After Hours

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

By · February 17, 2011, 10:50 PM PST

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  • Abell 1689 galaxy cluster

    WorldWide Telescope is a new project from Microsoft Research that combines imagery of space and celestial objects into one easy-to-use interface. From the site's overview page: "The WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a  environment that enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope--bringing together imagery from the world's best ground- and space-based telescopes for the exploration of the universe."

    This image is a high-resolution image of Abell 1689, a galaxy cluster in the constellation Virgo, as taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The image is embedded on the digitized sky that is the basis of WorldWide Telescope.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Mars

    Mars plays a prominent role in WorldWide Telescope content. This is an interactive 3D globe of Mars that you can zoom, pan, and rotate.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Jupiter

    Jupiter is also navigable in the WorldWide Telescope.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Saturn

    Saturn can also be turned and twisted in whichever way you would like to see it within the 3D solar system feature.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • 2017 eclipse

    This image is a simulated view of the 2017 eclipse that will affect the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Terapixel before and after

    Microsoft Research used something called Terapixel to take individual images and combine them into a seamless sky view.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Terapixel Sagittarius before

    The first example of the Terapixel effect is the constellation Sagittarius. This image shows the various images that make up the constellation.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Terapixel Sagittarius after

    After the Terapixel smoothing process, Sagittarius has a smoother view.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Terapixel Scorpius before

    Another example of the Terapixel effect is the constellation Scorpius. There are various images that make up this view of the constellation.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Terapixel Scorpius after

    After the Terapixel smoothing process, Scorpius has a smoother view.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Fermi All Sky Survey

    Not all of the data in WorldWide Telescope is visible light. Some imagery, like this gamma ray shot, is taken in various segments of the EM spectrum.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Apollo 12 landing site

    The WorldWide Telescope also has panoramic imagery of various exploration sites, including the Apollo 12 landing site and several panoramas of Mars.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Andromeda Galaxy

    Several of the countless galaxies beyond our own are featured in WorldWide Telescope, including the Andromeda Galaxy.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Mars volcanic vent

    Imagery from various exploration probes, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, is also included in WorldWide Telescope. This image is a volcanic vent near Athabasca Valles.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Mars Utopia Planitia

    This image is of an impact crater that was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Utopia Planitia (well, orbiting above) is where the Enterprise-D will be built in the 2360s.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Mars Olympus Mons

    Olympus Mons is the tallest known mountain in the solar system. This image was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Another view of Mars Olympus Mons

    This view of Olympus Mons was created by combining images taken by the Viking orbiters and the Mars Orbiter Camera.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Mars Valles Marineris

    Another prominent feature of Mars is Valles Marineris. This view was created by combining images taken by the Viking orbiters and the Mars Orbiter Camera.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Orion Nebula

    The Orion Nebula is a very famous spatial object and is often printed for posters. WorldWide Telescope contains vast imagery of this and many other nebulae.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

  • Messier 81 galaxy

    Another galaxy the WorldWide Telescope can zoom in on is Messier 81.

    Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

Abell 1689 galaxy cluster

WorldWide Telescope is a new project from Microsoft Research that combines imagery of space and celestial objects into one easy-to-use interface. From the site's overview page: "The WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a  environment that enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope--bringing together imagery from the world's best ground- and space-based telescopes for the exploration of the universe."

This image is a high-resolution image of Abell 1689, a galaxy cluster in the constellation Virgo, as taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The image is embedded on the digitized sky that is the basis of WorldWide Telescope.

Image used with permission from Microsoft. Caption by Wally Bahny.

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