Microsoft eyes space with its Telescope

14-05-2008

by Bryan Collins

Computer users can now explore the entire galaxy, all from the comfort of their own home.

This week, Microsoft launched the public beta of its highly anticipated WorldWide Telescope. The program is a blend of the latest Microsoft programs, Web 2.0 applications and imagery. Once users download it, they can access a visual representation of the entire galaxy. The programme allows users to navigate this imagery and take a tour of the sky, hosted by astronomers and educators from universities and planetariums. Viewers can even select viewpoints from different locations on Earth and examine how the universe appeared in the past or how it will look in the future.

"Where is Saturn in the sky, in relation to the moon? Does the Milky Way really have a supermassive black hole in the centre of the galaxy? With the universe at your fingertips, you can discover the answers for yourself," said Curtis Wong, manager of Microsoft's Next Media Research Group, in a statement.

To achieve this, Microsoft's research division spent the last six years collecting terabytes of high-resolution images taken by ground- and space-based observatories around the world. The application is also a demonstration tool for the Microsoft Visual Experience Engine. This engine allows users to seamlessly pan and zoom in on different objects in the sky, without losing the scale of the surrounding areas.

"The WorldWide Telescope is a powerful tool for science and education that makes it possible for everyone to explore the universe," said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. "By combining terabytes of incredible imagery and data with easy-to-use software for viewing and moving through all that information, the WorldWide Telescope opens the door to new ways to see and experience the wonders of space. Our hope is that it will inspire young people to explore astronomy and science, and help researchers in their quest to better understand the universe."

Google Sky is another similar program which uses imagery to display the galaxy. However, WorldWide Telescope is regarded as being more advanced as it provides a cinematic representation of the galaxy while capitalising on the features of the Microsoft Visual Experience Engine. The project has been anticipated by astronomers and educators due to the amount of visual and other data from sources such as NASA it allows users to examine at once, in a range of different lights such as infrared or X-ray.

WorldWide telescope is available as a free download from www.worldwidetelescope.org, and it only works with Windows XP and Windows Vista.