Van Nuys, California-based Virtual Reality Laboratories Inc is now shipping Distant Suns Windows, a software package that is said to put the universe in the hands of the Windows user. The user can click on any one of 9,100 stars, 450 galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters, all the planets, and the sun and moon, to access detailed information such as distance from earth, name, type of heavenly body, and so on. The sky may be viewed as it looked the day the user was born, and the user can travel back to 4000 BC, or forward in time to 10,000 AD, sharing the sky as it will look for future civilisations. She can draw lines around constellations, identify deep sky objects like other galaxies and, for a special treat, can call up a full-screen NASA photo of the planet of her choice (Pluto, please). And options are customisable, to enable the user to add her own images. Distant Suns Windows is available now, at $100, from Kenfil Distribution Inc.
