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Google Sky isn't supposed to generate tons of revenue, so from a business perspective, it doesn't matter if there are competitors.  Still, towards the end of this month, a little toe-stepping may take place as Microsoft releases its WorldWide Telescope.

 Gates Says WorldWide Telescope Coming

Bill Gates, who has been traveling through Asia and dropping interesting comments for several days now, confirmed the release while in Indonesia.  "This is taking data that's very complex, gathered over many years from many telescopes, and making it accessible," said Gates, according to Dan Nystedt.

Since an earlier version of the thing made Robert Scoble cry, it seems safe to assume the WorldWide Telescope's at least somewhat impressive.  A promotional Microsoft video shows several children pulling funny faces, too, so the product has that in its favor.

The official description only reveals, "WorldWide Telescope, created with Microsoft's high-performance Visual Experience Engine, enables seamless panning and zooming across the night sky blending terabytes of images, data, and stories from multiple sources over the Internet into a media-rich, immersive experience."

Keep your eyes open as May draws to a close, then.  And keep a few tissues nearby, just in case.