NASA's Eyes

Even if we don't live in the golden age of space exploration, there are still many exciting missions being carried out today that we should know about. If NASA's YouTube channels and live streams are not enough for you, NASA’s Eyes can help you keep track of what is happening in our solar system and beyond. If you are familiar with Google Earth, then you can think of this gem of an application as "Google Space", except that it doesn't come from Google, but from the bright people of the California Institute of Technology (CIT). The software lets you explore planes, satellites and other natural or man-made objects floating around in space in a 3D environment, which is full of interesting features.

If you didn't know, most details from NASA, from mission parameters to collected data, is public domain, so the fact that NASA’s Eyes is absolutely free shouldn't come as a surprise. The software runs on all popular Windows platforms and it can be installed quickly, without any effort.

NASA’s Eyes comes with three main exploration modules, called "Eyes on the Earth", "Eyes on the Solar System" and "Eyes on Exoplanets", which should be self-explanatory. Additionally, the software includes a series of featured modules, which provide valuable insight on certain missions, such as Cassini's tour of Saturn, New Horizon's Pluto encounter or the exciting Juno mission around Jupiter. What's more, the software can be set to full screen mode and it lets you view everything in anaglyph 3D.

The main exploration modules can be accessed in a simple mode, which involves a narrated tour, but you can also opt for an advanced mode, which gives you control to rewind or fast-forward in time. You can transit between various view modes, from a general view out local star cluster to a highly detailed view of individual objects and planets. You can view them in a time accelerated mode, to see where they are going and how they are going to behave, you can rewind time to see where they have been and the best part is that you can view them in real-time as well, based on information from NASA.

The featured modules, which showcase individual missions offer a wealth of information. For example, you can follow the Juno mission step by step. An interactive timeline allows you to jump between various mission milestones, from Juno's encounter with Jupiter to its orbital insertion burn. You can also access a whole plethora of information about the satellite, its design and about the planet it's orbiting.

You really have to see for yourself what NASA’s Eyes has to offer. Even a brief look over the Earth exploration module will get you hooked, especially when you will notice that you can have a close look at individual objects, such as the International Space Station, which are beautifully rendered in 3D.

Anyone who looks up at the sky will say that NASA’s Eyes is simply amazing, due to the amount of information it places in front of you and the way it organizes everything.