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Re: Fireball El Paso map/copyright?



GeoZay@aol.com wrote:

> Jim,
> I sent the map you posted showing the location where the Dod satellites have
> determined that the El paso fireball has detonated to various people.
> Included was the International Meteor Organizations(IMO) Fireball Data
> Center(FIDAC) Commissioner, Andre Knofel in Germany. He has contacted me
> expressing interest in putting that map into the next edition of FIDAC News.
> He was wondering if there were any copyrights on it? Did you make this map
> yourself, or did you acquire it from someone else?
> George

  This map was generated from the U.S. Census Bureau's Tiger Map Server accessed
via a request to the USGS's Geographic Names Information system at:

http://mapping.usgs.gov/www/gnis/

You can input any feature name in the US and get details concerning Lat/long,
terrain, relevant 7.5 min. map, etc as well as request a map of the area from
the Tiger map server.  For fun try "meteor crater" with alternate names "on".
Theres a bunch.  I have written an article on this for a meteorite magazine but
don't have word as to if it will be published.

Since the map is a US gov document I don't think it can be copyrighted.  Maybe
check the Census Bureau's web site.  As for the modification I made to the map
showing the impact area, as far as I am concerned it is free for distribution
and publication.

Jim