and resolves these sources according
to the player's observing method. That treatment is deliberate: the supplied
palettes were assembled from filtered exposures and should not appear as
ordinary naked-eye colour.

## A-Starry-Sky aurora caustics and shader approach

Earth's close-study aurora uses the aurora caustic texture and adapts the
ray-marched aurora noise and altitude-colour approach from
[A-Starry-Sky](https://github.com/Dante83/A-Starry-Sky) by David Evans. The
original library renders a sky seen from the ground; Parallax maps the method
into a curved magnetic oval and spherical atmosphere viewed from space.

The MIT License

Copyright © 2018-2026 David Evans.

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

## NOAA SWPC geomagnetic activity data

When network access is available, Earth's aurora activity is driven by the
latest Planetary Kp index published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center:

https://services.swpc.noaa.gov/products/noaa-planetary-k-index.json

No NOAA measurements are bundled with the game. If the live service is
unavailable or stale, Parallax uses a clearly labelled deterministic offline
model until fresh measurements can be retrieved.

## NASA/JPL-Caltech Voyager 2 instrument illustration

Part III uses the labelled Voyager 2 spacecraft illustration published by
[NASA Science Photojournal](https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/voyager-2-spacecraft-instruments/),
image PIA22915. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

The accompanying descriptions of the high-gain antenna, radioisotope power
system, magnetometer, Plasma Wave Subsystem, Cosmic Ray Subsystem, Low-Energy
Charged Particle instrument, Plasma Science experiment and Imaging Science
cameras are adapted from NASA's
[Voyager instrument guide](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/instruments/).
The game labels the historical or current status of each system and separates
physical mission facts from its compressed playable research clocks.

## HYG Database

The 25,791-star catalogue embedded in Parallax is adapted from HYG v4.1 of the
[HYG Database](https://github.com/astronexus/HYG-Database), compiled by David
Nash from sources including Hipparcos, the Yale Bright Star Catalogue and the
Gliese Catalogue of Nearby Stars.

Parallax includes stars through apparent magnitude 7.5. J2000 right ascension,
declination, apparent magnitude and B-V colour index drive the progressive sky;
the bright interactive tier also retains names and distances.

HYG is licensed under the
[Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).
The adapted HYG-derived catalogue subset embedded in Parallax is available
under the same licence.

## d3-celestial

Constellation figures are adapted from
[d3-celestial](https://github.com/ofrohn/d3-celestial).

Copyright (c) 2015, Olaf Frohn

All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
   this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
   and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
3. Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its contributors
   may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
   without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS”
AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE
LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR
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SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

# Curiosity Hottah evidence image

`assets/mars-hottah-pia16156.jpg` is NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS image PIA16156,
“Remnants of Ancient Streambed on Mars,” released September 27, 2012.
Original unmodified JPEG, approximately 97 KB, served locally only when its
optional evidence activity is opened. Credit is displayed with the image.
Source: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia16156-remnants-of-ancient-streambed-on-mars/
Image: https://d2pn8kiwq2w21t.cloudfront.net/original_images/jpegPIA16156.jpg
Teaching comparison shapes are schematic, not traced measurements. No NASA
endorsement of this game is implied.