STAR CHECK
IT’S WORLD SPACE WEEK AND SOFA ASTRONAUT Paul Brooks IS EXPLORING THE GALAXY, ALL WITHOUT LEAVING HIS HOUSE…
‘ICAN see Uranus,’ I shout. The Missus sighs and explains she’s not going to respond to such a tawdry gag. I am, however, genuinely excited. I can see the seventh planet in our solar system. However, more on that later…
With World Space Week starting on Sunday, I’m using tech to explore the galaxy and my launchpad is the Nasa website. So 5-4-3-2-1…
Nasa.gov has a shedload of jawdropping content. My favourite pages include Spot The Station, which lets you discover when the International Space Station (ISS) is flying overhead. There’s a live film feed from the ISS, too, plus an amazing ultra high-definition video of Mercury moving across the Sun. You can also download an audio file (soundcloud.com/nasa) of the infamous ‘Houston, we’ve had a problem’ from the Apollo 13 mission to use as a ringtone. And it’s all free!
If you fancy exploring the stars via astronomy, the
Celestron StarSense Explorer telescope range (starting at £135, celestron.co.uk) are a great option for novices.
Users download the StarSense app and place a mobile in the telescope’s phone dock. The app employs software called platesolving technology to take a snap of the night sky using the mobile’s camera. This image passes through a database to pinpoint your astronomical view, giving a more accurate reading than similar apps that only use geolocation technology. Would-be Galileos then employ a combination of the app and a laser sight to guide the telescope into position and pinpoint an object to view.
I was up and running ning in no time with Celestron. I located the red giant Mirach star, which is 199 light years from the Sun. As revealed, I located Uranus, too. These were major triumphs considering I can’t find my glasses on a bedside table most mornings.
If your budget extends to an HTC Vive VR headset (prices start at £549, vive.com/uk) and a PC to run it on, there are several cool VR experiences to be explored.
My favourite is the ISS VR Tour (free, viveport.com). In this, you wander around the station and click on videos where astronaut Samantha
Take flight:
Cristoforetti shows you how things operate in zero gravity while orbiting 250 miles above the Earth. The tour includes amazing views, plus reports on more mundane topics, such as urine disposal and administering CPR upside-down. Yes. Upside-down.
Mars Odyssey (£5.57, viveport. com) sees users pilot a ship travelling to the Red Planet. En route, you learn about the solar system and, on landing, you visit the sites of probes such as Viking and Pathfinder, and experience a Martian du dust storm. You’re not doing anyth anything majorly highocta octane like blasting aliens ali in either of th these experiences. In Instead, they offer a gentle mix of education and g gamification. But ad adventures such as exp exploring space in 3D a are what VR headse headsets are made for. Finally, if money is no object object, the there’s the option of a real space flight courtesy of Virgin Galactic. If you can’t run to the £195,000 per seat asking price, however, a VR experience takes participants through what to expect at every stage of the journey. This may be a marketing tool but it’s nicely done and it could be coming to the Occulus store soon.
But enough from me. I’m heading back to my telescope to prove to the Missus that I do know my Mars from my elbow.