# Google Sky **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 18, 2010, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407 "2010-01-18T09:02:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/1 "2010-01-18T09:02:29Z")
> **[Google Sites: Sign-in](https://accounts.google.com/v3/signin/identifier?continue=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Fsites%2Fsystem%2Ferrors%2FWebspaceNotFound%3Fpath%3D%2Fkeirclarke%2Fsky.htm&followup=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Fsites%2Fsystem%2Ferrors%2FWebspaceNotFound%3Fpath%3D%2Fkeirclarke%2Fsky.htm&ifkv=AYZoVhfXpe1vpkni2JB5Atyr1D6tzbSEYsJEMZEilUArZVaGQgjspQOIWyL0nlnyRy6zhmg4FdHefQ&passive=1209600&service=jotspot&flowName=WebLiteSignIn&flowEntry=ServiceLogin&dsh=S1477241377%3A1694225692449917)** > > Access Google Sites with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use). Explore the universe! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/2 "2010-01-18T09:06:57Z")
I always thought it’d be cool if someone combined Google Earth with [Celestia](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/). This looks like the first step. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/3 "2010-01-18T19:12:25Z")
Ooooh!! Ok, now I have to check out Celestia; thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/4 "2010-01-18T19:38:44Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I always thought it’d be cool if someone combined Google Earth with [Celestia](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/). This looks like the first step. The current version of Google Earth has some of Celestia’s functionality. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/5 "2010-01-18T20:14:00Z")
[Works even better if you have an Android phone](http://www.google.com/sky/skymap.html) ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/6 "2010-01-18T20:33:46Z")
Wow, this rules! (But where’s street view? :p) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/7 "2010-01-18T21:24:19Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > [Works even better if you have an Android phone](http://www.google.com/sky/skymap.html) Agree. I’ve got this on my G1 phone. It makes my iPhone-toting buddies jealous! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/8 "2010-01-18T21:45:37Z")
They could do a lot better job with flatfielding, to make the edges of photographs less obvious, and I’d like to be able to change coordinate systems, though that might be asking too much of a web-based application. I’ve noticed this before with Google: They’re probably the best there is at dealing with information in general, but for specialized applications, you can get better results from specialists. In a similar vein, the Arxiv or the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Data Service are much better for finding astronomical papers than Google Scholar. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/9 "2010-01-19T05:06:47Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > Wow, this rules! (But where’s street view? :p) And why can’t you zoom in closer? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Baldy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Gary\_Baldy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Baldy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/10 "2010-01-19T05:16:56Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > Wow, this rules! (But where’s street view? :p) Google lost a privacy lawsuit from Betelgeuse. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-sky/525407/11 "2010-01-19T05:29:00Z")
How does Google Sky compare to [WorldWide Telescope](http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx)? (My PC is old and creaky, so I haven’t tried either of them.)