Google Updates Sky Images & Features In Google Earth

The Google LatLong Blog announced they have updated Sky in Google Earth with new content, features, and API integrations.

To see Google Sky, click “Switch to Sky” from the “view” drop-down menu in Google Earth, or click the Sky button on the Google Earth toolbar.

Here is a list of new features and content that can be found in the new Google Sky:

• Earth & Sky Podcasts: Podcasts about stars, galaxies, planets, and events coming up in the sky from the NPR program Earth and Sky.
• Current Sky Events: Contains timely updates on recent cosmological events from VOEventNet.
• Featured observatories: images from NASA observatory satellites, including x-ray images from NASA’s Chandra satellite; infrared images by the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS); ultraviolet images by the GALEX Satellite; and a microwave map of the sky by the Wilkinson Microwave Anistropy Probe (WMAP).
• Historical Sky Maps: a favorite in Google Earth, David Rumsey’s
  historical maps of the sky date back to 1792 and illustrate how conceptions of the sky have changed over time. Also available is a beautiful Constellations Art layer based on engravings by astronomer Johannes Hevelius from 1690.
• Grand tour of the sky: the best of Sky imagery in a tour that takes the user through 100 of our favorite spots in the sky
• Sky Community: The best content published by the Sky community on the Sky discussion forums.

Also, the Google Maps API now supports Sky, Moon, and Mars imagery.