Rocketing off to (cyber) space – Astronomy Magazine

This article originally appeared in our February 2017 issue of Astronomy.

Virtual reality is finally entering prime time. And thats good news for astronomy junkies.

You can explore Mars, manipulate the solar system, experiment with orbital dynamics, and land on the Moon, all from the comfort of your home.

To understand just what virtual reality is, lets distinguish between the two different ideas behind combining the digital and the real world. Augmented reality (AR) consists of adding digital components to the real world. Virtual reality (VR), a more immersive approach, removes all constraints of the physical world and places you directly into a computer simulation. VR allows you to float among the stars, create or destroy virtual solar systems, or finally get a taste of that childhood dream becoming an astronaut.

Just how does VR work for the enthusiastic amateur astronomer? VR can be broken down into a couple of areas: mobile VR and high-end VR.

Examples of mobile VR include Google Cardboard, which is available on both Android and iOS platforms. It requires only a semi-modern phone capable of meeting the hardware requirements, and a headset (which costs anywhere from free to $100 or more) responsible for holding the phone and allowing for interaction. Another popular product, Samsungs Gear VR, developed in conjunction with Oculus, is tailored to work with certain Samsung phones and is more advanced than the Google Cardboard (though not quite to Oculus levels.)

On the other end of the experience scale, we find headsets that require the user be tethered to a powerful personal computer or gaming console. As of this writing, 2016 has already seen the introduction of the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, VR units designed for personal computers.

The two are similar in form and function. The Rift is slightly more comfortable and polished, but the Vive currently ships with tracked motion controllers (wands) that allow you to directly manipulate your virtual environment. The Oculus version of those wands, Touch, was unveiled in October 2016. After Touch ships, the systems will ultimately offer similar experiences, and for the most part be cross compatible.

At this point, most VR experiences do not require hand controllers and are accessible via a game pad. With Rift pricing at $599 and Vive at $799, the cost of entry is steep, although the Vive price does include the controllers. After Oculus releases Touch, the systems should cost about the same. Both headsets are readily available, but youll need a powerful Windows-based computer system to run them (Apple Macintosh systems arent supported). The minimum specs include a modern Intel i5 Core Processor, 8 GB of RAM and a GTX 970 graphics card. Several manufacturers sell VR-ready PCs, typically costing north of $900.

Now that we have a basic understanding of whats involved, lets take a look at some experiences available for amateur astronomers.

Mobile VR

The top two choices are the Google Cardboard, which works for Android and iPhone devices, and Gear VR, which is specific to Samsung devices.

Mobile/desktop

Some overlap exists between mobile and desktop VR. Generally where they exist on both platforms youll find a smoother, higher definition experience with the pricier units and perhaps some added features to boot.

There are a few software outlets. Oculus Home is only for use with a VR headset. Steam is an online software distribution platform available for download via the web. WEARVR, http://www.theriftarcade.com and itch.io are online stores designed for VR software. If software is in early access, it is still under development, and while complete enough for use, it is actively undergoing changes, both to add new content and eradicate bugs. Note that in some cases compatibility for a particular title may require running some extra software.

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Rocketing off to (cyber) space - Astronomy Magazine