Decius wrote:
] Why isn't there a webcam in space? I ought to be able to go to
] a webpage a look at a picture of the earth from space! Look at
] the weather patterns and the like... Does anyone know of
] anything like this?

It sounds like you are describing GOES ( www.goes.noaa.gov ).

noteworthy wrote:
] It sounds like you are describing GOES ( www.goes.noaa.gov ).

I am, but these pictures aren't very interesting to anyone who isn't a meteorologist. They are black and white and mostly accentuate cloud cover. I want to see color pictures that show ground features. I want the experience of being able to see the earth from space whenever I want. I want a new perspective on things, not data about the weather.

Decius wrote:
]] I ought to be able to go to a webpage and
]] look at a picture of the earth from space!
]] Look at the weather patterns and the like...

Decius wrote:
] I want to see color pictures that show ground features.

Okay. There are lots of tradeoffs here. You'd have to be more specific about your expectations, because at the high end, the capability you desire would be prohibitively expensive.

] I want a new perspective on things, not data about the weather.

Actually, you specifically mentioned a desire to study weather patterns.

noteworthy wrote:
] Decius wrote:
] ] I want to see color pictures that show ground features.
]
] Okay. There are lots of tradeoffs here. You'd have to be
] more specific about your expectations, because at the high
] end, the capability you desire would be prohibitively
] expensive.

Really? Hams have all kinds of crap in space... All I want is a reasonably hi res camera that transmits a color picture to earth every N minutes. Like the ones they take from the ISS, but stationary... Just a digital camera that piggybacks on some other sat and downloads its image to earth on a recurring basis.