If Astronomy interests you, you ought to be aware of "Google Sky", an Internet tool for viewing the stars and galaxies. The good news is that enthusiasts will now be able to access this tool through a browser version of "Google Sky".
Prior to this, to access "Sky", users needed to download and install the "Google Earth" application -- the Web-based mapping software. "Google Sky" was introduced as an additional feature to "Google Earth" (version 4.2) in August last year.
In order to make the tool accessible through a browser, developers have only changed the projection to display these images within "Google Maps" (the Mercator projection). The images that will be seen in "Google Sky" on your browser will be the same as those found in 'Sky' in "Google Earth". Though users will not be able to view the Northern and Southern celestial poles.
Through "Google Sky" on browser, users will be able to gallivant around the universe, zoom-in and out of images of celestial bodies, search for planets and galaxies, and view the sky through infrared, x-ray, ultraviolet, and microwave views. An Earth and Sky podcast has also been integrated in the interface.
"Google Sky" will allow users to locate the positions of the planets and constellations, and even watch the birth of distant galaxies as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope, just as in the regular version.
The tool has been created by Google through a partnership with the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, the science operations center for Hubble.
And if you're dying to check out the stars, view "Google Sky" here.
Christ!!!
Google is turning into another microsoft (although a free service oriented one)!
Microsoft, watch out -- Bill hope you have some more tricks (moral ones) up your sleeve!
by bidhan
from Pune
on 18/03/08 11:29 AM
Email
Print
