Xplanet Cloud Map
Welcome, Xplanet customers!
We are the makers of EarthDesk and have been providing high-quality cloud images to our customers since 2004.
With the closure of the Dundee Satellite Receiving Station, we have contracted with the Space Science and
Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, to continue offering this service.

The same cloud imagery used in EarthDesk is now available by subscription for use in Xplanet, delivered as a standard
grayscale equirectangular projection and updated on our server hourly from the latest infrared satellite images.
We look forward to providing you with high-quality cloud images, along with top-notch customer support.

Please choose the data package that is right for you by clicking one of the blue buttons below.

2048 x 1024 PIXELS
Xplanet Small Cloud Map
1-Year Data Subscription
4096 x 2048 PIXELS
Xplanet Medium Cloud Map
1-Year Data Subscription
8192 x 4096 PIXELS
Xplanet Large Cloud Map
1-Year Data Subscription

Each account is limited to 5 downloads per 3-hour period.

You can use these maps with Xplanet via the cloud_map option in the configuration file.

Example script for periodic downloads

Using wget:

wget --user=username --password=password http://secure.xericdesign.com/xplanet/clouds/2048/clouds-2048.jpg

Using curl:

curl -L -o clouds.jpg -u username:password http://secure.xericdesign.com/xplanet/clouds/2048/clouds-2048.jpg

You can use the HTTP If-Modified-Since header to check if the image has updated before downloading. The script below shows examples using wget and curl: 

#!/bin/bash

# Your username (license key) and password
user=user
pass=pass

# Size of the map to download
pixels=2048

# Web address of the cloud map
remoteDir=https://secure.xericdesign.com/xplanet/clouds/${pixels}
cloudFile=clouds-${pixels}.jpg

# Where you want to put the cloud map
cd ${HOME}/xplanet/images/

# Examples using wget and curl are below.

# Retrieve using wget, checking if the timestamp of the
# remote file is newer than the existing one.

wget -N --user=${user} --password=${pass} ${remoteDir}/${cloudFile}

# options to curl
curlOpts="-u ${user}:${pass} -R -L -o ${cloudFile}"

# if a cloud file exists, use its timestamp to determine
# whether to download the new one
if [ -f ${cloudFile} ]; then
curlOpts="-z ${cloudFile} ${curlOpts}"
fi

# comment out wget above and uncomment this if you'd
# rather use curl.

# curl ${curlOpts} ${remoteDir}/${cloudFile}

Note that the structure of the image file name has changed from underscores (_) to hypens (-).

Cloud images are not provided by a source under the control of Xeric Design, Ltd. Image content, accuracy, availability and timeliness are not guaranteed.
Data Source: SSEC RealEarth, UW-Madison.