Launched last week was a new feature to the mapping service provided by Google Earth. This new addition to the already popular Google Earth (which itself has been downloaded by over 250 million people) will act as a virtual telescope and give users a real insight into constellations and galaxies.
The aim of Google Sky, according to Dr. Carol Christian of the Space Telescope Science Institute and co-leader of the Google Sky team is to “foster and initiate new understanding of the universe by bringing it to everyone's home computer." Users will be able to follow the life of a star and constellations and gain access to high resolution images. Google Sky will also provide optional layers to view images courtesy of the Hubble Space Telescope and astronomers will now be able to view a staggering 1 million stars and 200 million galaxies.
Images used on Sky have been sourced from third parties such as the Digital Sky Survey Consortium, the Palomar Observatory in California, the United Kingdom Astronomy Technology Centre and the Anglo-Australian Observatory and will undergo updates as required.
So far, Google Sky has been warmly received. Dr. John Mason of the UK's largest body of amateur astronomers, the British Astronomical Association states that "light pollution and air pollution is now so bad in many areas that all you can see when you look up is a few dozen stars. If this helps people to realise just what they are missing, it is a jolly good thing."
In order to gain access to this new feature, users will need to download the latest version of Google Earth, www.earth.google.com.
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