Google+Mars

Free, 3D, and user friendly Shows actual satellite images with the specific dates in which they were taken Interactive tour available
 * SWOT**
 * Strengths:**
 * Beautiful maps covering many different views--elevation, ridges, craters, etc.
 * Maps showing were Earth craft have landed, their nationality and their success or failure.
 * Search feature that lets you find specific landmarks.
 * Can be viewed by elevation, visible light or infrared.
 * It has a frequently asked questions page.

Students need to be taught how to use the tool Colorful features can prove very distracting
 * Weaknesses:**
 * Requires a certain amount of knowledge and preparation by the teacher so students understand what is being shown.
 * Uses a lot of false color images to make features clearer. This may confuse students into thinking this is what it looks like.

Opportunity to compare the students' perception of Mars vs. satellite imagery Opportunity to study the surface of Mars with a collection of images of surface features
 * Opportunities:**
 * Excellent site to stir interest in hard sciences and astronomical subjects
 * Available from the students home, so they can show family what they are studying.
 * It can be incorporated into Google Earth if the school is using that tool.


 * Threats:**
 * None obivious

Students compare previous perceptions to actual surface of Mars Compare and contrast the differences and similarities between the surface of Mars and Earth's surface Based on the images available, conclude what circumstances must be in place for a planet to be able to support human life
 * Classroom Ideas**
 * Student hunts for landmarks
 * Have students examine what each lander accomplished.

**In Google Mars, there are 3 different types of data:**
In true color, Mars pretty much looks like butterscotch. Google Mars uses a gray-scale map to highlight more surface details. By using the Google Earth client, Mars in Google Earth ([] ) allows the user to fly to Mars in a virtual 3D environment.
 * Elevation - A shaded relief map, generated with data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft at []. This map is color-coded by altitude, so you can use the color key at the lower left to estimate elevations.
 * Visible - A mosaic of images taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera, the MOC ([] ) on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. MOC is like a digital camera. Basically, this is what you would see if you were in orbit around Mars.
 * Infrared - A mosaic of infrared images taken by the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS, at [] ) on NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, at [] . Warmer areas appear brighter, and colder areas are darker. Clouds and dust in the atmosphere are transparent in the infrared. This is the sharpest global map of Mars that's ever been made.
 * With Mars in Google Earth, there are several excellent options: **
 * Images downloaded by NASA are viewable within just a few hours of the download. You can see these images using the Live from Mars layer in Google Earth.
 * The user can take an interactive narrated tour of Mars.
 * The user can see 3D rover models and follow their tracks to see high-resolution 360-degree panoramas.
 * The user can search for famous Martian landmarks, such as the Face on Mars or Olympus Mons.
 * The user can stop the tour and explore the virtual 3D world of Mars on his own.