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Uncle Milton Moon in My Room
Amazon Price:
Customer Review: This is the second "Moon in my Room" for our house. Purchased this one after my little one tossed the original remote down the stairs and it broke. The replacement remote w/ shipping cost almost as m...

Uncle Milton Homestar
Amazon Price: $90.00
Customer Review: The Homestar is a very simple mechanical device, yet it is loosely fit. Its disc holder does not open/close smoothly. It comes with two still image night sky discs and a manual with only a few pages...

Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars w/Tripod Adapter
Amazon Price: $77.45
Customer Review: The only thing I'd like see improved is to make it easier to focus. I have another pair of less powerful ones that have a lever you push up and down on to focus. On the Giant ones you have to rotate a...

Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium
Amazon Price: $399.99
Customer Review: I am excited to present the Celestron Skyscout Personal Planetarium to you! This revolutionary device allows you to point anywhere in the sky, and have the advanced computer inside the gadget identify...

Celestron Accessory Kit
Amazon Price: $129.95
Customer Review: This kit offers a nice, and inexpensive, selection of eyepieces so that you can figure out which ones work the best with your telescope and viewing habits. Once you have that figured out then you shou...


Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device

Google Sky

Astronomy image 1

Astronomy image 2

By now you've probably heard the announcements about Google Sky - the new module in Google Earth. If not, the videos below will bring you up to speed.

It's certainly a step in the right direction and I applaud anything that brings astronomy and an awareness of the night sky to a wider audience. But what's presented falls short of what any decent planetarium software can provide in terms of what's above your head at any given time and date.

Where it has put a foot right is with the inclusion of Hubble images (in their correct positions in the sky. There's more information on that in this Hubble News Release.

The Google folks are smart people and every project has to start somewhere. Right now Google Sky is more of a cool photo album than a real piece of interactive software. It's fun to play with - for a few minutes. About all you can really do is click on things to see pretty images.

Maybe Google are looking for feedback on what direction to proceed with this project. If they decide to go down the planetarium route, providing charts for what's in the sky at any time as seen from any given locvation on the planet, then it will begin to match what's availabale in current software and begin to realize its potential.

You'll find Google Sky here.

These videos give more information on what Google Sky is about and how you can use it to explore:

Related Night Sky Videos


Astronomy image 1

Astronomy image 2

Google Sky News


AppSpout: Recent Reviews from the PCMag.com Software Team - Appscout

9 May 2008 at 9:39am 

Appscout

AppSpout: Recent Reviews from the PCMag.com Software Team
Appscout, NY - 6 hours ago
This new version features an intuitive 3D globe, rich location-specific photography, high-res panoramas, and enjoyable extras like Google Sky which maps out ...

Read more...

Microsoft's Answer to Google Sky to Launch at End of May - PC World

9 May 2008 at 3:52am 

CBC.ca

Microsoft's Answer to Google Sky to Launch at End of May
PC World - 12 hours ago
The star-gazing software appears to be similar to Google Sky, which Google launched in August 2007. Microsoft could not immediately provide further details ...
Microsoft Set To Launch WorldWide Telescope, Gates Says InformationWeek
Microsoft Faces Off With Google, Unveils 'Worldwide Telescope' TMCnet
Microsoft to Launch Worldwide Telescope This Month eFluxMedia
VNUNet.com - Digitaltrends.com
all 19 news articles

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Clearwire's new twist - CNNMoney.com

7 May 2008 at 1:01pm 

MidwestBusiness.com

Clearwire's new twist
CNNMoney.com - May 7, 2008
And who can forget the Internet-in-the-sky satellite venture Teledesic that managed to get bought by rival ICO Global before it failed. ...
Video: Clearwire, Sprint Nextel to Form WiMAX Network AssociatedPress
all 1,447 news articles

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Google Earth 4.3 - PC Magazine

6 May 2008 at 9:03am 

Google Earth 4.3
PC Magazine - May 6, 2008
A feature added in version 4.2 lets users click on a little Saturn icon to toggle between Google Earth and Google Sky, affording a look at constellations ...

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Google looking to map the abyss - ZDNet

30 Apr 2008 at 9:58pm 

Google looking to map the abyss
ZDNet - Apr 30, 2008
Google has tackled visualization of Earth, and more recently the sky, by offering up free imagery to the public with Google Earth and Google Maps. ...
Google Sets Sights On 3D Map of the Oceans Slashdot
all 3 news articles

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Google diving into 3D mapping of oceans - CNET News.com

30 Apr 2008 at 4:06am 

Google diving into 3D mapping of oceans
CNET News.com, CA - Apr 30, 2008
We've got Google Earth and Google Sky. Next up will be a map of the world below sea level--Google Ocean. The company has assembled an advisory group of ...

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The Fayetteville Observer, NC, Johnny Horne column: Can't see the ... - TMCne...

27 Apr 2008 at 2:23pm 

The Fayetteville Observer, NC, Johnny Horne column: Can't see the ...
TMCnet - Apr 27, 2008
Google just upgraded its "Earth" a few days ago. Google has pointed our view upward too in the online Google Sky. Go to earth.google.com to download the ...

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