'Window on the Universe' (WOU) is intended to reflect the huge level of popular interest in astronomy and space, and to educate newcomers and enthusiasts alike by presenting cutting edge new insights and discoveries. By exploiting the potential of multimedia, 'Window on the Universe' will reveal the international importance of the United Kingdom's commitment to astronomy and space research in government, business, and education. The material is linked to the National Curricula to ensure that 'Window on the Universe' will play an important role in the education of the next generation of astronomers, engineers and space scientists.
The user will participate in an astronomical journey of exploration of unprecedented quality and innovation with videos, animations, interactive challenges, and stills, set against a background of encyclopaedic written coverage of the whole of astronomy by professional astronomers and educators. The two CDROMs are a stimulating arena in which the user can link from one topic to another, spanning space and time from the moment of the Big Bang to the present day. The voyage of discovery is split between two CDs:
CD1 - Exploring The Solar System Exploring Space will tell the story of the human quest to understand the Moon and planets, the Sun and stars, our Milky Way galaxy, the distant galaxies which lie outside our galaxy, and the Universe at large. It will present the development of astronomy through the ages, the key thinkers, the invention of rockets and the 20th century race to space, which culminated in the Apollo Moon landings, a triumph of ambition over practical difficulties which may never be superseded. It will introduce practical astronomy and some of the big questions about the nature of the Universe.
This CDROM will also look in detail at the Sun, the Moon, all the planets and their moons, as well as comets and asteroids. The 20th century witnessed spacecraft visiting the planets and returning a wealth of images. Past and current missions will be included, for example, SOHO and the spectacular journeys of the Voyager probes that revealed so much more about our Solar System than had previously been known, are well documented. Recent cometary returns and the 1999 solar eclipse have provided further spectacular images, and there are pages on how to observe the planets, how to study the Moon and how to image the Sun.
CD2 - Beyond our Solar System The window now opens on our Galaxy, the Milky Way, with a guide to the stars which lie at distances from a little over 4 light years away on out towards its most distant reaches. The familiar patterns of the constellations have been the celestial signposts since ancient times, and this CDROM contains copious images of individual stars and constellations from many different sources. Images are from gamma-ray, X-ray, UV, IR, and radio as well as optical telescopes. The central themes are: the nature of stars, their life cycles, the way they are named and catalogued, and how to observe them. The CDROM includes interactive graphics and software that will show the stars and constellations that may be viewed at any time of the year. In addition a multi-level game called 'Mission to Mars' and an array of other multimedia content are included.
Beyond the reaches of the Milky Way, the final window opens on unimaginably remote objects. The nearest galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic clouds, only visible in the southern hemisphere, are 160,000 and 185,000 light years away; quasars may lie at distances greater than 10,000 million light years. Observing other galaxies provides some of the most beautiful images in astronomy and this CDROM contains these in abundance - from the Hubble Space Telescope and big terrestrial observatories to æenthusiastsÆ and æamateursÆ photographs. How the Universe came into existence and what its ultimate fate will be are perennially intriguing cosmological topics and they are revealed too.
3. Minimum Requirements
=======================
* PC
Preferred system requirements (assuming minimum compatible software installed)
are as follows:
* Pentium II 333MHz compatible computer running Windows95/98/00/NT+
* Internet Explorer 4 / Netscape Navigator 4 and later
* 64 Megabytes of RAM
* 24x CD-ROM drive
* Standard soundcard, video and display drivers (with High Colour,
16 bit settings)
* 1024x768 screen resolution (please resize your browser window to
this if you have a higher resolution
* SVGA monitor
* Hard disk space depending on the components you wish to install -
they will all calculate if enough space exists.
It may be possible to view parts of the CD-ROM with a lower specification PC
than this, eg if you don't want to play the videos, but obviously certain
elements will not display as intended.
Absolute minimum system requirements for access to just basic (HTML) content
(ie no Flash, Java, PDF, RealPlayer or MrSID viewer) are as follows:
* 800x600 screen resolution
* Frames-compatible web browser
* CDROM drive
NB: Use alternative menu in /WOU1/SECTIONS/ALTERNATIVE.HTM to navigate the CD
without Flash.
* MAC
System requirements (assuming minimum compatible software installed) are as
follows:
* Installation requires MacOS System 8.5
* Any system capable of running Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or Netscape
Navigator 4 or compatible browser and later
* Standard soundcard, video and display drivers (with High Colour, 16 bit
settings)
* Hard disk space depending on the components you wish to install - they
All necessary files are included on the CD and are accessible from the splash screen or by manually installing using the paths to the install files as listed below.
Note the splash screen will record install options selected previously. The WOU's Installation Help page has information on how to reset this. If you have already installed the software, there is no need to re-install it each time you use the CD unless there has been a problem - simply click on "Play" and "Ready to Go"
THIS RE-RELEASED VERSION OF WOU HAS MULTIPLE VERSIONS OF SOFTWARE INCLUDED - PLEASE CHECK 'minsysrq.txt' FOR MORE INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE WHICH ONE TO INSTALL:
Acrobat
-------
PDF documents provide a convenient means to distribute large documents - the CDROM contains several of these files. To view them, you will need to install from:
/INSTALL/PC/ACROBAT/ENGLISH/
Multiple versions have been included to ensure compatibility - the splashscreen directs you to the suggested / default version on its essential software page and the latest version on Page 3 of the splashscreen's Help section.
Shockwave
---------
If your browser does not have the Macromedia Shockwave Player installed, you should run the setup programme from:
/INSTALL/PC/SHOCKWAVE/ENGLISH/
Follow the instructions and then restart your browser. You may need to locate your browser plugins directory (if you are not using Netscape) for the installation to be successful. If you have further problems, consult the Help pages on the CDROM (using the alternative menu structure - explained next): If you can't install Shockwave, there is an alternative, if basic, menu option available from the Contents section. Alternatively click on the 'STD MENU' button on the 'Welcome' page of the CDROM.
Multiple versions have been included to ensure compatibility - the splashscreen directs you to the suggested / default version on its essential software page and the latest version on Page 3 of the splashscreen's Help section.
MrSID
-----
Run WOU.EXE (found in the CD drive's root directory) from Windows or undertake manual install of the MrSID viewer from:
/INSTALL/PC/MRSID/ENGLISH/
Two versions have been included. Both are compatible with most OS. If one doesn't work with your computer, uninstall it (via Control Panel), restart your computer, then install the other. The splashscreen directs you to the suggested / default version (MrSIDBrowserPlugin 1.3) on its essential software page and the latest version (ExpressView) on Page 3 of the splashscreen's Help section.
Quicktime
---------
You need Quicktime to run the Screendragon Video Screensavers. Install it from the Screendragon page on the CD or directly using the path below:
/INSTALL/PC/QT/ENGLISH/
Multiple versions have been included to ensure compatibility - the splashscreen directs you to the suggested / default version on its essential software page and the latest version on Page 3 of the splashscreen's Help section.
Screendragon
------------
Use Screendragon to run the Video Screensavers. Install it from the path below:
/INSTALL/PC/SCREENDRAGON/ENGLISH/
Multiple versions have been included to ensure compatibility - the splashscreen directs you to the suggested / default version on its essential software page and the latest version on Page 3 of the splashscreen's Help section.
RealPlayer
----------
If you don't have RealPlayer on your computer, you will be given the option of installing the latest Viewer from:
/INSTALL/PC/REAL/ENGLISH/
Multiple versions have been included to ensure compatibility - the splashscreen directs you to the suggested / default version on its essential software page and the latest version on Page 3 of the splashscreen's Help section.
Once the viewers have been installed from the splash screen, click on "Play" and "Ready to Go" to open the first page of WOU in your web browser. Alternatively you may start the CDROM manually by opening the CD's root Launch.htm file in your browser.
If you have any problems, see the Help pages on the CD-ROM for more information.
* MAC
Installation included - see Mac partition accessible on Mac computer. Then open
launch.htm from the CD-ROM drive's root directory.
* ACORN/ARCHIMEDES
No installation, but you can view the core HTML elements of the CD-ROM in your
web browser - open launch.htm from the CD-ROM drive's root directory.á
* UNIX
No installation, but you can view the core HTML elements of the CD-ROM in your
web browser - open launch.htm from the CD-ROM drive's root directory.á
5. Uninstall
============
The Viewers have their own uninstall methodology. For the PC, in Windows95/98/00/NT, you should use the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel. Do not simply delete files as this may cause your computer to crash. You may re-install the components you previously uninstalled by simply re-running the WOU.exe/Installer file and installing the viewers again. To clear the checkboxes in the splashscreen, delete 'WOUSTOR.TXT' in the root directory of your default drive.
