Editing NASA WorldWind (section)

{{Short description|Open-source virtual globe}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2019}}

{{Infobox software
| logo                 = 
| screenshot           = Worldwind.png
| caption              = Screenshot of WorldWind showing Blue Marble Next Generation layer
| developer            = [[Ames Research Center]] ([[NASA]])
| released             = 2003
| programming language = [[JavaScript]] (Web), [[Java (programming language)|Java]] (Android, Desktop Java SE, and Server), [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]] (obsolete Windows/.NET)
| operating system     = [[Cross-platform software|Cross-platform]]; see above
| language             = [[English language|English]]
| genre                = [[Virtual globe]] [[software development kit]]
| license              = [[NASA Open Source Agreement]] v1.3
| website              = {{URL|https://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/}}
}}

[[File:Sun anim.gif|thumb|Animation showing atmosphere and shading effects in v1.4]]
[[File:NASA World Wind.jpg|thumb|USGS Urban Ortho-Imagery of Huntington Beach, California in older version of WorldWind (1.2)]]
[[File:Katrina 2005-08-26 1843Z.jpg|thumb|Rapid Fire MODIS – [[Hurricane Katrina]]]]
[[File:Unknown Cyclone.png|thumb|A cyclone moving across the Indian Ocean (on normal cloud cover – not Rapid Fire MODIS)]]
[[File:moon worldwind.jpg|thumb|Moon – [[Hypsometric tints|Hypsometric]] Map layer]]
[[File:ww mars olympus.jpg|thumb|Mars (THEMIS layer) – [[Olympus Mons]]]]
[[File:Hurricane Dean in NASA World Wind.png|thumb|[[Hurricane Dean]] in NASA WorldWind]]
[[File:WW washington.png|thumb|Washington DC, Wikipedia point layer – icons link to Wikipedia articles]]

'''NASA WorldWind''' is an [[open-source software|open-source]] (released under the [[NASA Open Source Agreement|NOSA]] license and the Apache 2.0 license) [[virtual globe]]. According to the website, "WorldWind is an open source virtual globe API. WorldWind allows developers to quickly and easily create interactive visualizations of 3D globe, map and geographical information. Organizations around the world use WorldWind to monitor weather patterns, visualize cities and terrain, track vehicle movement, analyze geospatial data and educate humanity about the Earth." It was first developed by [[NASA]] in 2003 for use on [[personal computer]]s and then further developed in concert with the [[free software movement|open source community]] since 2004. {{As of|2017|post=,}} a web-based version of WorldWind is available online.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://explorer.worldwind.earth/|website=explorer.worldwind.earth|title=World Wind Explorer}}</ref> An [[Android (operating system)|Android]] version is also available.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/NASAWorldWind/WorldWindAndroid|title=WorldWindAndroid github repository|website=[[GitHub]] |date=15 May 2020}}</ref>

The original version relied on [[.NET Framework]], which ran only on [[Microsoft Windows]]. The more recent [[Java (programming language)|Java]] version, WorldWind Java, is cross platform, a [[software development kit]] (SDK) aimed at [[Software developer|developers]] and, unlike the old .NET version, not a standalone [[virtual globe]] [[Application software|application]] in the style of [[Google Earth]]. The WorldWind Java version was awarded NASA Software of the Year in November 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/icb/winners/soy/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611044435/http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/icb/winners/soy/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 11, 2013 |website=nasa.gov |date=December 24, 2009 |volume= 2 |title=Software of the Year Award, WorldWind Java|issue=12 }}</ref> The program overlays NASA and [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] [[satellite imagery]], [[aerial photography]], [[topographic maps]], [[Keyhole Markup Language]] (KML) and [[Collada]] files.