It isn't often that you get something free from Microsoft (with a few very notable exceptions), but if you have even the faintest interest in astronomy, solar system, our galaxy, or our universe, Microsoft has released a wonderful free product that brings it all to life.
World Wide Telescope - Microsoft's free software for exploring the universe uses images from the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, and other prestigious space and ground-based telescopes to offer unparalleled views of the planets and stars. You can even take guided tours from real astrophysicists.
I've been using the software for only a very short time...and let me tell you, it is pretty amazing. There is so much to it that it is impossible to describe it all. One of the most impressive things is that you can enter your location, date, and time, and the program will show you your sky exactly as it is now. Then, let us say, you click on the planet Mars, it shows you the exact location of Mars at this moment in time in your sky, then brings up an image of the planet. You can zoom in and out.
One of the first things I noticed, especially when looking at "local" planets like Venus and Mars, is that they are moving on your screen. The more you zoom in, the faster they move. Of course they do in real time because the earth is rotating.
In another mode, you can bring up planets like Mars and use your mouse to zoom in and out and rotate the planet any way you desire as well as get more info on the planet.
The program has hundreds, if not thousands of images, from a variety of land-based and orbiting telescopes. For instance, you can request images of the Crab Nebula and see images of it taken with different telescopes (plus also see where it is in your sky).
As it is a free program, it deserves a look-see. And it is a lot of fun and will keep you interested for hours.
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