Welcome to the Mars experience in the WorldWide Telescope. You’re about to explore the most detailed, highest quality images ever taken of the Martian surface, accessing a rich store of information that has won accolades from renowned astronomers.

The Mars experience utilizes more than 13,000 high-resolution images captured by a number of NASA’s Mars spacecraft, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. These incredibly detailed images have been stitched together and rendered in 3-D by NASA’s Intelligent Robotics Group, enabling Microsoft to create the only pole-to-pole, three-dimensional experience of the Red Planet. In addition, the surface map has been color corrected to match the latest estimates of the planet’s appearance, adding yet more realism to your experience. And to complement your exploration, leading astronomers have created interactive guided tours of Mars, so get ready for a lifelike experience of the Red Planet.

To access the new Mars experience, download the Windows client version of WorldWide Telescope. Once the program is downloaded, click on the WWT|Mars icon on your desktop to launch the Mars experience.

Take advantage of these special features as you investigate our planetary neighbor:

• A True-Color Map of Mars. The surface map of Mars has been built and color-corrected to match modern estimates of the appearance of Mars. It is made up of images taken from a variety of NASA’s Mars spacecraft, including the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on board NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
• 3-D Rendering of the Surface. Visitors to the WorldWide Telescope can now have the experience of flying though a 3-D rendering of Victoria Crater and Olympus Mons – the lowest valley and highest peak in our solar system - and can experience firsthand the extreme elevation and intricate features of the Martian surface.
• Exclusive Interactive Tours. Microsoft Research is providing a set of exclusive interactive Mars tours, including an overview of the WWT Mars experience and Mars’ moons. NASA is also publishing two Mars tours by noted NASA scientists, Drs. James Garvin and Carol Stoker.