Google Universe

Thanks to the popularity and reach of the internet, Google has become one of the most powerful companies in the world. Now the California web giant is casting its net across the rest of the universe as well.

Yesterday it announced a new service which allows computer users to tour space and watch the stars from the comfort of their living rooms. Google Sky, developed with some of the world's leading observatories, lets surfers tour a virtual cosmos at will.

The service is an add-on to Google Earth, the virtual geography program which lets users access a computerised 3D map of the planet. Surfers who download the new Sky application will be able to look to the heavens from any point on Earth.

The service allows them to zoom through more than 200m galaxies and take a detailed tour around 100m individual solar systems. "You can flip up and see the constellations and search for stars, galaxies, nebulae and fly through space inside Google Earth," said Google spokesman Jason Chuck. "There have been a lot of interesting space events recently, such as the Perseid meteor showers, and with lots of kids going back to school we hope this can be really useful in the classroom too."

One function will overlay maps and charts onto the night sky, describing famous constellations such as Orion, Andromeda and Cassiopeia.

Sky was developed by Google engineers based in the US, working with scientifi groups including the UK Astronomy Technology Centre and the Anglo-Australian Observatory in New South Wales. "This initiative will open a new window for anyone to be able to appreciate, explore and discover our fragile position in this vast and amazing universe," said Dr Francisco Diego of University College London.

This is totally cool!