Checking out WorldWide Telescope

So Microsoft Research finally has released WorldWide Telescope (beta) to the public.

Ok, lets see what the hype has been about. The first thing I checked out was my astrological sign, the Taurus (Collections > Constellations > Taurus) and zoomed in on the left horn of the bull to Tien Kuan:

Next, I checked out the planet Neptune (Collections > Solar System > Neptune)

Then I checked out some Hubble Space Craft images. (Collections > Hubble Images > Composite Image of Galaxy Cluster MS 0735

You can also take guided tours where some guy with a PH.D will walk you through, such as the Milky Way's Black Hole.

You can download it at:

http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/experienceIt/ExperienceIt.aspx?exp=true

The requirements will require a decent computer:

• PC with Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 2 gigahertz (GHz) or faster, recommended
• 1 gigabyte (GB) of RAM; 2 GB RAM recommended
• 3D accelerated card with 128 megabytes (MB) RAM; discrete graphics card with dedicated 256-MB VRAM recommended for higher performance
• 1 GB of available hard disk space; 10 GB recommended for off-line features and higher performance browsing
• XGA (1024 x 768) or higher resolution monitor
• Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing and scrolling device
• Microsoft® XP SP2 (minimum), Windows® Vista® (recommended)
• Microsoft® DirectX® version 9.0c or later and .NET Framework 2.0 or later
• Required for some features; Internet connection at 56 Kbps or higher through either an Internet service provider (ISP) or a network. Internet access might require a separate fee to an ISP; local or long-distance telephone charges might also apply