Mapping the Moon and Mars using QGIS and ArcGIS
Syndicated from the June 2023 Astrogator, the monthly newsletter of the Grand Strand Astronomers
Do you have an interest in making digital maps of the planets? If so, the two biggest software competitors today are Esri’s ArcGIS, a proprietary solution, and Quantum GIS, an open-source solution. Although both can do most of anything you would need for a planetary project, there are advantages and disadvantages to both, depending on what you want to accomplish.
Quantum GIS, or QGIS, is an open-source solution. The source code is available to add features and extend its capabilities through an international community of developers and end users. It is free, so is widely used by government agencies, and is probably better for individual projects. It has a steep learning curve, but faster processing times. It comes with a suite of plug-ins contributed by the QGIS community, and is compatible with a wide range of data formats.
ArcGIS is a commercial product with a paid licensing model that includes a suite of software solutions including ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro, with an optional set of extensions. The entry point is about $100/year, but that goes up quickly depending on requirements. Most large organizations use ArcGIS because it comes with good collaboration tools, is very well documented, and has sophisticated training modules, some of which are free.
For organizations like the Grand Strand Astronomers, ArcGIS for personal use is probably sufficient to get started, keeping costs low. If members want to share projects easily between themselves, then upgrade to ArcGIS for business. With QGIS, version control is more of a challenge for shared projects, but it is possible to run multiple instances on the same server.
Both ArcGIS and QGIS have good examples of lunar maps, with Esri UK’s example marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing:
History of the Lunar Landings 3D Map
QGIS has an example that provides step-by-step instructions:
Creating interactive 3D moon models using QGIS
I am a new member to the Grand Strand Astronomers and have recently defined a planetary address framework based on low slope routes and quadrangles. I would love to find people who were interested in helping me to make the first map of the Moon to include roads, based on my framework. I have yet to see a map of the Moon that includes a system of roads, although the ArcGIS example above does include the historical rover traverses.
