Google software offers 3-D map of the moon

SAN FRANCISCO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Google on Monday unveiled an interactive 3D atlas of the moon, a new feature in the Internet search giant's Google Earth software.

The Google booth is seen at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in  Las Vegas in this Jan. 5, 2006 file photo. (Xinhua/Reuters  File Photo)

The map, called Moon in Google Earth, was released as a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Apollo 11 mission that took the first human steps on the lunar surface, Google said.

Moon in Google Earth enables users to view lunar photos and videos and take virtual tours of the moon landscape, including visits to human spacecraft landing sites narrated by astronauts on U.S. Apollo missions.

Users can also view 3D models of landed spacecraft and zoom into 360-degree photos to see astronauts' footprints on the lunar surface.

"Forty years ago, two human beings walked on the Moon. Starting today, with Moon in Google Earth, it's now possible for anyone to follow in their footsteps," Michael Weiss-Malik, a Google product manager, said in a statement.

"We're giving hundreds of millions of people around the world unprecedented access to an interactive 3D presentation of the Apollo missions," he added.