Virtual reality universe unveiled (earthsky.org)
Posted by Kelly Kizer Whitt
October 17, 2021
Fewer than 600 people, of Earth’s billions, have traveled to space so far. So it’s likely that you personally won’t get to visit the International Space Station, or, say, Mars. And none of us will travel so far as another galaxy, or far enough away in space (and therefore far enough back in time) to witness the early universe, or even the Big Bang itself. But now you can do all those things virtually.
This week (October 12, 2021), researchers at Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne released a beta version of their Virtual Reality Universe Project, which they call VIRUP. Its open-source beta software contains what these scientists say is the largest data set of the universe.
The team used this data to create 3D panoramic landscapes of space that you can fly through, if you have the right gear. One note: The beta version can’t yet run on a Mac computer.
Virtual Reality Universe Project
You can view this free map of the universe with virtual reality gear or 3D glasses, on planetarium-like dome screens, or on your regular computer or television screen for a standard view. From the data, researchers created a 20-minute movie, Archaeology of Light: An Immersive Journey Through Space and Time, which you can watch below. You can also view it in your choice of 4K, VR180, or 360 degrees. In the video, the detailed 3D model of the universe begins at Earth and voyages out through our solar system to the Milky Way, then all the way to the cosmic web and the relic light of the Big Bang.
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more (incl. links): https://earthsky.org/space/virtual-reality-universe-project/?utm_source=EarthSky+News