WWT and Bing Maps Get New Mars Imagery

The Microsoft Research team behind the WorldWide Telescope project (WWT) have just announced the addition of new imagery from Mars, courtesy of NASA. Now, WWT users can explore what is, to date, the most complete and high-resolution imagery available and view new, interactive tours of the planet with NASA scientists Carol Stoker and James Garvin. Dr. Stoker was a scientist on the Phoenix Mission team, which she discusses. That mission involved landing a rover near the north pole of Mars to look for conditions that might be conducive to life. Dr. Garvin’s tour goes through the history of Mars to establish why it’s so interesting to us, and whether a human mission to the planet is possible.

In order to view the new content in WWT, viewers will need to download the new WWT|Mars experience.

However, using WWT isn’t the only way to access the imagery. Thanks to Bing Maps’ application gallery, the Bing WorldWide Telescope Map App has been updated to include the Mars additions. Web surfers can immediately view the content using their browser via the Silverlight site.

To use this feature, click the “Maps Apps” button then the “WorldWide Telescope” map app. When it loads, choose “Mars” from the list of collections.