SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY

Billion-Pixel Pictures Allow Ultra-Zooming for Science

from National Geographic News

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a thousand-megapixel picture worth?

Such "gigapixel" pictures allow viewers to zoom in from say, a panoramic view of President Obama's inauguration to the solemn expression on his face--as in one of the new technology's most famous applications.

For scientists--many of whom gathered in Pittsburgh last week for training in new gigapixel technology--these ultra-zoomable images are becoming tools to improve the study of archaeology, geology, biology, and more. Developed by GigaPan systems, a for-profit company, the new GigaPan system allows users to create these superhigh-resolution panoramas with ordinary digital cameras.