Where is Saturn in relation to the moon? Does the Milky Way really have a supermassive black gap in the center of the galaxy? Microsoft has some answers.

Indeed, Microsoft likes to think the final frontier got a little closer that week with its public beta launch of the WorldWide Telescope software.

WorldWide Telescope is a rich Web application that brings together images from ground- and space-based observatories across the world to allow society to explore the night sky through their computers.

“The WorldWide Telescope is a vigorous tool for science and education that makes it possible for everyone to explore the universe,” Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said. “By combining terabytes of incredible imagery and input with easy-to-use software for viewing and moving through all that knowledge, the WorldWide Telescope opens the door to new ways to see and experience the wonders of space.”

Navigating the Galaxies

Microsoft Research blended software and Web 2.0 services

to create the high-performance Microsoft Visual Experience Engine. that engine allows users to pan and zoom around the heavens. WorldWide Telescope stitches together terabytes of high-resolution images of celestial bodies and displays them in a way that relates to their position in the sky.

The service goes beyond simple browsing of images. Users can choose which telescope they want to look through, including the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center, the Spitzer Space Telescope, or others. They can view the locations of planets in the night sky — in the past, present or future. They can view the universe through different wavelengths of light to reveal hidden structures in other parts of the galaxy. Taken as a whole, the application provides a top-to-bottom view of the science of astronomy.

Users have two options. They can freely browse through the solar system, galaxy and beyond, or take a guided…

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