WorldWide Telescope is a tool for showcasing astronomical data and knowledge.

It’s not a physical telescope — it’s a suite of free and open source software and data sets that combine to create stunning scientific visualizations and stories.

The WWT ecosystem includes a Windows application, an interactive web app, and toolkits for Python and TypeScript/JavaScript.

Get Started with WWT🔗

See What's Possible🔗

Want to see in the infrared like JWST can? It’s easy with WorldWide Telescope.

Dozens more JWST images await you! They’re all in WWT.

Preview the upcoming nova and learn how to find it in the sky! WWT makes it possible.

Discover the oscillating Radcliffe Wave! Using WWT, it can be viewed in both 2D and 3D.

Want to revisit the solar eclipse? WWT lets you see how it looked all over the world!

Interested in the Moon? Explore five different lunar imagesets using WWT.

For more astronomical interactives powered by WWT, check out Cosmic Data Stories.

Something for Everyone🔗

WWT’s sophisticated web-based visualization capabilities allow researchers to explore and share their data.

Visualizing the universe in accurate 3D detail isn’t just cool — it’s effective education.

From single-projector portable setups to high-end multi-channel systems, WWT can power your planetarium.

It’s not all business here — lose yourself while exploring WWT’s beautiful and immersive environment.

You can also check out our list of “Who Uses WWT?”.

Unique Features🔗

WorldWide Telescope marries powerful technology and user-friendliness.

Tours are scripted, multimedia experiences that guide the viewer through WWT’s simulated universe. Create and share tours to teach astronomical concepts, showcase your data, or share your passion for the cosmos!

WWT is built for the web so that you can share your content anywhere that web browsers run — which is everywhere! You can embed WWT in a webpage in a few minutes, or build your own sophisticated custom application.

Open source and open data are at the core of WWT’s design. No need to ask for permission — you can remix your own images, 3D models, tours, maps, and more into the WWT environment.

A Team Effort🔗

WorldWide Telescope is a fiscally sponsored project of NumFOCUS, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the open-source scientific computing community. Work on WWT has been supported the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the .NET Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Microsoft. For more information see our Acknowledgments.

If you’d like to get involved, connect with the WWT community and introduce yourself! You can also sign up for the WWT newsletter and follow us on Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook.