Exploring the Universe From Your Desktop



by Gerrit Dalman

Thanks for reading! This month I thought I'd turn my sights on something more real than computer games. So I'm going to let you in on one of my great passions: the exploration of the universe.

It's an exciting time to be interested in space. China is sending it's own taikonauts into orbit, the President has declared bold new goals for NASA, and the development of private space business is exploding in the wake of Mike Melvill's historic sub-orbital X-Prize flight. Space is now closer than it has ever been for the average citizen, but it may be even closer than you think. Believe it or not, you can take part in the future of space exploration right from your desktop!

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For starters, planetarium software is available that helps you see the sky as it is, was, or will be. The best, Starry Night, comes in many flavors, provides accurate depictions of the night sky, and can even link directly to a computer-controlled telescope to save you the trouble of manually tracking a celestial body. Finding your favorite constellation, planet, or space station is now just a click away!

If you want to get out and see what the universe looks like away from the surface though, you should turn to the free universe simulator, Celestia. Celestia lets you travel through the solar system, among the stars, and even beyond the galaxy to view realistic views of space at all scales.

It contains an enormous database of stars, nebulae, moons, asteroids, and more. But one of its greatest features is that you can download add-ons that give you more destinations. You can even install real or fictional spacecraft to track if you like. It's a little difficult to install add-ons and if it freezes your computer, read the FAQ for a solution, but it's all worth it for the breath taking and inspirational window it provides!

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If you want to do more than learn about and be moved by the vastness of space, SETI@home will let you actually participate. After installing a small piece of software that runs like a screen-saver, your computer will use it's idle time for more than drawing swimming fish.

When you're not using it, your computer will download, analyze, and return results on snippets of radio energy. It will identify any possibly intelligent transmissions and report them back to SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) for investigation. In essence, you'll be helping search for aliens!

If all of that software isn't your cup of tea, look around the internet for other ways to get involved. A good place to start is Space.com, where you can get daily updates on stories impacting space exploration. If you're looking for some local space exploration without the hassle of installing a new program, check out NASA's Solar System Simulator.

Really, if you look around online, you can find just about anything you want about the known universe and human efforts to explore it. You can buy tickets from Space Adventures, you can watch video of Spaceship One's historic launch, and you can buy your own piece of the dream from SpaceMedia.

Of course if you want to feel more hands-on, you'll have to settle for something a little more sci-fi - like the free X-Plane derived Space Combat or the gorgeous space strategy game Homeworld 2.

The bottom line is that the Macintosh these days has the power to open new worlds to users through education, entertainment, and empowerment. The only thing it can't do is actually get you there! But who knows, that might be in the cards some day... Keep dreaming!