WorldWide Telescope Transition Bridge

该奖项支持全球望远镜（WWT）项目从微软研究院转移到美国天文学会（AAS）。业余天文学家支持着一个相当有价值的行业，并通过公民科学努力（如Zooniverse）参与研究。WWT软件为业余和专业天文学家的研究、教育、出版、推广和交流提供了一个独特的平台。保持这个包的可用性对国家来说是一项有价值的服务。确保从目前的私有状态（尽管是免费的）顺利过渡到由AAS领导的开源项目的投资显然是非常值得的，同时也是非常划算的。微软一直支持WWT软件系统，直到2014年秋天，他们决定将WWT发布给开源社区。美国科学院渴望在这样一个具有明显价值的项目中发挥领导作用，但需要时间来安排对WWT的长期支持，以帮助美国天文学界。微软的资助在2015年6月30日结束，所以这个项目将弥补差距，尽管只支持维护活动。这将确保WWT仍然对AAS可用，并且系统仍然对现有用户可用。如前所述，WWT目前被许多选区广泛使用。该软件具有独特的功能，包括为出版物创建视频摘要。它被用于全国和世界各地的许多学校、天文馆和博物馆。在社区驱动的开源模型下，这些活动将得到来自各自选区的专家的支持，各种活动之间的联系可以利用一个社区的工作来造福所有人。

This award supports the transition of the World Wide Telescope (WWT) project from Microsoft Research to the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Amateur astronomers support an industry of considerable value and are involved in research through citizen science efforts such as the Zooniverse. The WWT software provides a uniquely capable platform for involvement of amateur and professional astronomers alike in research, education, publishing, outreach, and communication. Keeping this package available is a valuable service for the country. The investment to ensure a smooth transition from its current state of being proprietary, albeit free, to an open source project led by the AAS, is clearly very worthwhile and at the same time extremely cost-effective.Microsoft supported the WWT software system up until the fall of 2014, when they decided to release WWT to the open source community. The AAS is keen to assume a leadership role in a project of such evident value, but needs time to arrange for long-term support of WWT in aid of the US astronomical community. Microsoft funding ended on June 30, 2015, so this project will bridge the gap, although supporting only maintenance activities. This will ensure both that the WWT remains available to AAS and that the system remains available for existing users.As noted, WWT is currently used widely by many constituencies. This software has unique capabilities, including the creation of video abstracts for publications. It is used in many schools, planetariums and museums across the country and the world. Under a community-driven open source model, these activities will be supported by experts from the respective constituencies, and connections between the various activities can leverage the work in one community for the benefit of all.