Mapping 3D: Microsoft launches its WorldWide Telescope

The head in the stars. The U.S., Microsoft has officially launched Monday, May 12, the public beta of its “virtual telescope, the WorldWide Telescope. The firm specialist computer and follows the footsteps of Photosynth, HD View or Google, champion of 3D mapping, which enriched GoogleEarth its function “Sky”, there is almost a year.

“The Wordwide Telescope takes the best images of the best telescopes on Earth and in space and to assemble a holistic view of the universe,” says Roy Gould, the centre of astrophysics at Harvard and has worked at the development of this application.

Fully dedicated to mapping three-dimensional software from Microsoft, scheduled for final release in late May, gives pride to the interface. Travaillée, offering features previously absent from similar services. For example, it is possible to observe the sky from different telescopes (the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center or the Spitzer Space Telescope) or through different wavelengths. But as regards the display of planets, the WorldWide Telescope remains limited for the moment. To improve its resolution, it would be necessary, may increase the program, the mesh density of shots. However, all services from NASA … That means to develop the ergonomics of these “virtual telescopes.”