Google Earth gets 3D moon maps

While it hasn't been able to get a street view car up there yet, Google has launched Google Earth with 3D moon surface maps to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first manned lunar expedition. The Google Earth team announced in its blog today that current Google Earth 5.0 users can re-start the program and browse the surface of the moon with layers providing more information about the Earth's largest satellite, and even an Apollo 11 guided tour narrated by Space Journalist Andrew Chaikin and former astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

Google actually announced that it was mapping the surface of the Earth exactly four years ago, on the less ceremonious 36th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon mission.

The Moon joins Mars in Google Earth, which was added in 2006, and 100 million known stars which were added to the program in 2007 with Sky. Google Earth is free to download.