Sample virtual tour for astro locations.
An Astro Virtual Tour provides a map (generated from google maps) with clickable locations that will lead to virtual tours of each location. This can be updateable and expandable to as many locations as needed per astro region.
Each virtual tour includes commentary about suitability of the location for visual, telescope, DSO, astrophotography and astro-timelapsing, a light pollution measurement, commentary about facilities of the location. Can include additional information and links (eg links to local government area, booking sites etc).
Final product would include additional astro imagery and potentially timelapsing and video from the site.
The advantages of the virtual tour include:
- providing interested stargazers and astrophotographers more night sky information about suitability of locations.
- a 360 view of the night sky gives an indication of the directions of light pollution for the purposes of stargazing and astro imaging.
Limitations of the virtual astro locations include:
- It is based on the date of capture. So changes to facilities and light pollution may change for the location.
- Aspects of the virtual tour are initially based on being hosted by myself so does have a business risk attached to it (eg if I ever retired and stop having a webpage) or in the instance where the web host ceases operation. Files can be provided for someone to host on their own page. Note that this may not include the google maps integration (ie will link directly to each virtual tour). This similarly has the business risk if Google changes accessibility to being able to link to maps. However a map with links can be created for the same effect.
Note – on phones, it appears that after clicking on a location the phone may stop opening the link. On a computer it shows a redirection and seeks approval to leave. This can be fixed in future version. To show each virtual tour:
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