Urgent, Base One, we’re panning. The videos are panning. While watching the scenes I am bobbing side to side in my chair like an apple in a water pail in late October. And the music is pulling me into a mysterious force. Ok right, back to the real world now, what am I talking about? WorldWideTelescope.

The WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a Web 2.0 visualization software environment that enables your computer to function as a virtual telescope—bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world for a seamless exploration of the universe.

Want to see the same images that scientists at NASA use for their research or perform your own research with those images? Or do you want to see the Earth from the same perspective that astronauts see as they descend to Earth? How about taking a 5 minute break and viewing a panorama of a different city? Install WWT and start your explorations.

From some of our favorites like seeing the Earth lit up at night, to the less traveled Eta Carina Nebula, cosmo geeks can get a heavy dose of the universe. (Provided you’re running Windows. Dual booters - confess!)