World Wide Telescope
Microsoft has launched its World Wide Telescope project, a free downloadable education/science application from Microsoft Research. This interesting project brings together lots of disparate data sources and also references another technology that I am deeply involved in, ASCOM (or, Astronomy Common Object Model). Exciting stuff!
Based on what others have written in various blogs and articles, I previously stated that WWT was based on Seadragon and Photosynth. That was incorrect. I've just had an email exchange with Jonathan Fay, who is intimately involved with World Wide Telescope and someone I've worked with on the ASCOM project. He pointed out that in fact, WWT is based on Visual Experience Engine, it does not use Photosynth or Seadragon. Microsoft has several imaging engines that solve different problems, but are similar in the way you pan and zoom on image sets. Photosynth uses extreme parallax to make a collection of images into a 3d model. Seadragon allows smooth seamless browsing of 2d images and scalable text and graphics. The VEE is a 3d environment that allows massive datasets to be browsed and viewed over small network pipes, while combining the interactive graphics experience with authoring and playback engine to create and play guided tours of 3d environments. Anyone Googling World Wide Telescope is going to quickly get the incorrect impression that it is based on Photosynth and Seadragon, as I did. However, that's not the case. Straight from the horse's mouth.
 | Now that we've got the technicalities sorted out, here's a quick peek at what WWT can do. You can drag and zoom around the sky using your mouse and that all works very smoothly, with images and sky survey data being pulled down on demand. High quality images from the Hubble Space Telescope and other sources are overlaid on the sky survey data producing breathtaking views like this one of the Horsehead and Flame nebulae, near the star Alnitak in Orion's belt. Right-clicking brings up the "finder scope" which shows information about the object with links to more in-depth information online (on Wikipedia, for example). |
 | The panes above and below the main display provide quick access to various collections of objects and images, clicking quickly moves to those objects (shown here, the sulpherous moon Io, one of the four Galilean satellites orbiting Jupiter). You can create your own collections, too. |
 | An interesting feature with obvious applications in education is the Guided Tour pane, which presents a series of interactive slides complete with audio, while the display of the night sky follows along. This is a beta release and this is one area where you can still see some of the joins. Sometimes the tours don't quite display what they're supposed to. |
 | Here's my favourite feature. WWT is compatible with ASCOM telescope drivers, so you can link it up to your own computer assisted telescope and either control the telescope, or have WWT track the telescope and follow along with what you're doing. I know that Bill Gates owns a 10" LX200 (don't ask me how I know that!) so I'm sure he'll be trying this out!
ASCOM has been quietly evolving since it was started in 1999, led by Bob Denny and supported by a handful of dedicated volunteer developers. It defines a set of standards for producing drivers - much like printer drivers - but for astronomy related equipment such as telescopes, observatory domes, focusers and cameras. When WWT was unveiled yesterday, the ASCOM web site crashed under the load of all the people scrambling to download the Platform and associated drivers! Looks like ASCOM is finally getting the widespread recognition it deserves. |
Anyway, don't take my word for it. Go and download World Wide Telescope now for yourself.