Sloan Digital Sky Survey (Data Release 8)

Even if you're not particularly interested in astronomy, make some time to have a look at the Sloan Digital Sky Survey's latest release. This 17second video gives a taste of the detail of the picture they've compiled of the universe around us. And it's available to the public (point and click jpg: SkyServer Navigate).

The great purple blob is a map made up of all the objects on the picture (stars, planets, you name it), the ribbons are a steams of pictures taken by the observatory.