This is a really cool “side” project from a Google engineer using their “20% time”.  If you don’t know what that means, Google employees get to use 20% of their time on side projects that they think are useful or interesting.  It it is called Liquid Galaxy.

Basically what they have done is set up a special cockpit where you can view  and easily pilot Google Earth.  There are eight large monitors set up so you get a life-like simulation surrounding you.  You can “fly”  anywhere in the world in seconds with amazing views.

Here is a video of Sean Askay from Google demo'ing Liquid Galaxy in Copenhagen.  

And here is a post on the Google blog explaining the system and some history behind the Liquid Galaxy project.  

 UPDATE: Mashable has just posted a Liquid Galaxy demo video from TED 2010.  Check it out!