Fly among the stars....

Microsoft's World Wide Telescope hit the web recently and I decided to give it a try, although the computer specs looked as if I might fall short.

It worked fine with 1GB RAM and Windows XP software. It's an impressive piece of work that includes the ability to look at planets, constellations and even includes film clips to teach basic astronomy concepts to help newbies get oriented.

My first reaction was not much different than my visit to a planetarium on a class trip when I was 8. I remember sitting there, looking up at the ceiling and saying "Wow!" and realizing for the first time how much more was out there beyond Earth.

World Wide Telescope is more high tech and more immediate an experience. It fills your computer screen with images of the sky, if you choose that view, and you can zoom from constellation to constellation, zoom in and out at will, and click on other related information.

It allows you to control a planetarium. If any one ever dreamed of being an astronaut or wants to fly around the universe, this is the program for you. Show it to your children. It's a great teaching tool combined with a built-in 'awe' factor.