Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope Goes Open-Source

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 08 Jan 2015

WorldWide Telescope (WWT), the software that can turn your PC into a virtual telescope, the software that can take you on a journey to explore the universe, has always been free. But as of this January, the software is open-source as well. Say hello to OpenWWT!

“Millions of people rely on WorldWide Telescope (WWT) as their unified astronomical image and data environment for exploratory research, teaching, and public outreach. With OpenWWT, any individual or organization will be able to adapt and extend the functionality of WorldWide Telescope to meet any research or educational need. Extensions to the software will continuously enhance astronomical research, formal and informal learning, and public outreach,” said Microsoft.

WWT debuted in 2007 as a Microsoft Research project. Thanks to Microsoft’s leadership and thanks to partnerships with astronomers and educators from Caltech, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, the University of Chicago, and several NASA facilities, WWT quickly became a wonderful space exploration and educational tool. Researchers, educators, any member of the general public can use WWT to access imagery from the best telescopes in the world, take guided tours, and create custom interactive tours.

Now that WWT is going open-source, it will transition from Microsoft Research to a new host organization, the OpenWWT Consortium. Microsoft explains:

“Open-sourcing WWT will allow the people who can best imagine how WWT should evolve to meet the expanding research and teaching challenges in astronomy to guide and foster future development. The OpenWWT Consortium’s members are institutions who will guide WWT’s transition from Microsoft Research to a new host organization. The Consortium and hosting organization will work with the broader astronomical community on a three-part mission of: 1) advancing astronomical research, 2) improving formal and informal astronomy education; and 3) enhancing public outreach.”

Visit the official WorldWide Telescope website here.
Learn more about OpenWWT
here.



The WorldWide Telescope software is available for download right here on FindMySoft.



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