Gaia Sky - Astronomy Visualisation For Mac
Application software download free Mac
Gaia Sky is an impressive astronomy visualization program that allows you to fly freely around the cosmos and see planets in 3D. It features a wide range of hotkeys and offers many configuration options, such as graphics tweaks or the ability to increase model detail.
Developed within the framework of ESA’s Gaia mission, the app lets you explore the Solar System and move through the Universe using data from the second release of the Gaia database. You can also use a variety of additional astronomical and cosmological datasets to visualise distant galaxies, quasars, star clusters and more.
Once you’re up and running, you can select any point on the map to view a detailed image of that part of the sky. You can then zoom in to look at the details of any celestial body or click on the object itself to learn more. Alternatively, you can navigate the sky in virtual reality, courtesy of an integrated VR mode that works with various headsets (including Valve’s OpenVR) and operating systems.
While Gaia Sky doesn’t have the stunning imagery offered by rival programs like Microsoft Sky, it’s still an impressive application that provides plenty of value to astronomy enthusiasts. There are plenty of configuration options, camera recording and scripting support for further customisation, too. And it’s easy to create videos for use with spherical full-dome projection systems. Gaia Sky can be used in a number of stereoscopic modes, including anaglyph, VR headset and cross-eye.