Thread: Reach for the stars with Google sky

1. IN ORDER TO USE Google Sky, it's necessary to have a copy of Go ogle Earth. To download both, launch your web browser, direct it to and press Return. When the website loads, either click on the Youtube video to watch a quick introduction to Google Sky or click the large Download button to install the software. Agree to the terms and conditions at the next screen and then ignore any security warning that Windows displays,and click on Save. Choose a destination, such as the Windows Desktop, and Google Sky will download.

2. MAKE SURE THE INTERNET connection is , still active and then find the new icon on the Desktop (or wherever you opted to save the downloaded file). Double-click on it to begin the installation. Again, deal with any Windows security warnings and click on the Run button to begin. Accept all the default settings and then click on the Finish button at the end. After a moment or two depending on the speed of the PC and the connection - Google Earth loads in the main window. Click on the Close button to remove the 'Tip of the day' window.

3. CURRENTLY THE SCREEN WILL display A' Google Earth. To switch to Google Sky either click the right-most button on the button bar or open the View menu and choose Switch to Sky. The main window switches from a view from space looking down on the Earth to a view from somewhere in space looking out at the universe. Start by clicking on Close to remove the Tip window.



4. GOOGLE SKY THEN SWOOPS around the universe for a bit before, inur case, settling on a view of Messier 10 l, a spiral galaxy in Ursa Major. Move the contents of the main window around by clicking and dragging with the mouse, double lefhclick to zoom in and double right-click to zoom out of an object qr area of space. Experiment by clicking in the various Layers boxes to reveal or hide different kinds of content. Next, type 'Milky Way' into the Search box and click on the button with a magnifying glass on it.

5. THE MAIN WINDOW SWIRLS again as Google Sky sets offin search of the galaxy that's home to our solar system. Having arrived, make sure there's a tick next to the 'Our Solar System' layer and click on the Play button at the top of the main window. This will play an animation of the planets as they orbit around the sun. Click on the Pause button to temporarily stop the animation or grab the slider to slow things down or speed them up.

6. LAYERS ARE VERY POWERFUL elements of the Google Sky interface and turning them on and off can help to clarify what sometimes seems confusing. Try this, for example. Click to remove all the ticks next to the layers at the bottom left-hand panel except Backyard Astronomy. The view in the main window will change dramatically to show only those objects that are visible to the naked eye, binoculars and small telescopes. To get more infonnation about something, just click on it and Google Sky will display a detail window like the one shown here.