“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” were the words of NASA astronaut,  Neil Armstrong, when he along with Buzz Aldrin and  other astronauts landed and placed their first steps on the moon. Now, on the 40th anniversary of man’s landing on the moon, Google released an addition to its Google Earth application, wherein, it has incorporated moon landscapes and traces of human exploration of the barren surface of our very own natural satellite, the Moon.

Aptly named, Moon in Google Earth, this application is available for computers running on Windows and MAC and Linux operating systems. Moon In Google enables users to view the lunar surface as it was at the time of the Apollo 11 moon mission and that too in via Google’s trademark, Google Street View. Along with the visual aids, users will also be able to view numerous images of the Apollo 11 lunar mission. The application also provides detailed description of all the NASA probes that have been sent to the moon, till date.

A Video of Google Moon:

According to Anousheh Ansari (first female private space explorer),

“This tool will make it easier for millions of people to learn about space, our moon and some of the most significant and dazzling discoveries humanity has accomplished together.”

For the novice users, here’s a tip. You can access the lunar feature of Google Earth by selecting Moon from the toolbar in Google Earth. This will provide the users with detailed images of the moon’s surface.

Via Cnet News & Official Google Blog.