Feature May 13, 2008
New Software Brings the Universe to Your Computer
The incredible images from NASA's "Great Observatories" and many other NASA space-
and ground-based telescopes are now available to the public in an educational and
innovative manner through the release of the free WorldWide Telescope software from
Microsoft.
Views of the cosmos from such observatories as NASA's Hubble Space Telescope,
Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory can all be accessed through the
same intuitive interface of exploring the night sky. Several all-sky surveys are also
available through the WorldWide Telescope, including the Two Micron All-Sky Survey
and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite survey. The rich multimedia software enables
browsing through the visible, infrared, x-ray and other views of the universe, allowing for
direct comparison of multi-wavelength observations that reveal surprising contrasts.
Other innovative features include guided tours created by scientists and educators. These
tours guide users through various aspects of astronomy with narration, music, text and
graphics. Members of the public, including children, will also be able to make their own
tours to share with others.
The Two Micron All-Sky Survey is a collaborative effort between the University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center in Pasadena,
Calif., operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of
Technology, both in Pasadena.
The Infrared Astronomical Satellite is a joint project between NASA, the Netherlands
and the United Kingdom. Its data are archived at the Infrared Processing and Analysis
Center.
JPL manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission
Directorate, Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center
at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA.
The WorldWide Telescope is available as of May 13, 2008, at
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