World Wind, an open source 3D interactive world viewer, was created by NASA"s Learning Technologies project, and released in mid-2004. It is now developed by NASA staff and open source community developers.World Wind allows any user to zoom from outer space into any place on Earth. World Wind uses satellite imagery and elevation data to allow users to experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if they were really there. Virtually visit anyplace in the world. Look across the Andes, into the Grand Canyon, over the Alps or along the African Sahara.
World Wind offers the following built-in features:
* Earth - The planet we live on.
* Moon - Usually the brightest object in the night sky.
* Venus and Mars - Our inner and outer neighbours in solar system - the "morning/evening star" and the "red planet".
* Jupiter - The king of solar system planets.
* SDSS - Nothing less than the universe - the sky with stars and galaxies.
NOTE: World Wind 1.4 requires .NET 2.0 and DirectX December 2006