Master the cosmos with Universe Sandbox

Universe Sandbox is an interactive space simulator for Windows based PCs. There is a free version of the software (the full version costs $20 or about £12).

Universe Sandbox has a 'powerful gravity simulator', which basically means you can play around with the cosmos until everything looks rather messy.

Ever fancied moving Neptune right next to Saturn so that it rips the rings away from it? How about swapping round Jupiter and Venus? You can even blow up the Moon, which is rather good, if apocolyptic, fun.

Unlike a lot of free to use astronomy software, Universe Sandbox really lets you play around with the physics and find out how things work. There is an endless amount of detail to get to grips with and so much stuff to play around with. Seeing the effects that even minute changes can have is really interesting.

There are also some really good 'fun things to do' tutorials, that talk you through some unusual 'missions'. So, to take one example, you can put the rings of Saturn in orbit around the Moon...and see what happens.

The free version has plenty to keep most people entertained, but for those that want even more options and 'toys' to play with, the paid-for version, for a one off fee of about £12, is even more comprehensive.

So what are you waiting for? Become the 'Master of the Universe' today!