From Lisa Hildebrandt:

As you've been following WorldWide Telescope, I wanted to let you know that Microsoft Research has made a number of new features available today. These new features bring an even richer visualization environment to the more than 1 million current WorldWide Telescope users and those who have yet to download the free application at http://www.worldwidetelescope.org.

Just some of the new features include:

• Three-Dimensional Solar System. View the entire solar system in 3D with light and shadows created from the sun. You can also watch planets orbit around the sun and moons orbit around planets.
• 1,000 New Images. More than 1,000 new panoramas and surveys from the Hubble, Spitzer, Mars and other earth and space-based telescopes have been added.
• Add Your Own Images. Bring your own images into WorldWide Telescope and align them in the sky to share with others.
• WorldWide Telescope Wallpaper. Easily create your own Windows desktop wallpaper from views of any object in WorldWide Telescope.
• Localized Content. WorldWide Telescope now offers a fully functioning simplified Chinese version. (Other languages will be added, but that plan in still in development).

To access these new features, existing WorldWide Telescope users just need to open the application which will prompt them to initiate the update. New users can go to www.worldwidetelescope.org to get the updated WorldWide Telescope app.

Please visit the WorldWide Telescope virtual press room to find images, videos, fact sheets and other information - http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/worldwidetelescope/default.mspx.

Microsoft Research plans to continue adding new features and tours to WorldWide Telescope over the coming months, and we will let you know as they become available.

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