Google and NASA’s Latest Project Lets You Explore the Solar
Testing the boundaries of Augmented Reality (AR) has been the topmost priority for Google in the past few years.
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Updated November 2026. This was first published on 28 November 2022. The idea is the same. Any number below is what the original piece said then. It is not a new count.
Key takeaways
- Testing the boundaries of Augmented Reality (AR) has been the topmost priority for Google in the past few years.
- The search giant has taken a leap by partnering with NASA in its constant effort to provide a more realistic approach to the users’ questions.
- The latest project powered by Google and NASA collab allows users to explore the solar system in 3D, allowing them to understand the universe a little better.
Introduction #
Testing the boundaries of Augmented Reality (AR) has been the topmost priority for Google in the past few years. The search giant has taken a leap by partnering with NASA in its constant effort to provide a more realistic approach to the users’ questions. The latest project powered by Google and NASA collab allows users to explore the solar system in 3D, allowing them to understand the universe a little better.
Google and NASA Collaboration #
The solar system is vast and offers insights into many happenings occurring around the universe. The search giant, taking a step forward from text-based information, announced its collab with the space explorer NASA and brought a real-like visual experience right to your screens.
The CEO of Google, Sunder Pichai, announced through a tweet, “Excited to partner with NASA to bring 3D models of planets, moons and spacecraft to Google Search (and in AR on mobile too!), along with a new Googlearts project exploring our solar system”. The tweet comes as good news to all space enthusiasts and learners as this feature merges the capability of AR with the wonders of modern science and astronomy in just a click.
This project is also aimed at students who are still exploring their interests and are looking at extended fields of astronomy for future studies. These 3D projections of the frontiers of our solar system will be helpful in satiating the questions and queries posed by the students as they explore information regarding our galaxy from an early stage.
Google has brought in 3D projection for the solar system and its bodies as well as for other annotations like cells, skeletal systems and more for a 360-degree learning experience through its search bar.
Solar System in 3D #
The new feature by NASA and Google Arts & Culture allows students or space enthusiasts a whole new learning and viewing experience through its 3D models of the wilderness of the solar system. The users can view up to 60 3D models of planets, moons and celestial bodies. Not just limited to viewing on screen, the feature also allows the users to project these objects into their own spaces and learn their way through individual bodies like Jupiter’s moons or Saturn’s ring.
The 3D models also allow the learners to know about the instruments used by NASA to study the various planets and celestial bodies. Along with the 3D models of the moons and planets, NASA also has put 3D annotations of its latest spacecraft and telescope designs.
The models can be rotated and twisted as per the user’s whims and come with markings. These markings or points denote important sites and landmarks on the planets and moons, telling users about specific information associated with them. For example, the Moon model in 3D has pointers showing the landing mark of Apollo 11, Mare Crisium etc., while the model for James Webb Telescope shows markings denoting the sunshield, earth-facing antenna and so on.
Conclusion #
The perks of using AR are too many, and Google is ardent about expanding its reach with every new feature. Sundar Pichai emphasized this in an interview, “For a while, we have deeply focused on thinking through computing for the long term. We’ve talked about ambient computing, and it’s just a matter of time before, you know, beyond phones, you’ll see other successful form factors. And AR is an exciting part of that future.”.
Google believes in the power of AR technology and is constantly embracing its what it can do in its overall improvement, as seen in its highly developed 3D model-based learning approach. It is clear from the recent innovations in AR/VR that the future is bright for those who stay on track with this superpower-packed technology.
Questions and answers #
What is the main point? #
Testing the boundaries of Augmented Reality (AR) has been the topmost priority for Google in the past few years.
What else did the original piece say? #
The search giant has taken a leap by partnering with NASA in its constant effort to provide a more realistic approach to the users’ questions.