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After Hours

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

By Wally Bahny February 8, 2011, 11:12 PM PST

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WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Abell 1689 galaxy cluster

Abell 1689 galaxy cluster

ntWorldWide 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.”

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ntThis 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.

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Jupiter

Jupiter

ntJupiter is also navigable in the WorldWide Telescope.

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Saturn

Saturn

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

2017 eclipse

2017 eclipse

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Terapixel before and after

Terapixel before and after

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Terapixel Sagittarius before

Terapixel Sagittarius before

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Terapixel Sagittarius after

Terapixel Sagittarius after

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Terapixel Scorpius before

Terapixel Scorpius before

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Terapixel Scorpius after

Terapixel Scorpius after

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Fermi All Sky Survey

Fermi All Sky Survey

ntNot 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.

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Apollo 12 landing site

Apollo 12 landing site

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Andromeda Galaxy

Andromeda Galaxy

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Mars volcanic vent

Mars volcanic vent

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Mars Utopia Planitia

Mars Utopia Planitia

ntThis 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.

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Mars Olympus Mons

Mars Olympus Mons

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Another view of Mars Olympus Mons

Another view of Mars Olympus Mons

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Mars Valles Marineris

Mars Valles Marineris

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

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Orion Nebula

Orion Nebula

ntThe 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.

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

WorldWide Telescope brings stargazing online

Messier 81 galaxy

Messier 81 galaxy

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

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

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