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 06 July 2008 03:41 BST

Galaxies brought closer to Earth by Microsoft

Tuesday, 13 May 2008 14:29
As well as zooming and panning around galaxies at their leisure, users also have the option of guided tours available to them

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Microsoft says the final frontier has "gotten a bit closer" with the launch of its WorldWide Telescope service.

The space exploration device is available for free at http://www.worldwidetelescope.org and allows users to dive into the night sky from the safety of their own computers.

Microsoft claims the public beta blend of software and existing internet technology will allow people to tour the stars by viewing high-resolution images from the world's most important land and space-based telescopes.

Included on that list are the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Centre and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates described the WorldWide Telescope as a "powerful tool" for science and education.

"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," he said.

"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."

As well as zooming and panning around galaxies at their leisure, users also have the option of guided tours available to them.

"Users can see the X-ray view of the sky, zoom into bright radiation clouds, and then cross-fade into the visible light view and discover the cloud remnants of a supernova explosion from a thousand years ago," commented Roy Gould, a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics.

"I believe this new creation from Microsoft will have a profound impact on the way we view the universe."End of story


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